We can build our life now and our eternal future on something solid.
2 Peter 1:16-19 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to Him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.
Peter wants us to know about God's power and glory that has the power to change lives, Peter feels that it is crucial for us to know about the power of God that he has experienced first hand, at the beginning of this chapter Peter told us that this power and glory provides us with everything we need to live above the moral decay that we see all around us.
Peter wants to be sure that we understand that this is real, he wants us to have faith that is solid, when you are putting your confidence in something that is a matter of life and death you don't want any doubts.
Our God is personal and loves relationships, He gives us a great amount of information about who He is, unlike the Muslim view of Allah which teaches that he is unknowable and your standing with him can not be determined until after you are dead. There is some amazing evidence that we can believe in the only true God.
We Can Believe God Because Of:
✔ The Transfiguration
Jesus deity and glory were covered by his humanity, He looked just like any other man except for one occasion when three of his disciples were allowed to see his other other side, a small glimpse of his deity was allowed to be seen.We cannot imagine what this looked like or how much it would affect our life but I am sure that it was an experience that would change your life forever. Every time that a man has witnessed the God side of Jesus their life is never the same. (Acts 7:55-56, 9:3-8 2 Corinthians 12:4, Revelation 1:12-20).
✔ The Prophets
Unlike the transfiguration which is a single event, the prophecies about Jesus are numerous and they provide clear evidence that Jesus is God in a body, the promised Messiah that had been talked about for hundreds of years.The prophets told us that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10), of the lineage of David (2 Samuel 7:16), in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). His ministry would be introduced by a forerunner, who would speak in the spirit and power of Elijah (Malachi 3:1; 4:5; Isaiah 40:3-5). Other prophecies speak of His ministry, His miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6, 42:1-4; 61:1-2), and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (Zechariah 9:9)
✔ The Scripture
Peter tells us that the disciples didn't get together and make this stuff up but there are people that will try to deceive them. Peter will discuss false teachers in chapter 2, they have been around ever since the snake in the garden and just like that snake, they are all tricking you for their own gain. (2 Peter 2:1-10)Since the Old Testament prophets accurately predicted Jesus first coming we should pay close attention to the rest of the story found in the New Testament. We should be motivated to live in harmony with the truth that God has given to us.
These truths give us a solid rock to build our lives on! We don't have to wonder about the validity of one revelation about God, he has given us overwhelming evidence about who he is and what he wants us to do.
| Know The Lord |
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| Hosea 6:3 Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." |
As I build a deeper relationship with Him I should praise Him for the great gift of being able to be His child, I should ask for His blessing in my life and ask for wisdom. I will need his wisdom to help me live for Him and know Him beyond human understanding.
Are you growing to know God personally through Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit reveals Him to you through His Word? Is spending time with God in His Word a priority to you?
