Things I must contribute to my faith in Jesus
Reading:

2 Peter 1:5-7

  1. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
  2. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
  3. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

My Spanish Bible punctuates verses 3-7 as one sentence. So here you have my translation of the beginnings of verse 3 and verse 5:

As all things that pertain to life and piety have been given to us by his divine power…

you also, putting forth all diligence for this very thing, add to your faith virtue…

Since God has done and continues to do His part in working in me by His divine power, I ought to do my own part very diligently. I don’t know what all the truths and implications are in all that adding I’m supposed to do, but I’m certain of this: I must grow in Christ. Continue reading →

Grace, peace, life, godliness!
Reading:

2 Peter 1:1-4

First, what God says — because it matters far more and is very foundational to what I have to say…

  1. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
  2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
  3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
  4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

I love the beginning of this book! I have attained to this faith because of and as a result of the righteousness and justice of Jesus. “My faith is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” — I think that’s how the hymn goes. Well, this first verse of 2 Peter helps me see that my faith in Jesus comes from Jesus. Continue reading →