2 Peter 1:1-2

2 Peter 1:1-2

Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.  To the ones who obtained an equal value to us by faith in righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ.  May grace and peace be multiplied to you all in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here we have yet another introduction to a letter.  Once more we see the universal words of description for a follower of God: slave and apostle.  What do both of these words convey?  Humbleness.  Both of these words imply a loss of control.  Both of these words imply that someone else in in charge.  Certainly that is clear through the use of the word slave.  Remember that the word apostle means “one who is sent by another with a message.”  Both slaves and apostles are people who do the work of another.  That is the fundamental viewpoint of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Are you humble before God?  Are you living out of your will or are you living out His will for you?

Second Thought:

Peter gives us a really interesting description about his audience.  He calls them “ones who obtained an equal value.”  So often when I hear this description I cannot help but to think of this in terms of competition.  Are some equal?  Who is better than another?  But this is purely human thinking.  Peter is clear to indicate an equal status.  We are all equal because we have all attained the same measure of grace.  But that’s the key.  It’s all grace.  It isn’t like any of us have earned our salvation!  We have all received the same dispensation of grace: eternal life.  Yes, some of us may do more than others with that gift.  But the truth is that we are all equal in the grace we receive.

How often do you think in human terms of hierarchy?  Why do you think this way?  How does our human need for things like hierarchy and pecking order actually hinder our ability to truly understand things like grace and salvation?

Third Thought:

Peter wishes for grace and peace to be multiplied to his audience.  The question is, what grace and what peace?  So often we think only of what we want now.  We read these words and think that Peter is talking about peace in my life now and grace in my life now.  That is not Peter’s focus, although it certainly can happen.  Peter is talking about peace and grace with God.  Peter is talking about eternal grace and eternal peace.  Peter is talking about drawing closer to God and looking forward to our eternal existence in His presence.

Do you have God’s grace and peace?  Do you feel the multiplication of God’s grace and peace in your life?  How so?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Peter 1:3-4