RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-05-18	What Are The Exceeding Great And Precious Promises? (2Pe.1:4)
		2Pe 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 2Pe 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Peter opens his second epistle with encouraging words to believers. He says these promises stem from God's “glory and virtue” (v.3). God has made promises in His Word because He is glorious and because He is virtuous. Peter writes to those who have by faith received our Savior, Jesus Christ (v.1). Peter refers to them as the “called” of God (v.3). The promises God has made are “precious” and are of inexpressible value to believers. We “participate” in the divine nature in that God has made us a new creation (2Co.5:17). Every believer undergoes a radical spiritual transformation. God's promises have a sanctifying effect on us. With the Word of God in our hands, and Holy Spirit in our hearts, we have everything needed for daily life (v.3). What are some of the promises Peter refers to? We will focus on some of the promises of God related to the believer's forgiveness. Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. God's goodness and mercy will be felt by believers their whole life. We enjoy full communion with the Lord. Isa 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. The Lord offers complete forgiveness to those who repent. People need to be clean inwardly like a murderer washes his blood-stained hands. Eze 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. God's restoration will not simply undo Israel's sin making her neutral. Rather God will implant a new nature in them to make them righteous. Jeremiah called this work of God the “New Covenant” (Je.31:31-33) Believers today have been grafted into this new covenant (Ga.3:14; Ep.2:12; Ro.11:14-24) Joh 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. There is an election of God which is the Father’s gift to the Son. The Son has no concern that His work will be ineffective, for the Father will enable people to come to Jesus. Mat 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. By placing ourselves under the “yoke” of Jesus and learning from Him, we find “rest” for our souls from sin's burdens. Joh 10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. No wolf (context as robbers, v.10-12) can snatch any sheep out of the Christ's (v.28) or the Father's hand (v.29). These are not mere words on a page. They are “great and precious promises” believers can cling to. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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