To Them That Have Obtained Like Precious Faith With Us Through the Righteousness of Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ - Part 1301

There are those who proclaim that the good news gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ must be "balanced" with church dogma and ideology, and in alignment with the science(s) of this world. But is this the mindset or worldview presented in the scriptures? I ask this question because too often (in today's world) we want to base our foundation of knowledge on man's wisdom rather than the wisdom that inherently comes from God.

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ wrote -- to them [us] that have obtained like [or the same kind of] precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. (II Peter 1:1-2)

Let's read that last part again. Our knowledge and wisdom, and the foundation for our like precious faith is through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Simon Peter does not say that we get our knowledge from the world. Neither does Simon Peter state that our precious faith comes from aligning ourselves with modern day religion, or church traditions of men.

Regarding science, apostle Paul elaborates further, saying, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." (I Timothy 6:19-21)

Indeed, Simon Peter clearly points to the only way of gaining knowledge and wisdom that can sustain us in this world is THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. [As an aside, the literal translation for II Peter 1:1 states "through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus" -- but I digress].

Note that this is the same Peter that Paul referred to in Galatians -- "For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles." (Galatians 2:8) Like apostle Paul [formerly known as Saul], one of the same apostles whereby when ye read the written scripture proclaims, ye may understand the knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and partakers of His promised Christ by the gospel. (Ephesians 3:1-6)

But this passage of scripture in II Peter does not stop there. How do we obtain knowledge?

The scripture states: "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (II Peter 1:3-4)

Therefore, our knowledge comes from the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Our wisdom comes from Him that gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises that we through His love, mercy and grace might be partakers of the divine nature. Both come from the Word who was with God in the beginning, and WAS GOD. (John 1:1-18)

"For all the promises of God in Him, yea, and in Him Amen unto the glory of God by us. Now He which stablish us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (II Corinthians 1:20-22)

As the prophet Esaias saith, "There shall be a root of Jesse and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:12-13; Isaiah 11:1, 10)

In the old covenant, those who believed by faith only had the hope of this, and other prophecies being fulfilled sometime in the future.  These never got to experience the power of the Holy Ghost as the first 3,000 souls saved did on the day of Pentecost. (Hebrews 11:1-40; Acts 2:36-47)

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:39-40)

But we in this current dispensation of grace have been made privy to His precious gift of salvation. Why? Because Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree." (Galatians 3:13)

And when we reach out and call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and are baptized into His name --  the precious name of Jesus -- we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) We receive His Spirit of truth that will lead and guide us into all knowledge and wisdom.

So "that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe ..." (I Thessalonians 2:12)

So that we "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:5)

And so, as Jesus said, we can hear His voice.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck [them] out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are One." (John 10:27-30)

Most of all, so that we no longer are like those who assemble together and have no knowledge -- those that set up the wood of their graven image and pray unto a god that cannot save. (Isaiah 45:20)

But this Jesus -- well, not only will He shall save His people from their sins, but know that -- "in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." (I Corinthians 1:6)

Stand in the offering plate.