2 Peter 1:1 – This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT) 

In these opening verses of Peter’s second letter, we read through a list of characteristics that define the Christian faith.  We read about moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, and godliness.  Every Christian should be growing in these areas.  We may not have achieved all we should in these areas, but we should be growing and improving.  If we are having difficulty realizing any growth in these areas, we must ask ourselves: How well do we really know God?

How do I arrive at this question?  In verses three, Peter wrote: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him.”  For anyone to grow closer to anyone else, they need to nurture their relationship with that person.  If we wish to grow as a Christian, we must know God better, and we can know God better by nurturing our relationship with God.  We can nurture our relationship with God through prayer, Bible study and worship. 

The Apostle Paul wrote several times to the churches that he was praying they would know God better.  In Ephesians 1:17 he wrote, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (NIV).”  This is a good prayer for each of us! 

Take time this day to nurture your relationship with God.  Grow as a Christian.  Shine God’s Light! 

Posted by Ramón Torres