Who’s Got the Power?
How many times this week has someone told you, You’ve got this, after confiding in them about a difficult situation, work assignment, final exam, or important conversation that lay ahead of you? How many messages have you heard through advertisements, songs, or social media that have told you, You can do it? While the world around us and our own flesh tempt us to believe we’ve got the power to be good and to do good, the Bible tells us otherwise.
In 2 Peter 1:3-11 we learn about God’s power. Specifically, Peter teaches us that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (v. 3). God’s power is the source of our knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. In fact, God has “called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). As those made in His image, we’re to reflect His knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, not perfectly on this side of glory, but truly.
God has also “granted to us his precious and very great promises” (2 Pet. 1:4), especially the promise of His presence, protection, and provision, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me” (2 Cor. 6:18). United to Christ by faith, we have “become partakers of the divine nature” and “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Pet. 1:4). Therefore, believers are to have a different kind of life because we are dealing with a different kind of power—we have divine power at work in our lives.
The same God who has the power to save us also has the power to change us. To prove the greatness of “his precious and very great promises” (2 Pet. 1:4) we are to “make every effort to supplement [our] faith with virtue…knowledge…self-control…steadfastness…godliness…brotherly affection…love” (vv. 5-7). Faith refers to our belief and trust in the triune God to save us and sanctify us. Virtue goes beyond duty to delight in serving God and others. Knowledge refers to knowing God in a warm and affectionate way. Self-control refers to walking by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Steadfastness means to resist temptation and exhibit Christlike character. Godliness is being valiant for the truth and loyal to King Jesus. Brotherly affection refers to the love between believers, who are children of the same heavenly Father with Christ as their Elder Brother. And love is displayed in patience, kindness, humility, selflessness, truth, forbearance, and endurance (see 1 Cor. 13:4-7).
Love must pervade every other quality, and faith must ground them. Virtue without faith and love becomes mere duty. Knowledge without faith and love turns toward hard-heartedness. Self-control without faith and love swells into pride. Steadfastness without faith and love becomes legalism. Godliness without faith and love is self-righteousness. And brotherly affection without faith and love is hypocrisy. But believers who are immersed and increasing in these qualities will be both effective and fruitful in the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 1:8).
If we are to grow in these qualities we must remember the gospel (2 Pet. 1:9-11). Christ has lived a life of perfect obedience for us. He has borne God’s wrath for our sins on the cross. He has been raised to new life as the firstfruits of the resurrection. He has ascended into heaven where he is now seated at God the Father’s righteous right hand. And He is coming again to save those who are eagerly waiting for him and judge those who refuse to bow their knee to him. Practicing these qualities apart from the gospel is mere legalism or moralism, but practicing them in light of the gospel assures us of our calling and election. Therefore, the gospel must never be forgotten or marginalized in our lives.
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Has someone recently told you, You’ve got this, after you told them about a challenging situation, work deadline, final exam, or difficult conversation that lay ahead of you? Have you heard songs or seen advertisements that have said, You can do it? In a world whose power consistently fails us and disappoints us, it is comforting to know that God’s power has given us all that is necessary for us to live for His glory. Far from being called to live for our own glory and excellence by our own power, God has called us to His glory and excellence, exercising His divine power on our behalf.
Sarah Ivill (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) has been leading, teaching, or writing women’s Bible studies since she was eighteen, a Reformed author, wife, stay-at-home mom, and conference speaker who lives in Matthews, North Carolina, and is a member of Christ Covenant Church (PCA). She has served at the Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership, in Bible Study Fellowship, and as director of women’s ministry in the church.
