The Testimony of God in the life of David Wood

Absolutely incredible story of God's work in a sinners life, David Wood's testimony:
http://youtu.be/DakEcY7Z5GU?list=UUy5H0uunC2qMk0iOF4SHKUw

Glory & Virtue

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,  as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

Grace and peace are granted in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, but this is not some formulaic to grace and peace.  It is a simple factual statement. Peter, in the verses which follow, explains how this is.  Verse 2 is like a thesis statement which he is setting out to prove.

as - indicates the explanatory nature of what follows further strengthening Peters assertion in verse 2.

His divine power - Life and godly living are not possible apart from the divine Hand, which is shown to us by knowledge of the One who called.

by glory & virtue - What glory and virtue do we have in this life?  What beauty and moral purity do we have which could have revealed to us Christ or the Father? None!  We know there are none righteous, not one among men. Yet Peter here maintains knowledge of Him who calls us is possible by glory & virtue?!  How is this so?

The glory & virtue Peter speaks of is that of Christ's and is, if received, the way to knowledge of the Holy One.  Proverbs 3:1-7 expound on this very well!

By which - that is to say by the virtue and glory of Christ.  Promises have been given.  Blessings have been bestowed in Christ.  These promises have been described as 'exceedingly great' and 'precious'.  Without speaking of the promises themselves Peter tells us what they lead to - a godly life and demeanor.

the divine nature - when Peter says this, it is in accord with all nature.  We are not suddenly turned into some part of the Godhead when we die.  That is not Christianity!  There is only one God-Man, Jesus Christ our Lord. We never take to ourselves divine attributes such as immutability or omniscience.  They are reserved for Him alone - indeed, the very idea of say, immutability to a man, is logically impossible, for man is mutable.  Perfection is not attainable by imperfect man.

How is this so? Couldn't a man, if possible, attain it? No - for God does not reside in time and space.  He sees reality as it is.  In Exodus 3:14 He is described as the great I AM.  Not I was or will be.  Hebrews 13:8 speaks of this, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday today, and forever. God is described to Moses as being the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob (though they be dead, physically). 

Since this is so- Man could not attain in time (if it were possible) something which is by nature not bound to time.  God sees us as we are - not as we were or will be - for He sees outside of time and space and nothing escapes His gaze. 

Peter further explains when he says, 'having escaped the corruption in the world through lust' - If a man could escape the corruption in the world he might be free from the outside influences of sin - but his evil heart is within him and he cannot escape that!  You cannot escape corruption by leaving the world - for we need a heart transplant (see Jer. 31:31-34).  This is only available through the gift of righteousness in Christ, which Peter has been telling us about since verse 1. 

 Glory be to the Father

Glory be to the Son.

Glory be to the Spirit.

Glory to the 3 in 1.

The Precious Faith

"Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us

by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 1:1

a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ  -  Peter opens this letter with his credentials, yet it is not as though he is flaunting them, for right away he ties such a faith as he has to all other Christians. Even the order suggests humility.  A slave has no authority of his own - it is derived from the master and Peter's apostleship lays plainly to us that the authority is Christ.  (In saying this, I realize that this argument is true of all believers, however – we make no such claim that apostleship is based on our relationship to Christ – Apostleship is more than acknowledging Christ as Lord & master)

To those who have obtained like precious faith  -  Peters first letter was to pilgrims and strangers in the dispersion who were elect.  In this epistle he identifies his audience as those who have the same faith.  Peter is writing to Christians. 

by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ  -  Here Peter reveals that the gospel is obtained by the righteousness of another, Christ.  We are not made perfect by our good deeds, but we stand before God in Christ’s works - He is the only righteous one, and He alone will stand.  Apart from Christ, no man will see the Lord.

Peter describes how we get our faith - by Christ's righteousness. It is not by faith we come to know our condition and claim Christ. Rather by His work and righteousness he is afforded a people. And having chosen them, He quickens (or wakes) them.  They, having been made aware of their sorry state, trusting not at all in their deeds, evil as they are, trust in the finished work of Christ by faith in those works.  This is the gospel.  Such a wonder this book is!

Post script: Wednesday (the 3^rd) our dog, Sunny died.  We had him as a pet 10 years, 9 months. So although he was sick for a time, the loss is real. I was not so apt to study that morning.  But putting aside my morose state I took up the task.

And I was blessed.