The Development of Faith: The Growth of Faith (Part 1)

The Development of Faith:  The Growth of Faith (Part 1)  

2 Peter 1:1-4

The most interesting thing to note about all the different sources of power – animals, water, steam, gas and oil, electricity and nuclear – is that they all have been around since Creation. Man was either just not aware of them, or he did not know how to tap into these sources of power and make them useful. A source of power can radically change the way we live, but we have to be aware of its presence and then know how access and use it. 

The same thing is true when it comes to living for God in our lives. You can try to go it on your own and live according to your own resources, which would be like man living in the wilderness without even a horse or an ox to help him plow the field and carry heavy loads. Or you can use the source power that God has already provided to help you live your life the way God intended. But to use it you have to know about it, then you have to learn how to access it and then you have to use it. 

There was a man who tried very hard to please the Lord. Few men who have ever lived were as zealous (fervent, intense, enthusiastic) in their desire to live for God as this man. He would do anything he was asked to do. In fact, he would volunteer to do things that no one else was willing to do even to the point of risking his life in the process. Yet, it seems that just when everything seemed to be going great, he would do something stupid and blow the whole thing. He would be just about at a peak of really living for God, and then, “crash,” he would be right back down into the depths of sin. 

There was the time that this fellow was with a small group of other Christians and were having a great time. They had just had a special meal, listened to a wonderful sermon, spent time in prayer together and were now at a quiet place of retreat with their pastor. A larger group of men came up to them and started giving them a hard time about being Christians. This man was ready to take on everyone and defend the name of Christ. It was one of those spiritual peaks when you’re doing great things for God. Yet, only a few hours later this same man was in another small group and was given a perfect opportunity to witness for Christ, but he became so fearful that not only did he blow the opportunity to witness, he even cursed and denied that he was a follower of Christ. At that point he was a spiritual wimp. From spiritual giant to spiritual mouse in mere hours. 

Maybe there are times that you have felt like, you think that you’re actually getting it together in living for the Lord, then “bam.” You hit a wall and it seems you are farther back than when you started. Maybe you start to wonder if it is even worth it. That was the way it was for this man. He had been involved in intense training for ministry for nearly three years and had seen the Lord work in marvelous ways during that time. Yet at other times it seemed to keep him from doing what he thought he should be doing, finally he was ready to give up and go back to his old job. In fact, he did try to do that for a short time. This guy had been to the top and to the bottom several times. 

You may wonder what eventually happened to him? Well, the story is actually exciting. Everything in his life changed in one day. One day he and his Christian buddies had gone fishing and wondering what would happen next with his life. Later this man had absolute confidence in what God wanted him to do, and he became so bold that he faced down the same people that previously caused him so much fear. He went on to preach in evangelistic meetings. Thousands of people were saved under his ministry. He was a pastor for a while, and then he traveled as a missionary. He saw multitudes of people get saved. He encouraged Christians and trained new leaders. This guy was sold out for God. Eventually he got into a country in which the political situation was very dangerous. He was arrested for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and executed, but he was without fear as he became a martyr. 

Who was this man? It is Simon Peter. The two days that radically changed his life were 1) Jesus’ restoration of him to ministry (John 21) and the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and fulfilled (Acts 1:8), “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you . . .” The radical change in Peter’s life was due to trusting what Jesus said to and about him and finally being plugged into the power source. 

Our text points out what God has given to believers that enables them to live radically changed lives for the glory of God 

Peter’s Greeting

The change in Peter begins with his name. Notice that he starts his letter with both of his names, “Simon” and “Peter.” Simon is the name given to him by his parents and represents all that he was from birth. Peter, meaning “rock” or “stone”, is the name given to him by Jesus signifying what Peter would become. Peter uses both of these names. The boy given life and raised by his parents became a radically different man when new life was given to him by Jesus and he became a disciple and apostle of Christ. 

Peter also calls himself both a bondslave and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Bond-slave here is the Greek word which refers to someone who was under the authority of a master that owned them and not to someone hired to aid an employer. Peter recognized that he was a slave of his master, Jesus, who by His own precious blood had redeemed him from sin (1 Peter 1:18-19). Peter understood he was purchased by God and no longer his own. 

Peter also identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ meaning he knew he was sent by the Lord as His representative and with His authority. God has given him something to say to us, and we should pay attention. 

