Rooted Medic

“Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬

Peter doesn’t get tired of talking about the things of God, nor does he get tired of motivating fellow Believers to live for God, grow in grace, and be sanctified. It reminds me of the exhortations in Hebrews 10:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~ Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬

“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. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬

Growing in faith and increasing in things like virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (1 Peter 1:5-7) makes us more and more effective, productive, and useful in the Kingdom of God.

If we are not, then we are ineffective, unfruitful, nearsighted, and blind. Peter even suggests that failing to supplement our faith with the character and works of the Spirit = forgetting what Jesus has done for us.

James speaks of proving that we have faith by the works we do (James 2:14-26). This is the vibe Peter conveys, too.

Let’s be clear, good works won’t save us; trying to have virtue and live in godliness apart from Christ will accomplish nothing. The only thing that can save us and make us right with God is the free gift of faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:22-24, 3:27-28). But, when we put our trust in Christ, and we become saved children of God, citizens of His Kingdom…then our faith motivates us to join His work, grow in righteousness, and surrender to the transformation of sanctification. We work, grow, and transform because we are already saved, not to try to earn the salvation we’ve been given.

And, subsequently, the work and growth and transformation become the evidence that we are indeed saved. Anyone doing these things apart from Christ will burn out; they won’t be able to sustain a fake act for long. The endurance of continuing will stand out as proof that we’re connected to the Vine, plugged into the Power Source, empowered by God’s Spirit.

Almost finished reading through 2 Peter chapter 1 (will try to get some notes typed up and shared soon!). I’ve been chasing down some cross references, and ended up in Joel. These verses jumped out at me:

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. ~ Joel 2:12-13 ESV

The wording in the NLT translation hits a little different:

“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.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God has given us everything we need for living a God-pleasing life. Through His promises and power, He invites us to be transformed into holiness. Peter then lists 7 things that Believers should invest in “in view of all this” (NLT) or “for this very reason” (ESV). The reason we put effort into living for God is because of how much God has already done for us and given us despite us not deserving any of His grace and mercy. Our effort is our sacrifice in light of His majesty and glory.

I love the way NLT words the beginning of vs 5:

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.”

Make every effort = swiftness to show zealous earnestness; quickly obeying what the Lord reveals is His priority; elevating better over good, and more important over important. It combines speed and diligence towards the highest priority.

Our response to God’s promises should be to “supplement” or “add to” the foundation of faith that God established in Jesus Christ (Isaiah 28:16, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). This word that Peter uses conveys the idea of deep personal involvement and energy to bring in supplies and contribute to / lay down alongside something already present.

This makes me think of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:24-27. Both men built a house = they invested time and energy and effort into assembling a house on top of a foundation. The key difference between them was the foundation they built upon. Jesus is the only foundation that is solid and unwavering, able to withstand storms and trials. All else is but sand, shifting and melting and sinking, and bringing us down with it.

Paul also speaks of building upon a foundation in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Even if Jesus is our foundation, the materials we use to build our house matters! Our finished product will be tested with fire. We will be rewarded according to the work that survives testing.

I imagine a construction site, where God is the Boss who has already laid the foundation, and He ordered truckloads of supplies to be delivered, and He’s provided all the tools (saws, drills, screws, nail guns, levels, ladders, etc). He even gives us blueprints. And then He invites us to be His employees. And as part of His crew, we are expected to use the supplies He’s provided and assemble them according to the blueprint (ie the Bible).

It would be silly to try to pour a new foundation, or mess with the existing foundation. It would also be silly to try to order our own supplies when we already have everything provided and available for use. It would also be silly to waste the supplies we’ve been given on bird houses and patio furniture when we’ve been commissioned to build a house.

Peter’s point is that spiritual growth is neither self-generated (it originates from God, and God provides all the supplies) nor is it passive (it requires intentional effort on our part to obey diligently). Growth is the result of Holy Spirit empowering and enabling us to supplement what the Lord has already bestowed.

Peter then lists 7 things that should be added to the foundation of faith of Jesus Christ:

Virtue = moral excellence; a strong inner character and noble behavior; doing what you know is right, and avoiding what you know is wrong

Knowledge = functional, working knowledge that connects theory to application. It begins with obtaining information-knowledge, but also involves applying that information in practical ways, and thus obtaining the functional-knowledge of first-hand personal experience. (eg knowing how to pray, and then praying, and then better understanding how to pray because you’ve done it)

Self Control = a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) that enables mastery of desires, impulses, and habits, bringing them under the Lordship of Jesus Christ so that they serve rather than rule the Believer.

Steadfastness = cheerful / hopeful endurance to patiently remain under the challenges God allots in life; a Spirit-enabled tenacity that remains under trial, refusing to abandon obedience or hope until God’s purpose is fulfilled.

Godliness = a comprehensive way of life involving both an inner heart posture that reveres and honors God, and the outward conduct that reflects Him.

