God is Using the Reluctant (and Unprepared)
2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
Thats what it looks like – everything. We have been given everything we need for living a godly life.
So what is our excuse?
I love that Peter is the one writing this. Peter who wrestled with foot-in-mouth syndrome, Peter who spoke before thinking, Peter who had the guts to reprimand Jesus.
Peter was probably the least-equipped person chosen as a disciple, and yet here we have him writing about how well equipped we all are for living a godly life. It is truly amazing the change and growth that we read from Peter.
I’d like to ask him (among other things when I get to meet him in Heaven) how this verse relates to his rejection of Jesus after the arrest. Do the two relate? I imagine Peter had all sorts of excuses why he denied Christ that night – maybe one of them being: “I’m not prepared to….. ” Or “I didn’t think we’d be expected to….” Or even “He never told us we’d have to…..”
And then after many years pass he writes this – eliminating all excuse for not living a godly life. God gave us everything we need: Jesus. Because of Jesus this world has nothing to throw at us.
So what is our excuse?
- Fear? Conquered.
- Hopelessness? Defeated on the third day.
- Rejection? We’re accepted by One greater than all the world.
- Reputation? Whose name are we wearing anyway? (Christian?)
- Rules or Regulations that tell us we can’t? What law or regulation or administrator is greater than the Fruit of the Spirit? (hint: none, against such things there is no law).
No excuse stands against Peter’s statement at the beginning of his second letter. Esther discovered the same principle when faced with something much huger than reputation or rejection. God had placed her exactly where He needed her.
He has done the same for you too.
God is.
That is enough. And that has given us everything we need. No more excuses.
Esther 4:13-16
Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. [14] If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: [16] “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”