Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
2 Peter 1:3-8
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite tv game shows growing up was the Price is Right. I loved watching ole’ Bob Barker tell those people from the crowd to “come on down!” (By the way, Drew Carey is good but Bob Barker is the man, can I get an amen!) I could just see myself spinning the big wheel at the Showcase Showdown and hitting $1. At the end of the show they always brought back the two winning contestants to face off in the final Showcase where they would guess the cost of the two sets of prizes. The one who got closest to the actual amount and didn’t go over won the Showcase. The best part was when Bob Barker would say, “But wait there’s more….a new car!” And, they would roll back those doors and a brand new ride would be sitting there for the contestant to win. I’m getting excited and nostalgic all at the same time right now just thinking about it!
In 2 Peter 1, Peter tells us that when we got saved we got it all. It’s as if he’s saying, “You’ve been forgiven and made right with God….BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!” Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness we have in Christ. Our awesome salvation begins now, and it includes peace, power, provision, and the powerful indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. How awesome is that! There’s no Showcase in the history of the Price is Right that can top that!
So, since there’s so much more than just forgiveness included with our salvation, let’s make the most of it. Peter tells us how to do that here. He says we should make every effort to add some things to our salvation. This doesn’t mean we somehow earn our way to heaven, it simply means that through discipline and obedience we make the most of His grace in us. He says add virtue. A virtuous person is a person of character and integrity, a person who is pure in heart, mind, and body. Knowledge speaks of personal experiential knowledge of both the word and the person of God. Self-control is a Spirit restrained life where our words, thoughts, and actions are all brought under the lordship of Christ. Steadfastness is a no quit attitude that is motivated by worship. Godliness is that mature Christian life which most exemplifies the Lord. Lastly, brotherly affection and love are the supreme commands, as Jesus told us to love God and love people above all else. If we are increasing in these qualities we make the most of our salvation according to Peter.
So, how about you? Are you making the most of your salvation? We’ve won the showcase and now have more in Christ than we can ever imagine. Let’s make the most of it. Let’s add discipline and Christ-likeness to our everyday lives and rejoice in all the blessings that He continues to give.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Lord, thank You for grace. You have blessed me with an infinite amount of blessings through salvation. I have everything I need and more to live the Christian life. Help me rely totally on You and your provision today to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus name, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence