3 Powerful Life Lessons from 2 Peter

We have almost made it through the Bible with lessons from every book! 2 Peter has more lessons for us to grow spiritually, to thrive as followers of Jesus.

A Ladder of Spiritual Growth

When a formula or process for spiritual growth is recorded in scripture, it is so helpful for us to spend hours of study on the passage. Here is a wonderful such passage in 2 Peter.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 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.

2 Peter 1:5–8 (ESV)

When we are saved, God begins a work in us. The qualities listed in this passage are given to us by his grace, but it is up to us to nurture them. We are called on to actively pursue these things in increasing measure.

How do we do this?

Read all scripture and particularly this scripture over and over. Ask God to increase these qualities in you. Then be consciously aware of how they would look in your life. Practice them as much as you can. These qualities will then begin to increase in you and will continue to do so throughout your life.

Inspiration of Scripture

God’s Word is true and reliable. It is a product of powerful inspiration and the unique combination of the word of God in the language of men.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV)

So, we must pay careful attention to all that is written. Admittedly, many passages are difficult to understand, and we might even wonder why they are in the Bible. Some passages can only be understood when we reach a certain level of spiritual maturity and insight. But every word is there for us to understand God and his plan for his creation.

When you encounter a difficult passage, pause and pray, wrestle with it a little, then keep reading. You will find God speaking to you as you read and pray over his word.

God’s Patience and Timing

I have been reading about the incredible world of physics lately: general and special relativity, quantum physics and superstring theory. It’s amazing how fluid time can be under some of these theories!

God has a special time scale as well as well as a purpose for that time scale! Read this.

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  

2 Peter 3:8–9 (ESV)

God’s timing is remarkably different than ours. We tend to want things now. He tends to wait for the perfect time. It’s always a blessing when we can ‘sync up’ to his timing.

His great desire is that everyone would repent and enter eternal life. He wants you to follow Jesus all the way to paradise.

It is so important to remember that everyone we see and hear is precious in God’s eyes. He wants them to come to him, know him and save them from perishing. He is patiently waiting.

More to come

We have more lessons to uncover in the coming weeks. I challenge you to find lessons from your daily Bible reading. Apply those lessons to your life along with these I have shared with you. And, by all means, feel free to contact me at any time. I would love to hear from you.

Now available is the complete: Transformational Life Lessons from the Bible in Kindle format. Click here for more information.