“Heavenly Promises for Help on Earth”

Text:  2 Peter 1:1-4

Vs. 1 – “received a faith as precious as ours…”

• Like Peter and the apostles, like all believers throughout history, we received this precious faith.
• As we travel this road of life down here, let us remember it doesn’t last forever and it doesn’t dead end at the grave.

Vs. 3 – His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him

• Everything we need for life and godliness. Everything we need for this human experience.
• Everything to deal with the pain and to enjoy the pleasures.

Where does this vast supply of “everything come from?

“Through our knowledge of Him.”

• Amplified version: “True and personal” knowledge of Him
• Our “knowledge of Him” is supplied to us through several sources: fellowship, time alone with Him, etc., but verse 4 gives us another that we may not focus on as much as others…

Vs. 4 Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises,  so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

• Faith does not require us to deny the facts of life. We can call a mess a mess.  That is not incompatible with having faith.  Instead, faith prompts us to put them in heavenly perspective.

Psalm 56:3-4 ³When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  ⁴In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?

• Promises give us God’s perspective.

“Participate in the divine nature”  His promises help us become more like Christ in our perspective and in our choices.

“escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”  Escape the deceitful schemes of the evil one who promotes a self-centered, God-denying orientation to life.

Every day has its own energy, mood, pace, and character.  Some days are clear and we can fly by sight.  On other days, visibility is poor and we need to navigate by our instrument panel.  That’s what God’s promises are.  Every day is not the same, but God’s faithfulness is always the same.

His promises provide perspective from God’s vantage point.

God intends to use adversity as a confidence builder.  Confidence in Him, not in ourselves.