This lesson in Peter's second epistle looks at what Peter says immediately after his greeting. He speaks of the power of God, what it can do for us, and what it helps us to do for God. This passage is structured like a hamburger, two pieces of bread with meat in between. First there are verses 3-4 (the top piece of bread) about What God's power does for us. Next there are verses 5-10 (the meat) about what God's power helps us do for God, then there are verses 9-11 (the bottom piece of bread) with more about what God's power does for us.
God's "divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness"(2Pe 1:3) The word "power" is dunamis the word from which we get "dynamite" and "dynamo".
Some of the things that God's power provides us...
As well as showing us what God does for us, Peter also reminds us of what we must do for God with the help of what God's power has granted us. We must...
Apply all diligence (2Pe 1:5,10)
Add to our faith (2Pe 1:5)
Supply virtue (moral excellence) (2Pe 1:5)
Learn knowledge (2Pe 1:5,8)
Exercise self-control (2Pe 1:6)
Perservere (2Pe 1:6)
Acquire godliness (2Pe 1:7)
Show brotherly kindness (2Pe 1:7)
Love (2Pe 1:7)
Not be useless or unfruitful but abounding (2Pe 1:8)
As we continue "dot pointing" the statements Peter is making, we find him returning to an emphasis on what God's power does for us rather than what God's power helps us do for him. This is the bread, so to speak, at the bottom of the hamburger...
Purification through Christ’s death 2Pe 1:9
Our calling and election 2Pe 1:10
In the future an abundant entrance into his eternal kingdom 2Pe 1:11