Peter is writing to those who have received the same kind, or literally, the “same precious faith,” as Peter and those with him had received. Peter is writing to the same people he wrote to in 1 Peter which are those “scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.” This is the area of northern & western modern-day Turkey.  

Peter makes two more significant statements in his greeting. First, they were those “who have obtained a faith.” This matches Paul’s statement in Ephesians 2:8 and 9 that “by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God.” That faith is also received as a gift whose origin is in God, not man. Those who believe in the name of the son of God are “born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12). 

Peter states that this faith “came by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The English text here may not seem to be as clear, but the Greek text is absolute. This is a proclamation of the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both our God and Savior. Jehovah Witnesses and other cults want to diminish or even eliminate the deity of Jesus, but in doing so they have a different Jesus than that of the Bible. Their Jesus is not God and therefore neither is he Savior. 

Peter’s Salutation

Peter’s wish for them is in verse 2. “May grace and peace be multiplied (or) increased in you.” Peter wanted these two essential elements of the Christian life to be growing in them. How can grace and peace grow in the believer? They grow in believers as they better know God and His son, Jesus Christ. The word for “the knowledge of God” mentioned here is not mental knowledge about God, it is a close, intimate, practical knowledge of Him. Grace and peace will grow in you as you get to know God and Jesus Christ in a close, personal, intimate relationship with them. 

Peter also declares that Jesus is our Lord. He is our master and our allegiance belongs to Him. Peter has already stated that Jesus is God, so calling Him “Lord” here is not a restatement of deity. It is rather a designation of the relationship between Jesus and those who have faith in Him. Those who advocate the idea that a person can believe and be saved and then sometime later finally also have Jesus as Lord are in grave danger of advocating a different Jesus than the one Peter is talking about here. The Jesus Peter speaks of is both the God and the Lord of those that have the same faith as him. Those who have faith in a Jesus that is less than God and / or less than Lord have a different Jesus and therefore a different faith than that of Peter. 

Peter’s wish for grace and peace to be increased in them would not be in vain because, as he says, something has already been given to them. What is it that has been given to those who have this faith? It is something that will change your life radically. It is something that will do in your life the same thing it did in the life of Peter. We have been given the power to live godly lives! Peter says the power to live a godly life has been given to us. 

Divine Power for Godliness

“. . . because God’s power has already given us everything we need concerning our new life in Christ and the practical application of that in everyday life through the intimate personal knowledge of God who has called us to this new life by His own glory and excellence.” 

The nature of this power is that it is divine power. This is the power of God, and since God is its source, there can be no shortage of it. There can be a lack of supply with any earthly power source, but there is never a shortage of God’s power and He never breaks down! And note that the Greek grammar here is in the perfect tense which indicates something received in the past continues in the present and will be there in the future. This divine power has already been given to us and it continues to be with us into the future. 

What is divine power for? It is for “everything pertaining to life and godliness.” The life being spoken of here is the new life that comes because of faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). True life begins when you give your life to Jesus Christ. 

What kind of life is it? It is a life lived in godliness. Godliness is simply the practical outworking of righteousness in a person who has given their life to Christ. Their lifestyle changes into one that is pleasing to God. It is changed from worldliness and sin to a lifestyle that is lived in accordance to God’s commandments. It is a life of righteousness because its values are set by God’s standards.  

How do those with this faith tap this divine power so that they can live in godliness? How can you get that power in your life and change the way you are living? Peter states that this power is made available to us “through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” Knowledge here is the same word used earlier. It is a close, intimate, practical knowledge. In other words, the more you know God, the more this power is available to you resulting in a changed life. Grace and peace will grow in you and you will live a life of godliness. 

Precious and Magnificent Promises

Peter goes on to remind us of something else concerning God. He writes, “And by His own glory and excellence God has also granted to us His precious and magnificent promises” The Greek here is just like power mentioned earlier, these promises have already been given to us and they continue to be with us. But what “great and precious promises?” What has God promised that will result in such a change in your life. Let me mention a few briefly. 

The promises of God are precious and magnificent, and these mentioned only start to scratch the surface of what God has promised to those who have placed their faith in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Peter wants us to become partakers in God’s divine nature. The word partaker means to be a partner or sharer. Don’t let that confuse you. It is the same idea Paul talks about in Romans 8 that we are being conformed to the image of Christ. We are to become like Christ in our being and share in His moral attributes. We are to become holy, righteous, just, merciful, gracious, faithful, true, loving, patient, kind, forgiving, etc.