2Peter 1 - experiencing the love of God, we love, and making every effort to grow in that love, we then grow in love and the assurance of that love - the knowledge of Him, because He has made Himself and His love known to us: Having a real live encounter with God, is the moment God has made Himself known to us by His love and we realize His real presence and are moved toward Him by His love. Meaning, that in meeting that love, our heart has been touched and has responded and turned, and now, we have come to know Him - really experiencing His mercy and grace, His love and forgiveness - and now, we are at peace with Him because we realize through this experience that He has made peace with us and it for us (Rom 8).
It is important we understand that this peace is a “positional peace” established by God. It is this position in in Him that gives us peace based on hope or assurance. The peace we have might be better stated so that we better understand it as - assurance - as in our world, “peace” is often used as a “feeling of calm”, or an expressed moment in which we are in a “tranquil state” that is temporary and based on (feelings) in a circumstance and therefore can be taken.
This peace, which is actually assurance (Col 1:23 NLT), rises from an inner confidence of what is sure to come, what we rightly anticipate because of the surety of its coming because of our position (where we have been placed by God’s grace) - this is hope, not wishful thinking, or a whim, but in particular, a firm and eager expectation of a what is sure - in this case: a sure and hardy welcome because of our confidence in God’s grace - having “met” God, we expect from His goodness and good promises to those who love Him - a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. (Rom 5; 1Peter 1)
This peace God has established with us, this gracious experience we have with God, has persuaded us that God is who He says He is, and, we are who He says we are, and this produces in us, assurance, or, peace. (Phil 4) because now, being free (from accusation), we have a fearless confidence, giving us a cheerful courage, to approach God because of the good standing we have with him, in Christ, being accepted and adopted as children - we can with surety, anticipate a His being for us now, and in eternity - a rich warm welcome into the Kingdom of Heaven (1Peter 1:3-6).
In the now: Hebrews 4:14-16 14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, f Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
And eternally: 2Peter 1:8-9 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls
Here, in Peter’s second letter, he gives a road map to grow in our faith - that we might be more and more persuaded of God and His love’s truth and promises. So that as our relationship with God grows, our trusting hope would increase, and with our trust and hope, our assurance, or, confidence, and thus, our peace.
It seems it is our hope, our assurance, our confidence that Peter here is most concerned for us and gives us a map to increase and live in that confidence.
So a quick review: 2Peter 1:3-8
Faith - being persuaded by God that He is God, glorious and good, and that this God - love us - it is true and we can trust it.
Goodness - being the change He has made in us - we are like Jesus, we can speak and act as Jesus
What is it? To think, feel, and act differently - moral goodness - Jesus, to see and hear, follow and be like - to act rightly, according to truth, or, what is good and gracious
What can I do? Bring what is good, the best of me, to bear on the body - my brothers and sisters – being the good I have been created to be and do what that goodness does.
Knowledge -
What is it? The word of God, which is from God, about God that we might know more of Him
What can we do? Make every effort to engage with God in His word so that we might know more about God and His will and purposes. Read and listen to it; recite and remember it; remain in it allowing it to do its work and grow in it; believe it; do it and share it - with one another, with the lost.
Self-control -
What is it? It is an unwillingness to be moved from - remain in that place God has me
What can I do? Persist in that place God has placed me and with whom looking for God’s promise to “work all things for the good of those who love Him…”
Perseverance -
What is it? To see through to its end; bear up with joy; the joy of knowing that God has me in this time and place and is doing a work in me through it - that is my perseverance, godliness, hope, and assurance as Jesus is revealed through in our trials.
What can we do? To not only remain but to see through to the end result of the circumstance and suffering that one finds oneself - looking forward with joy to the God-promised results of times such as these.
Godliness -
What is it? character, Christlikeness, Christ’s righteousness - it is the fruit of remaining in and persevering through suffering - this life (Romans 5; Ja 1; 1Pe 1)
What can I do? Be godly! Exercising my family right as a dearly loved child to be who I am in Jesus and act on it. (Is 56:5; Lu 11:2; Jo 1:12; Ro 8:15-16; 1Co 2:12; Ep 5:1) -
All of this is our responsibility, but not ours to do alone, but by and with:
The Holy Spirit (Jo 14; Ro 8; Ep 1) or, His Divine Power (2Pe 1:3)
One another – the Body of Christ – of which He is the Head (Eph 4)
The next thing we are called to “make every effort to add” is - the one-another - to be a part and develop a “brotherly kindness”, or, affection. And this can’t happen without being a part of the Body, and, as God ordains a “body” local - with one-another - and placed us each and every into one.
Our making every effort to add all that we are asked to add, with make in us - brotherly affection - which means, we need to be a part of a local body to which we express that affection.
So what of this brotherly kindness? It is important that we understand the nature of fellowship, being part of the body, and that we see that it is not only being a member of the body, a body of which you have been made apart but developing our affection for it and those in it with us.
What is this brotherly affection? The simple attitude and work of brotherly kindness or as Romans 12:10 phlostorgos “family affection” - tenderly loving, kindly affectionate to.
A mutual love – one to another, given and received, gladly, even or especially when difficulties exist.
This term is derived from storge - cherishing one’s kindred (especially parents and children)
It is the special affection shared between members of God’s family - people born again - divinely adopted and serving the same heavenly Father!
Jesus sets this forward here in Mark 3:34 “who are my mother and brothers? He asked. Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, “Here are my mother and bothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
This brotherly affection is to be developed – with every effort - with God and toward the fellowship of believers - our adopted family - as it a large part of our growing confidence, our assurance, as we together spur one another on to grow in Christ bringing forward the good tha that we have experienced with God and have been made by God in Christ.
And here’s how!
Hebrews 10:19-25 19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Our assurance grows with one another - but this is not passive, it is active, as we do unto others, bringing ourselves to the party and allowing everyone to enjoy the favor of all the people (Acts 2)
What is it – this fellowship and our growing affection for it? It is to realize that this fellowhip is Jesus’ body and that He has placed you in it - for your good, the good of others, and for His good! It, the Body, is our family, truly, with God as our Father, Jesus our brother, and His DNA flowing through us - the Holy Spirit.
What can I do? We can adjust your attitude regarding the Body of which you are a part; then, be a part; commit to bringing your best - honest and transparent self; serve and be served.
May we make every effort to calibrate it to God’s good pleasure of having made and formed the body as He thought this best and most wise and loving -
And just like in any other relationship, when we make every effort to maintain and enrich it, we grow in confidence in it, them, our love and are more and more assured that they are there with us and for us - and our love and affection grows.
