Friday, February 15, 2013
I love these two verses from 2 Peter 1:
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 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.
These verses tell us a lot. It tells us we have everything we need to live life. We have everything we need to live a godly life. We have everything we need because we have Christ! But in order to live life to the fullest for Christ, we need to stand on the promises of God. These promises are great and they are precious. And the Bible is full of them. As we stand on God’s promises the divine nature of God surges through our minds and lives. And as his nature surges through us the corruption of cultural thinking and evil desires become less dominating in our life.
What does it mean to stand on God’s promises? Vance Havner said, “God’s promises are checks to be cashed, not mottoes to hang on walls.” How true. A check in your hand is just paper. But if you take that check to the bank and cash it, it becomes something valuable. God gives us his promises to take to his bank and cash. John Piper said of God’s promises, “Very practically I think this means we must day by day go to the Word of God and search for great promises. Fix one or two in your mind and hold them there before you all day. And use them to overcome temptation to sin and to incite you to daring acts of righteousness and love.” God’s promises are liberating.
One of the best ways to stand on God’s promises is to pray them back to God. For example, Isaiah 26:3-4, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” You can pray, “Lord, as I trust you and focus on you today I know you will keep my mind in perfect peace.” That is cashing the check!
Another example is Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” So pray this back to God like this, “God you gave me Jesus. He is mine today. I know you will be gracious to me and give me everything I need today because Jesus is mine.” That is cashing the check!
So read the Word and claim the promises. Take them to the bank by praying them back to God. God has given us great and precious promises so that through them we can participate in his divine nature. Make sure you are standing on the promises and not sitting outside the premises.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 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.
These verses tell us a lot. It tells us we have everything we need to live life. We have everything we need to live a godly life. We have everything we need because we have Christ! But in order to live life to the fullest for Christ, we need to stand on the promises of God. These promises are great and they are precious. And the Bible is full of them. As we stand on God’s promises the divine nature of God surges through our minds and lives. And as his nature surges through us the corruption of cultural thinking and evil desires become less dominating in our life.
What does it mean to stand on God’s promises? Vance Havner said, “God’s promises are checks to be cashed, not mottoes to hang on walls.” How true. A check in your hand is just paper. But if you take that check to the bank and cash it, it becomes something valuable. God gives us his promises to take to his bank and cash. John Piper said of God’s promises, “Very practically I think this means we must day by day go to the Word of God and search for great promises. Fix one or two in your mind and hold them there before you all day. And use them to overcome temptation to sin and to incite you to daring acts of righteousness and love.” God’s promises are liberating.
One of the best ways to stand on God’s promises is to pray them back to God. For example, Isaiah 26:3-4, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” You can pray, “Lord, as I trust you and focus on you today I know you will keep my mind in perfect peace.” That is cashing the check!
Another example is Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” So pray this back to God like this, “God you gave me Jesus. He is mine today. I know you will be gracious to me and give me everything I need today because Jesus is mine.” That is cashing the check!
So read the Word and claim the promises. Take them to the bank by praying them back to God. God has given us great and precious promises so that through them we can participate in his divine nature. Make sure you are standing on the promises and not sitting outside the premises.
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