Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“[Jesus] has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father” Rev. 1:6 (NLT) Way back in Exodus 19:6 God tells the Jews that they “shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (ESV). I Peter 2:9 says believers are “a royal priesthood.” One of the key principles of the Reformation was that all believers were priests, as these Scriptures state. As priests we are all directly serving God in Christ, we have no need of human intermediaries for a direct relationship with God. We are elevated to a high position of dignity, higher than any earthly office, higher than any President or Prime Minister. We are also God’s kingdom, his nation, we belong to him which is a greater honor than belonging to any other nation or group of people. So we are encouraged that we have the highest dignity regardless of our status on Continue Reading →

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” II Pet. 3:13 (ESV) We do not have to be distressed about this present age nor doubt that God will judge the good and the bad. Those who have received the Son will have life in the next age, the New Creation. We will dwell on a new earth underneath new heavens and society will be as God originally meant it to be. So our hearts now dwell in the place of constant anticipation of the New Creation. This destiny gives us peace and motivates us to remain united with God now and to do His work on this earth. Whether our efforts produce much visible fruit now or not, what matters is that we abide in His will. For this God will richly reward us in the New Creation. Using Continue Reading →

“For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Pet. 1:11 (ESV) II Peter 1 lists virtues we should seek such as faith, self-control, endurance, godliness and brotherly kindness. Then God promises that if we practice these qualities that we will have a “rich” entrance into the kingdom of Jesus! In other words, if we will diligently become like Christ then we will be tremendously blessed in the next age. Just imagine actually entering into the kingdom and experiencing a big celebration for you personally because you dedicated your life to being like Jesus in your relationships and actions on earth. It might seem like God is going overboard to promise us a rich entrance but that is how He is. Thus, it is more than worth it to dedicate ourselves to God in Continue Reading →

“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.” II Pet. 1:4 (ESV) This is one of the most astonishing verses in the Bible and has been one of the cornerstones of spiritual growth since the earliest centuries of Christianity. The Greek-speaking fathers of the Church were devoted to the idea that we could regain the original image of God because we can actually participate in God’s nature now. God promises that we are forgiven, that we are united with Christ, that the Holy Spirit works to purify us and that we will be citizens of the New Earth in the next age. We depend on these promises and we mature, which means we are actually acquiring divine nature (without becoming divine Continue Reading →

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” II Pet. 1:3a (ESV) What a sweeping statement! God supplies everything we need for true life and for becoming godly. Sometimes we wonder if God is really going to change our faults, especially our most persistent one. We try for years to change a fault and we only see a little progress. Is this something that we just have to live with? This verse promises that there is a way to overcome because He provides all things needed for godliness. So what do we do when we’re stuck? The best thing to do is to find a mature Christian who knows how to give good counsel for growth. Together you can start peeling back the layers until you get to the core problem. Whether you find such a person or not you will almost certainly need Continue Reading →