Week 1, Monday, November 28
2 Peter 1:1-11
Vs 3-9
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, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. 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. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Promises.
Advent is a season of promise and time of waiting expectantly for the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The promised messiah, the savior of the world, has not only been resurrected and ascended, but will come again. God promised.
The promises of Christ are indeed access to eternal life, grace and mercy…but also forgiveness. He has promised us new life in baptism and the restoration of creation at the end of time. These are the precious and very great promises that have been given to humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
We have been given the way to find freedom from the corruption of this broken, fallen world, our own sin, and share in his divine nature.
Jesus’ life and death has given us the promise of access to eternal life; his divinity will offer us the grace and mercy we are so badly in need of to live our earthly lives.
Jesus Christ has already given the perfect example of faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. And because our human nature is not capable, we have been promised access to the divine nature that makes these things possible.
This Advent we have the opportunity to once again be mindful of our waiting (and our need for God!) and take the time to turn our hearts toward the promises of Christ.