Dan's Devotions 2 Peter 1:5-7

2 Peter 1:5-7

⁵For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

⁵For this very reason...
This verse reminds us of the previous verses which are described in the previous post: We have escaped sin through Christ Jesus and now have all things that pertain to life in godliness so that we may cling to God's promises and become more like Christ in our Christian walk.

...supplement your...
The word supplement simply means "add to". The next list is a progression of how we are to grow, for if you are "adding" onto something then you are increasing a.k.a growing.

Faith
Of course the life of a Christian begins with faith, that is, saving faith. But I believe there is dual sense of this faith. While we never lose saving faith and never move on from saving faith, there is a sense that, once we have faith in Christ, we now expand that faith to include God's promises for us (in the previous post I talk about how all of God's promises (c.f. vs.4) flow out of the essential promise of believing in Christ for eternal salvation).

Virtue
My bible has a footnote for virtue, it says it can also be considered "excellence." If you remember from the previous post, excellence was defined as the summation of God's character. So, what do you do when you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and come to saving faith? Isn't there a desire born in you to rid yourself of sin; to change your character so that you no longer participate in former sins? This is a God-given desire to become more like him and we must have this desire to grow; our roots of faith shoot upward to become the tree planted by streams of flowing water (Psalm 1).

Knowledge
How does one grow in their desire to become like God and simultaneously change their sinful ways if they don't know how? Thus, it necessarily follows that we must supplement our desire for excellence with the knowledge of how to attain it! What better place do you get knowledge than from the bible itself? It is God's written word; His revelation of who He is and what His plans are for us! Though the bible is the ultimate authority for us, valuable help and insight can be gleaned from other Christians (we will see this later in the progression).

Self-Control
Now you are dangerous. Not only have you grown in a desire to put away sin and become more like Christ but you have the know-how to do so. So you start mortifying sin and putting it away. But what happens when you fall, when you fail in a moment of temptation and sin that same old sin again? Thankfully, we have a solid foundation of faith in Christ Jesus and we have forgiveness of all sins! But the reason you may have failed is because you lack self-control. We still battle against the flesh even after saving faith, therefore, even the desire to become like God and the know-how is not enough. We must supplement our knowledge with self -control. Self-control says "no" to pursuing sin and "yes" to pursuing God.

Steadfastness
Now is a time for celebration! You faced down temptation, you exercised self-control and you have supplemented your knowledge and virtue with manifest results! When you grow in self-control this leads to consistency in facing down temptation; it leads to consistency in persevering through prolonged periods of trials and suffering. When your are consistent you are steadfast. Steadfastness is another attribute of our heavenly father; when you prove yourself steadfast you grow even more in your virtue because you are practicing a character trait of God!

Godliness
Once you have begun putting away your sin and changing into a more merciful, forgiving, compassionate, etc.. person you become Godly, i.e, "like God." Not only do you have the desire and knowledge but you have consistently practiced it and lived it out. Mere knowledge and desire are not enough, the fruit that is produced from self-control and consequent steadfastness blossoms into our godliness and achieves the glory of God while giving us peace!

Brotherly Affection
As I mentioned before under "knowledge," other Christians can be means of grace through which God helps us in our progressive sanctification. This is what brotherly affection is! When we have practiced godliness we have a desire to help others. It is difficult to help others when you are struggling with a particular sin; it is hard to remove the speck from your brother's eye when there is a plank protruding from your own! That is why godliness, the blossom of self-control and steadfastness, is supplemented by brotherly affection; because we are ready to come up alongside our brothers and sisters and bear their burdens!

Love
Love is the last piece; it is the keystone. Notice how our temple of Christian living was founded upon the cornerstone of faith, Jesus Christ, and how it is finished by the keystone of love. And who was the ultimate example of love? "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us..." (1 Jhn. 3:16) Jesus Christ is how we know love! Do you see how Christian growth comes full circle? It starts with the gospel and ends with the gospel and, as we shall see in later verses, the gospel permeates every aspect within that circle of growth!

Dan's Devotions: 2 Peter 1:2-4

My thoughts and notes from my quiet times reading scripture...

2 Peter 1:2-4

² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴by which 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. ESV.

² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
There is much grace and peace in knowing God, more specifically, in knowing his son Jesus Christ (c.f. verse 2).

