2 Peter 1:3-5 – “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.  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge”

Last time we discussed how our faith necessarily leads to moral excellence (virtue).  In faith, we believe that our sin was put on Christ, that He bore the wrath for God, and that we through faith we have been credited with the righteousness of God.  That heart belief overflows into a life that pursues moral excellence as we identify with and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus.  We have been ransomed by Jesus’s blood from the kingdom of darkness and sin, to the kingdom of light and righteousness.  So our faith leads to virtue.

If the last message sought to show how virtue and faith were interconnected, we’re now moving on to show how that heart posture of faith and moral excellence leads to knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge.  The heart that feels the weight of the gospel, to be freed from bondage to sin, rejoices.  The heart that once was held captive by sin and set only for destruction, but has been freed and secured an inheritance for eternity with God, sits in joyous awe of this gospel, this good news.  Having received this good news, we are not left alone – God has given us His Word, and teachers to reveal more of Himself to us for our joy.

We go to God for knowledge without a fear of judgment.  The condemnation was put on Christ, and we are already holy in Christ.  Therefore, we look to knowledge of God in His Word – What are His promises to us, what depths of His love can we explore, how can we sit in awe at the power of our Heavenly Father, what is the heart of God that we can follow, and what are the glories of Jesus to be enjoyed now and in eternity?  All of this knowledge flows from a heart of faith, that is pursuing virtue (by grace not merit), and seeking a greater fellowship with our Savior, King, and Father.

Put another way – a lack of pursuit of the knowledge of God stems from a lack of faith in Who God is, His sovereignty and love for us, and a lack of intimacy with Him.  We go to God in faith, asking for Him to reveal more of Himself to us, to capture the affections of our heart, to give us the life and peace that can only be found in Him.  My exhortation in today’s message is from George Muller, the 19th century evangelist who dedicated his life to serving over 10,000 orphans in England – amidst such a great task and ministry, he said – “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord.”  We seek the knowledge of Lord.  We seek the putting off of the old self and sin, and the putting on of the righteousness of Jesus for our good and God’s glory.  James 1:21 – “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” 

Grace and Peace,

Adam