Brotherly Affection = familial love, care, and affection for fellow Believers as if they are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.

Love = agape = the unconditional, self-sacrificing, self-giving love that God has towards people, which Holy Spirit produces in the life of a Believer (Galatians 5:22-23)

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God has called us = invited us to a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9), out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). He gives us everything we need to live the way He’s called us to live, including the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13).

God is like an employer who supplies a full uniform and all the tools, all the vehicles, a company credit card, and even a cabinet full of snacks so that we have everything we need to show up and do the work. We don’t have to purchase our own uniform or bring our own tools to do the work He has invited us to be part of.

We must, however, don the uniform = clothe ourselves with the garments He has given us (salvation, righteousness, humility, compassion, kindness, meekness, patience, love) = take off the filthy rags of the sinful human nature and put on Christ (Isaiah 61:10, Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 5:5, Colossians 3:12-14).

And then we show up for our shift and use the tools He has generously equipped us with, such as

faith (Ephesians 2:8)

Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)

victory over sin (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7)

armor (Ephesians 6:10-18)

wisdom (James 1:5)

strength (Philippians 4:13)

promises (2 Peter 1:4)

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬

Peter is praying that grace and peace will grow and abound with compounding interest in the lives of Believers.

Grace is favor and blessings from God, not because we have earned or deserve it, but simply because He is inclined to freely give Himself away to bless and be near people. God is not stingy with His favor towards us. He’s a good Dad who likes to give good gifts to His kids. His grace abounds and is multiplied more and more, supplying every need from the riches of His glory (Philippians 4:19). He also blesses us abundantly so that we can in turn bless others and glorify the name of Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Peace is a result of Holy Spirit dwelling inside and transforming the life of a born-again Believer (Galatians 5:22). It’s a state of tranquility in a soul assured of salvation through Christ. A Believer is justified through faith (Romans 5:1) and free from condemnation (Romans 8:1), fearing nothing from God (1 John 4:15-18). This peace overflows into contentment with the life God has given (Philippians 4:6-7) and moves us to live at peace with others (Romans 12:18, 1 John 4:11).

Peace and Grace are products of knowing Christ. Not just knowing about Christ, but experiencing Him personally. When you ask, and receive…seek, and find…knock, and have the door opened. When you begin following, and have your steps directed. When you obey what Jesus commanded, and experience the power of Holy Spirit come alive and enable that obedience beyond what human nature is capable of. When you feel the presence of God. When you’re comforted in affliction. When your understanding of God’s Kingdom is adjusted and tuned into alignment with His Spirit. When you surrender to Holy Spirit, and He begins to transform you.

Knowing Christ produces grace and peace in our lives.

Grace and peace in our lives help us experience and know Christ more.

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” ~ 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬

Peter identifies himself as a “servant” and “apostle” of Jesus Christ.

Servant = doulos = a slave, someone who belongs to another, without any ownership rights of their own, living under the authority of their owner

Apostle = apostolos = a delegate, a commissioned messenger, one sent forth with orders. The authority of the message originates with the sender, not the one sent.

Several of the NT writers identified as slaves of Christ, speaking and acting in accordance with what Jesus had commanded them to do rather than doing what they felt like on their own. This includes Paul (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1, Galatians 1:10), James (James 1:1), Jude (Jude 1:1), and John (Revelation 1:1).

Being a slave of Christ was not limited to the Apostles or early church leaders. The first group of Believers in Jerusalem acknowledged they were slaves of God while praying for boldness to preach God’s Word (Acts 4:29). And in Romans 6, Paul explains that apart from Christ we are slaves of sin, but faith in Christ liberates us from sin so that we can become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:15-23).

Peter is writing to Gentile Believers, who “have obtained a faith of equal standing” with the Jewish Believers.

“The Lord be with your spirit” is a closing prayer of blessing and provision, as well as a prayer to remain rooted in Christ and joined to Holy Spirit in unity. If the Lord is to be with my spirit, I must first be born again and filled with His Spirit, and secondly I must be walking in alignment with His Spirit. And if I am, then I will also be unified with other Believers who are born again and walking in alignment with Holy Spirit.

This also reminds me of Paul’s words in Ephesians regarding unity in the Spirit of the Lord.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” ~ Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Many things we divide over were never meant to divide us. Believers are children of God, heirs with Christ, part of the same spiritual family, components of the same body of Christ. Our differences become our strengths to accomplish different things, just as a foot and a hand are different and used for wildly different things.

Despite the reality that “no one came to stand by me” (vs 16), Paul doesn’t focus on how people let him down. He doesn’t wallow in self-pity (which I would probably find myself doing tbh). Instead, Paul recognizes the reality of the goodness of God! The Lord promises to never leave us or abandon us; He will be with us always, in all circumstances, directing our steps towards Himself (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 23:4; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). The joy of the Lord is our strength and our salvation; it is His mighty hand that strengthens and enables us to step into a new day and carry out the work He has assigned us to be part of (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:2; Psalm 28:7; Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:13).