³His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness , through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
We are called to recognize that God has given us everything we need to live life; all things spiritual and physical. God gives not in the frailty of human power (for we can often fail in our promises and the things we give are perishable) rather, God gives to us in His "divine power". He gives us all things freely, i.e. by grace (vs.2), and the means by which he gives us all things is through knowledge of Jesus Christ (vs.3).

⁴by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises...
It is the knowledge of Christ that directs to the promises of God( vs.4); it is the knowledge of Christ that directs us to the essential promise: that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Out of this promise flow all of the other lavish blessings we have in Christ (c.f. Ephesians 1).

...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.
But what are these promises to be used for, or, how are we to use these promises? They are to be used so that we can become "partakers of the divine nature" (vs.4) , i.e. more like Jesus Christ (c.f. Rom. 8:29). We "escaped" sin when we believed in Christ and were regenerated by the Holy Spirit and now we are called to change our character to emulate God's. We must understand the two reasons God gives us from verse 3 as to why He has done all of this:

1) His glory- It is our primary goal in this life to glorify Him and God blesses us in this capacity
2) His excellence - Which I consider to be the sum of God's character; all of his attributes. His love, his mercy, his justice, his holiness, his righteousness, etc... God's character, i.e. God as he has revealed himself to us, has created this plan from before time: His glory is seen in creation, his justice is seen in his judgment of sin through the cross, his love is seen in willingly going to the cross, his holiness is seen in his abhorrence of sin through forsaking his own son, his mercy is seen in his death on the cross, his righteousness is seen in the perfect life of Christ, and we could go on... it is the excellence of God's character that has called us to this glorious plan.

What an amazing truth!Through Jesus Christ we can emulate our heavenly Father and share in his excellent character for His glory and our peace! Who doesn't want peace in this world of busyness, and strife, and labor, and pain? Peace is ours and it is attained through glorifying God in Christ Jesus! What an amazing dichotomy that only could have come from an excellent God!

Infomercial

Introduction: This is a poem about the very day I was saved. I was about 8 years old but I still remember that moment like it was yesterday...of course things have faded but the general way in which God called me is still fresh in my memory.

Infomercial

Early morning on my Parent's floor...

And tired still my eyes grew weary
When caught my ear this humble query

"Do you know Jesus as your savior and lord?"
Small knowledge of Him I could afford
From Sunday school where my conscience warred

More people came and gave their stories
Testimonies and allegories
Of how they shared in all Christ's glories
Precious gems from heavenly quarries

One thing I lacked: Where do I start?
"Ask," they said "and He will impart"
"His Holy Spirit like a dart"
"Which piercing through your ugly heart"
"Will sculpt you like a work of art."

With humbled eyes I did believe
And kneeling still prayed to receive
The cross to which I now still cleave
With haughty eyes and chests in heave
The world would call my prayer naive
But the wisdom of God fools cannot perceive

Would you consider His imagination?
Of all the ways in God's creation?
Of all the ways we have sensation?
Of all the ways He called his nation?
Prophets, miracles, and supplication?
Christ called me through a TV station!
An infomercial for salvation...

...How sweet the day God knocked on my door

The Trinity

Introduction: I wrote this short story after an "Invest" meeting where we covered the Trinity as part of the doctrine of the attributes of God (Invest is a program done by my church, Covenant Life, where a pastor--Eric Sheffer--leads a group of young men through a series of group discussions on assigned readings mainly from Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem, a devotion from assigned reading from Puritan Thomas Watson's A Godly Man's Picture, and various articles; all having to deal with systematiclly observing the bible's various doctrines). I am just now getting around to publishing it...

The Trinity

The Father's eyes were ablaze with fury. The Throne of Righteouness trembled beneath him. Heaven had been abuzz lately; what was the Father going to do? His creation had rebelled against Him and sin, seizing the opportunity, ran rampant amongst God's image bearer's.

The Spirit wept into The Father's shoulder. Tears flowed like a river into his lap; He had been crying ever since Adam and Eve had taken that first bite of the forbidden fruit and his tears grew in intesity as the Father's fury increased.

The Son sat next to The Father, watching Him intently, His left hand placed on the Spirit's back in consolation, and His right hand resting on the Father's thigh.

And then, in one simultaneous act of judgement and grief, The Spirit lifted His face, The Son removed his hand, and The Father rose from His throne. The earth shook under God's motion in Heaven and creation shuddered with anticipation. Only mankind seemed oblivious to what was coming to pass. The Father emptied the tears from His lap and an ocean of wrath rained down from Heaven in righteous judgement on mankind. The earth was drowned and it's surface torn and scarred under the force of God's verdict.

