THE REASON

2 Peter 1: 1-9

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Grace & peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

The reason!

Remember I mentioned a tiny gift my dad gave me, the only one I can take and still utilize this day?  A prayer for wisdom, knowledge and understanding, is what he told me to pray for.

When we have this precious “gift” from God in abundance, through faith…ah, grace and peace come and make home with us!  Our Heavenly Father has called us to the knowledge of Him! He wants us to participate IN Him.  Participate in the divine nature in His glory and goodness! ((I can do that!))

God wants us to LIVE a godly life! God wants to enable us to do so! He wants us to GROW IN HIM!

Grow our faith, grow our goodness!  Grow our knowledge (wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and if you need wisdom, go to James 1:5!) Add the spice of self-control & perseverance.  And supplement, godliness, mutual affection and love.

Listen to our promise: If you possess these qualities, and the more you grow the more productive & useful you will be in your knowledge in our Lord Jesus Christ.

These qualities make you fruitful, not barren!  They increase you, you are not a spiritual wimp!  God enables YOU to DO His work- to be USEFUL- this is the reason!  Go wants you to have His divine Power, because you, dear Christian, follower of Jesus Christ, are CALLED into service to GO and be fruitful, and constantly increase, being effective, not ineffective or unproductive!  This proves one thing to God- if you make every effort to add all the ingredients, utilize them, perfect them, grow them, have them near, then you will KNOW you have been cleansed from your past sins!

Don’t forget what Jesus did for you on the cross! YOU were bought with a price! Make a conscience effort to be productive for your God- Father God.  What is our reasonable service in Romans 12:1? Is it too much to ask, to add that scripture to this one and grow in God?

Jesus, bless our faith today! Help us to allow Your Word to penetrate us- and grow us, and showing us how to escape the corruption of the world.  Let us on purpose have purpose in You, today, right now.  I ask this prayer for me, and these who read your word today in Jesus name I pray.  In Jesus name.  Amen Jesus.  Thank You.  amen