While Satan undoubtedly hoped that Paul’s suffering alone would weaken him and prevent him from preaching, God strengthened Paul and empowered him all the more to carry out the work of evangelism. Paul’s life was on God’s time schedule. And Paul had full confidence in God’s plans.

How easy it can be to get focused on my plans, and get frustrated when things don’t work out as they “should have” according to me. And yet…what if I simply let go and trusted God to be in full control, willing and working as He sees fit?? What if I endure every uncomfortable situation as “suffering for the Lord”, and every blessing as “the Lord delivered me from every evil deed” (ESV) or “delivered me from every attack” (NLT)?

Isolation and loneliness is a trial Paul endured. In 4:10-12 and 4:19-20, Paul listed people who deserted him or moved on to continue the ministry work. Whether or not their leaving was honorable, Paul still felt the weight of being alone during difficult times. I am sure Satan tempted Paul with bitterness, sorrow, self-pity, resentment, etc. in attempt to hinder Paul’s ministry from prison. But Paul refuses to play those games; he doesn’t hold anything against them.

It’s okay to acknowledge hardships and events that set up difficult circumstances. It’s okay to acknowledge needs and wants (eg I’m lonely, I desire companionship).

But it’s not okay to blame God or others for suffering. It’s not okay to let thoughts spiral into a festering ooze of bitterness and resentment. Whatever role someone played in our hurt, we must forgive them. We must not even wish for God to hold it against them. Whatever God allowed, we must trust His ways to be higher and better than our own.

‬‬Beware the temptation to desert the work of the Lord and the ministry God has entrusted you because you love the things of this life more.

Loving the things in this life can be subtle and appear “innocent”.

What if this looks like scrolling through FB instead of reading your Bible?

Or going camping instead of attending church?

Or playing video games instead of praying?

The drink offering (also known as a liquid offering) was usually wine that was poured at the base of the altar in conjunction with other burnt offerings and sacrifices. Together, they signified “God’s food” and “God’s drink” as if serving a freshly prepared meal to God.

Paul likens his life to a container of wine that is poured out in service to God. Paul had held nothing back; his entire life was being poured out in service to God, to the very last drop. And he knew his end was near; the last drop would soon pour out. And yet he had no regrets. He had lived wholly dedicated and surrendered to God. He had fought well in the Spiritual War between Darkness and Light. He had run the race set before him, and was soon to cross the finish line without giving up or falling out. And his faith in Jesus Christ had been kept, that is stewarded well. He received faith as a gift. He didn’t lose his faith; it didn’t suffer loss or injury; it didn’t fall apart or rot; it wasn’t buried in the ground. Paul had managed, maintained, and invested with return!

There are 4 powerful statements here.

1.) Always be sober-minded.

A sober, clear mind is primarily the result of Holy Spirit at work in my life.

Without Holy Spirit’s influence, I will be governed by a deceitfully wicked heart, out of which flows all sorts of big, messy emotions that can easily twist me up in lust, anger, depression, foolishness, etc in accordance with the priorities and desires of my flesh and the world around me. On my own, my mind will be intoxicated with every whim and desire that feels good and seems right, “but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25, Isaiah 53:6).

By contrast, Holy Spirit produces things like peace, patience, gentleness, self control, wisdom, and understanding. A sober mind is the result of Godly wisdom in light of God’s Truth.

2.) Endure suffering.

The NLT says “Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord.” Suffering is such an integral part of following Jesus. If I am not suffering—either from crucifying my flesh daily (Luke 9:23, Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24, Galatians 2:20) or from being persecuted for the cause of Christ (2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10, 1 Peter 4:12-14, Luke 6:22, John 15:20)—then I should stop and evaluate if I am actually following Jesus.

3.) Do the work of an evangelist.

This refers to the vocation of a full-time evangelist, which is what Timothy was. Not every Believer is called to be a vocational evangelist, but every Believer has been commissioned to be a witness of Jesus Christ and herald the message of the Gospel through our words, actions, and lifestyles. When people interact with me, do they recognize Jesus in me? They should. Do I praise God for His blessings in my life, or do I assign credit to my own efforts, luck, fortune, my boss, etc?

4.) Fulfill your ministry.

The word ministry here refers to active service done with a willing, voluntary attitude; Spirit-empowered service guided by faith for the benefit of others and the glory of Christ. God designed us to serve in His Kingdom through things like

good works (Ephesians 2:10)

gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10)

vocations (Colossians 3:23)

praise and worship (Psalm 100:2-4, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 13:15, Revelation 19:5)

giving thanks and showing gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Hebrews 12:28, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 136:1, 2 Corinthians 4:15)

holiness and sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Peter 2:9)

surrendering every aspect of life to be used by God for the glory of God (Colossians 3:17,23; James 4:15, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Spend time with God every day.