One family remained alive with a handful of animals; two of each of their kind. A humble ark of gopherwood housed all that was left of the breath of life in creation. Angels guided the boat and kept the waves from utterly destroying its contents. The angels never questioned God's charges with protecting His image bearers but they were mystified by the events that had transpired.

Mankind was spared and given a fresh start. God promised never to devastate mankind in such a way ever again. Yet, just as man was spared, so was the disease of sin. How can God destroy the thing He hates most without destroying the creation He loves? For as long as man lives, sin lives in him, passed down from generation to generation; from father to son; from mother to daughter.

The Father reclined in His throne; deep sorrow cast a shadow over His face and His heart was grieved within Him. The Spirit was off in diligent work, singing songs of joy in an unknown tongue, measuring and planning, gathering and organizing; He was preparing to build something big. The Son looked into His Father's eyes and saw His pain and sorrow. Zeal consumed the Son and his heart was a burning furnace of passion. He rose from His throne and bowed before the Father; once more the Son placed His hand on the Father's thigh.

"I will go, Father."
"I know, my Son."

Remember Me

Remember Me

By Linda Carlson



It’s cancer and it’s advanced
I don’t think we heard that right
It’s cancer and it’s advanced
This can’t be right.

Why our brain is screaming
Why us, what did we do
We must be dreaming.

A voice whispers in our ear,
Remember me, I’m here
No…you aren’t here
All we feel is fear.

How could this happen?
What did we do?
Nothing, he says, but
Remember me, I’m here.

Taking one day at a time
Putting one foot in front of another
Our minds are leaden
Our feet are frozen.

A voice whispers in our ear,
Remember me, I’m here
No, you aren’t here
All we feel is fear.

What will tomorrow bring?
We don’t know he says, just love one another,
Remember, I am here.
Oh…as our hearts begin to listen to that still calm voice.

Each day passes, time moves on,
Isn’t this a beautiful day, he says.
Yes, she says…so glad we are here together
Joining our hands as we live each day to the fullest

Did you see the sunrise this morning?
It was beautiful
Did you hear the birds singing?
Causing our spirits to soar.

A voice whispers in our ear,
Remember me, I’m here
Hello, we hear your voice
And feel your presence near and are comforted.

I love you forever he says,
She says me more than you,
It feels good to be together
To share our lives each day

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring,
But, we take each day as a gift
We now hear that voice clearly whisper in our ear,
Remember me; I’m here to help you in your journey

We remember you, we remember you
We are glad you are here with us
As we make this journey together
Safe in you, safe in you.

Thank you for remembering me.

Apologies

Introduction: This is a poem-type writing I did after feeling really convicted that I have not shared my faith well with my closest non-believing friends. It is not meant to be read normal; there is a dynamic rhythm and it should be read as fast-paced as possible and I definitely welcome any suggestions/criticisms in terms of comma placements or how it can be presented so that it is easier to read or if I say anything that doesn't make sense, etc... The one thing I recommend is reading it over a few times to become familiar with the words so you can read it faster and faster because the faster you read it the better it sounds...I hope!

Apologies

Eight years old when He called my name I remember the day when His Spirit came. He gave me a desire to please Him and clothed me with eternal life. Salvation is mine in this world of death.

They tell me He came over 2000 years ago to breathe His saving breath. What holy air He must have exhaled from His fleshly form like when He sailed over the waters of the deep, hovering, creating, and breathing the breath of life which had to seep out of every pore of the Son of Man who planned before time to enter time and stand amongst us and be accused of a crime He didn't commit so that God might acquit those of us that did and faithfully submit a substitute for his wrath against sin which follows us wherever we trod?

That first gulp of air, what was it like for God? He sprung forth out of His mother's womb and surely cried for from the second He was born until the day that He died he suffered the weight of the world on His shoulders and after relentless beating from Roman soldiers they took Christ--both fully God and fully man--and drove a nail into each hand one for both feet as far as I know though keep counting nails and you'll soon grow distracted and detracted and missing the point the point being from the end of a spear not the spear itself let me be clear; the blood that flowed from His riven side is the blood on which the world's relied for salvation.

