Read 2 Peter 1:1- 2 – Peter’s Greeting to the Christians
1. Review verse 1 from last week’s lesson. What do you recall about the author and the recipients of this letter?
2. In both of Peter’s epistles he uses the common Christian greeting of grace and peace, combining Greek and Hebrew words of greeting. This speaks to the growing church that included both Gentile and Jew. According to 2 Peter 1:2, through what means are grace and peace multiplied to you? Describe how this works in the life of a Christian.
Read 2 Peter 1:3 – Provision For a Godly Life
1. According to verse 3a, what has God’s divine power given to us?
a. From Genesis to Revelation God is described as Almighty. This means God is omnipotent, having complete power. This is the power Peter speaks of in verse 3. What do you notice in the following verses? Gen. 17:1, Gen. 35:11, Rev. 1:8
b. How does the Apostle Paul identify this power in Phil. 3:10?
2. Because of His divine power, what can we be assured of in regards to the giving of “all things that pertain to life and godliness”?
a. We have been given all that is needed to live a victorious and abundant Christian life. What does the word “given” indicate? (Notice that it doesn’t say “will give.”)
b. Name some things included in “all things.”
3. Through what means have these things been given?
4. According to the end of verse 3, by what were we called? Define these words.
Read 2 Peter 1:4 – God’s Promises
1. One of the many things we discover in the Word of God are His promises to us. These promises are one of those things which we have been given that pertain to life and godliness. Why are God’s promises needed to live a victorious and abundant life? Recall some of God’s promises to you.
2. How are these promises described in verse 4? Spurgeon explains the promises of God as “so great, that they are not less than infinite, and so precious, that they are not less than divine.” In your desire to live a life pleasing to God, are you relying on the promises you have been given?
3. It is through these promises that we may be partakers of the divine nature, desiring the things of God. From what have we escaped? What does this mean?
Read 2 Peter 1:5-9 – More and More Like Jesus
1. Simply because you have been given these great and precious promises by which you may be partakers in the divine nature, growth and maturity in the Christian life doesn’t happen to you automatically. Verse 5 tells us we must be diligent if we are to grow. Define diligence. To help us apply this, also list synonyms and antonyms for diligence.
2. We begin the Christian life in faith, but as we walk in faith, God develops our character to be more like Jesus. Some of these characteristics are listed in verses 5-7. Consider these characteristics, their progression, and their effect on the Christian.
3. Verse 8 describes those who are diligent in these things, and verse 9 describes those who are not. Compare the two.
4. These beautiful qualities are not things that the Lord simply pours into us as we passively receive. Instead, we are called to give all diligence to these things, working in partnership with God to add them. – Guzik How do we work in partnership with God to develop these characteristics?
Read 2 Peter 1:10-11 – Heaven and Rewards Too!
1. Can you be SURE you are saved? The Bible says YES! One way we can be sure is found in Rom. 8:16. Have you experienced this? 2 Peter 1:10 tells us that another way we can be SURE is when we find ourselves looking more and more like Jesus. The “these things” spoken of in verse 10 refers us back to 2 Peter 1:5-7. These developing characteristics are evidence of God’s transforming work in us. What does Rom. 8:29 tell us?
2. Continual growth in our Christian faith will help us to keep from stumbling. What does it mean to stumble as a Christian? What are some examples of this?
3. This quote from Wiersbe helps us understand verse 11. The growing Christian can look forward to an “abundant entrance” into the eternal kingdom. The Greeks used this phrase to describe the welcome given Olympic winners when they returned home. Every believer will arrive in heaven, but some will have a more glorious welcome than others. Alas, some believers will be saved, yet so as by fire. The last sentence of this quote is from 1 Cor. 3:15. What does it mean?
4. Though our motivation to live a life that looks more and more like Jesus is not the reward spoken of here, the reward certainly paints a glorious picture of God’s grace toward us! Thoughts?