2Peter 1:3-10 (Amplified) says, "For His Divine power has bestowed upon us all things that (are requisite and suited) to life and godliness through the (full, personal) knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His Own glory and excellence (virtue) By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, So that through them you may escape (by flight) from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in from the world because of covetousness (lust and greed) and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature." Verses 5-7 go on, "For this reason, adding your diligence (to the Divine promises), employ every effort in (exercising) your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy) and in (exercising) virtue (develop) knowledge (develop) self-control (develop) steadfastness (patience, endurance) and in (exercising) steadfastness (develop) godliness (piety) And in (exercising) godliness (develop) brotherly affection (develop) Christian love." Verses 8-10 say, "For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep (you) from becoming idle or unfruitful unto the (full personal) knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) For whoever lacks these qualities is blind (spiritually) short sighted (seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious to the fact) that he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall."
There is so much to glean from the above scriptures and it's imperative that we seek the Holy Spirit when trying to understand them. This is the very entrance and dwelling into the nature and character of Jesus Himself. Peter said that, "If we will follow these instructions, then we can come into the place in out walk where we will never stumble or fall."
This is the position every serious Christian has been trying to obtain since being born again. Peter shows us in Verse 8 that these qualities are ours and will increasingly abound in us. They will keep us from becoming idle or unfruitful in the full personal knowledge of Jesus.
In Verse 2 from the same chapter of 2Peter he says, "May (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise and correct) knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord."
According to these scriptures, we already have all these things through our new birth inside us. As we exercise these attributes or character natures of God in us, we can and will, come into the full personal knowledge, grace and peace and freedom from fear and more conflict will be multiplied to us.
These character traits of Jesus are already in us by our new birth according to Verse 8 which says, "As these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you and they will keep you from being idle and unfruitful in personal knowledge of Jesus." These aren't things we have to believe God for, but things we need to realize God has already placed in us. These traits of God will come into play in our lives when we yield to the Holy Spirit.
Many of us have allowed some of these things to function through us, but few have actually tried to develop them on a full time basis.
1Corinthians 13 tells us about the character of love, which is the very nature of our Father. This love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 (Amplified) tells us, "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, For God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us."
1John 4:8 (Amplified) says that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love." 1John 4 declares that if we don't have these attributes of love, then it's because we don't really know God. It's not that God doesn't know you or that you aren't saved, but that we don't know Him.
Paul speaks about the manifestation of the character and nature of this love in Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified) saying, "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), Gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self restraint, continence) against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge)."
All of these things found in the above scripture are the very nature of our Father. These things became part of us when we became born again. They aren't something we have to become, but they're only things we must learn to develop and exercise in our lives. 2Peter 1:5 (Amplified) says, "For this reason, adding your diligence (to the divine promises) employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop."
We've used our faith for many things in our Christian walk through the years, without many results. These scriptures tell us that if we will just exercise our faith in these things, then our faith will make us these things. 1Peter 1:10 (Amplified) says, "If you do this (employ these attributes in our lives) we will never stumble or fall."
Paul says in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified), "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; And the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
The life we are living is really His life, by faith in Him. This same faith in Him, is the same faith Peter spoke of in 2Peter 1:3 (Amplified) when he said that, "Exercising your faith to develop" all these other attributes of the character of Jesus in our lives.
The personal knowledge of Jesus and our Father is just that; personal knowledge. This doesn't mean you don't need what your pastor is preaching in a service or the things we've learned throughout the years. Jesus said in John 10:4 (Amplified), "When He has brought His Own sheep outside; He walks on before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice."
Many of us have never really developed a personal relationship with our Lord to where we truly "Hear His voice." Many Christians even, would doubt
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