My wife, Linda, and I recently got together with friends, and the husband told us about a guy he works with whose wife ran up a $100,000.00 credit card debit because she could not control her spending.
Our culture doesn’t value self-restraint in its pursuit of the good life.
Advertising slogans urge people to buy products from cars to cosmetics “because you’re worth it.”
We’re told to “follow your bliss,” “just do it,” and “have it your way.”
It seems that there are no limits on our wanting, taking, and having.
The world—particularly our modern consumer culture—constantly says that we need more, more, more.
“Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him.” 2 Peter 1:3
In contrast, Peter affirms that God has already supplied what we need for everything for life and godliness through our intimate knowledge of Christ.
Throughout this letter Peter reminds us that the abundance promised by the world can’t compare to the riches promised to us by God.
The Bible does not call us to a life in which we renounce all joys and pleasures.
It calls us to recognize and to desire all Christ riches and good gifts, which far surpass the temporary pleasure of the stuff we want.
The Bible is sufficient in itself for this.
Peter’s point is that God’s Spirit and His Word provide everything that is essential to living the Christ Life.
There is nothing more that believers need in order to become more Christ-like that He has not already made available to us already in Christ.
We cannot get along without God’s Spirit and His Word to make progress in our maturity in Christ.
We have to live beyond our means in order to walk in victory and to grow.
It is through Christ’s divine power and a true knowledge of Him that we experience His victory in our lives.
We learn to benefit from His promises as we get to know Him better or more intimately (true knowledge), and God supplies divine power for fulfilling what He has promised.
We cannot live by our means but beyond our means, which is by His Word and His power flowing through us.
As recipients of God’s grace, we have two resources to live beyond our means: Christ’s power, and His promises.
We must consistently be responding to Christ’s power and remembering God’s promises from His Word.
This is the way to victory and growth, so go ahead and live beyond your means
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries