Precious and Majestic Promises

His divine power is freely given to us, that toward life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one calling us, his own glory and goodness, through whom he has freely given the precious and majestic promises so that through them we come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world, in impure desires, becoming partakers of his divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

God has given us all things through the knowledge of the one calling us. The knowledge of God is the glory of God. For the one God said, "'From darkness, light shines,' who has flooded that our hearts with the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Who is the Light? Christ. Who floods our hearts with the knowledge of God? Christ. The glory in the face of Moses was veiled, it was fading away but that in the face of Christ is unveiled, it is the "light of the glorious knowledge of God." Through Christ the knowledge of God thus the glory of God is being revealed. And in Christ he has given freely of his promises that through them we escape the corruption in this world, becoming partakers of his divine nature.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Why do we give praise to God? Because the glorious knowledge of God has been revealed to us through Christ. Just as the gospel was preached to Abraham beforehand so that it was based upon a promise, that God would not forget his elect, he would provide a way to fulfill his purpose and promise. All the promises of God are given through Christ, and they are amen, they come into being in Christ. "The idea of something that is faithful, reliable, or believable seems to lie behind the use of amen" in the Old Testament.*  It is said amen means "so be it." Jesus said often, "Amen I say to you," i.e., "I say to you amen, amen, the one hearing my words and believing in the one sending me has eternal life" (John 5:25). His authority and his word are true, so let it be so, believe it. If this is true, amen, so be it, to his promises. May we know, believe, and rest on his promises. 

May God indeed be praised for his promises. Why is our praise to the glory of God? Because he called us to his own glory and by the good pleasure of His will, he chose us, before he created the world, to exist holy, blameless in his presence in love, predestining us for adoption as his own, so that we would exist the praise of his glory! We praise him because he has given us these promises. This reflects the majestic and preciousness of His promises and how through them "we come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world, in impure desires, becoming partakers of his divine nature."

and those he predestined these also called and who he called, these also justified, now, who justified these also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

His precious and majestic promises. You were chosen, blessed with adoption, a Spirit of adoption, the one who leads us and cries out into our hearts Abba Father, and pours out into our hearts the love of God, and testifies we are his children (Romans 5:5; Romans 8:14-17). The Spirit of promise, the pledge of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). A majestic promise freely given, is the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12). To those, he predestined for adoption he justified through redemption, the forgiveness of sins, through the blood of the Lamb, and by grace through faith we are saved (Romans 3:24; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7). It is a precious promise of the new covenant in his blood, "'for I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sin no more' in speaking of the new covenant the first is made old.." (Hebrews 8:12-3). For the promised Savior was born. (Luke 2:11) Those he predestined, he called and justified, and these he glorifies.

"those he foreknew also he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born of many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

What is the glory of God but the knowledge of God? It is the goal of creation to point us to God, "for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). If this is true then the glory is knowing God himself and the glory of God manifested to us through the light of the gospel in the face of Christ is the knowledge of God. Not a knowledge like the devil has but a knowledge of God that glorifies. Those he predestined, he called and justified, and these he glorifies. Therefore "through the knowledge of the one calling us," it is for his own glory and goodness. And here is where the deep promises of God rest. 

"Now, we know because all work together for good to the ones loved of God, the ones called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Having received in Christ all the spiritual blessings from the heavenlies we can say we are blessed in Him, chosen, predestined for adopted, redeemed, forgiven, favored in the beloved. Adopted through the Spirit who is a pledge of our inheritance. What precious and majestic promises do we have in Christ! This promise was given to me last year when I woke in the middle of the night with my heart racing and feeling like it was skipping a beat, this verse the Spirit rose up in me, "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). He is for us, not against us. “The Lord in majesty will be for us!” (Isaiah 33:21). "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." (Isaiah 43:2) 

"he has freely given the precious and majestic promises so that through them we come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world, in impure desires, becoming partakers of his divine nature." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

God is the Potter, we are the clay, he is molding us, conforming us to His image, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV). The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. Therefore, we can say the Potter is for us.* When discipline hurts, when the trial comes, as Peter says it will and is not to be seen as something strange, coming as a proving of your faith that refines like fire, remember that "his divine power is freely given to us, that toward life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one calling us" and that "he has freely given the precious and majestic promises so that through them we come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world, in impure desires, becoming partakers of his divine nature." The precious and majestic promises are toward life and godliness and tell us God is for us!