Which is why I must apologize because I did not tell you about Christ or did you not realize that the whole world is not saved but only those who hear the gospel and prayed or asked and received having believed that Jesus Christ Son of God made flesh has paid the price of our sins and seeks to thresh the harvest He prepared but be aware for among the wheat grows tares and they will be thrown into unquenchable fire you don't believe me yet I am no liar but regardless at least consult the bible but please don't grieve it with your unholy libel and slanderous talk but walk with me on a straighter path and see the light which He hath by His might secured through what He endured and cured the horrible illness of sin.

Yet this cure is only for those who would drink and drinking sink into vicarious death with Him who died and defeated sin and removed death's sting so that we might sing and rejoice at the sound of His voice which beckons us to "Drink! Drink!" of this antidote the ingredients listed in the book He wrote which I mentioned before which men abhor because they do not understand nor has anyone shared at least I've not dared as much to declare the name that saves maybe once or twice or here or there I've said something to someone but not everyone who sees me hears from me for fears in me dread their reaction yes there retraction of friendship and approval and so my vocabulary has seen removal of heavenly speech amongst worldly friends and my tongue bends and ends conversations while my conscience explodes with guilty sensations "Why can't I save my friends from condemnation?" What's worse I fear the curse will follow them to eternal home and opening their purse to see their wages find death abounding for in the pages of their contract written long ago were detailed the terms: The snake shall eat dust with the worms and man will toil and sweat while sufferings abound till he return to the ground and the sound of the woman's pain in child labor cannot save her but the savior will come from her and save us all from the wormwood and the gall which daily pursues us since the time of the fall.

So I do apologize to those who've closed their eyes in eternal sleep and waking in hell their permanent cell in Satan's keep looking upward see me who did not speak of such wrath and pain though God had made it plain to them through creation's call all the same I could have spoken and given some token of heaven yet this I know Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God makes it grow so I take no blame against the unsaved but am filled with shame that I did not proclaim at least the One who invited me to the banquet feast to give Him the glory He deserves for He graciously changed my story and serves not lending but giving me a righteous share as heir to heavenly splendor and bliss though I was there shaking my fist and spitting and cursing and splitting His skin with my blows eager to feed His flesh to the crows and I swung that hammer and formed that thorny crown and lifted You up on Your throne of obedience and recompense and it made no sense that while we stood there mocking You You said "Father forgive them they know not what they do" and greedily we tore at Your garments while graciously You bore our sins and then called us to be Your friends and gave us heavenly clothes so that we could dispose of those evil ones covered in filth and trash and thus be free at last!

I apologize to my God and King and ask graciously for the words to sing and the grace to tell all people about the man who stood in their place who is more than man who is also God who stands in heaven with arms open wide holes in His hands and gash in His side welcoming those whom He has blessed:


"Come ye who labor and I will give you rest"

Now Introducing...

So I hired an accountant to do my taxes but the numbers just aren't adding up; it seems I owe the IRS $100,000 dollars in back taxes. Luckily my accountant found a loop hole in the tax law that allows me to gain thousands of dollars in tax credits by buying dog treats. Here is a picture of us working:



That's me [Dan] crunching the numbers in the brown coat and that's her, Remi, in the white fur helping me out. Did I mention that Remi is also our pet Maltese? Yes, it's true; as both pet and accountant she has been a wonderful addition to this household. She's not much of a writer and, though it pains me to say it, I don't think she's saved so in keeping with the spirit of a God glorifying post, I don't really see her contributing much (she's more of a numbers person anyway). I promise to keep everyone posted though on how our taxes turn out!

First Blog Post Ever

Hello Everyone,
Dan and Skye Saltsman here posting our first blog ever. I [Dan] enjoy reading and writing a lot and wanted to put some stuff out there and thought I'd drag Skye along with me. I pulled "seasoned with salt" out of my favorite piece of literature, the bible, from one of its top contributing writers, Paul. In his epistle to the Colossians in the fourth chapter, 6th verse, you'll find this:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Paul is ending his letter to the church at Colossae with an exhortation for them to make the best use of their time taking advantage of every encounter with non-believers to share the gospel and advance Christ's kingdom!

My hope is that I can live up to my name and be gracious in speech; we pray that this blog will always reflect Christ in language, service, and humility and that His kingdom might somehow be advanced through the bumbling prose of some random dude with a wife, a computer, and a decent internet connection.

-Dan and Skye


p.s I just looked up the word "prose" to make sure I used it right...humility +10