The Most Important Thing

A short while ago I was investigating righteousness and it’s relationship to God and man.  This was based on my discovery that I was lacking in self-control based on my inadequate knowledge of God and who I am because of God.  I learned that God is righteousness – it is the foundation of his throne.  Therefore, if God is righteous and he made me in his image, I am to be righteous as well – in fact, because of Christ’s sacrifice, I already am [justification] and I am becoming more righteous leading up to the day of Christ’s triumphant return.  I am becoming what I already am.  It seems confusing, but it’s the beauty of the mystery of Christ.  It’s not always something to be understood – but accepted.  This is my faith.

And so with that knowledge I press on.  Peter says, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…For if you do these things you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

It is interesting – Peter says that grace and peace is ours, in abundance!, through our knowledge of God and Christ.  How often am I at war with myself, feeling uneasy or that I am not good enough for the grace of God?  Yet all it takes is a better understanding of God.  If you struggle with living righteously, take some time to better understand God [it's a life long process for sure!].  And then note the next sentence – Jesus, with his divine power, gives us everything we need to live righteously [a godly life], again, through our knowledge of him.  Note the phrase “divine power.”  Divine comes from the Latin word divus, which simply means god-like.  Power finds its root in the Latin word posse, which simply means to be able.  Jesus has godlike ability, which is important because through that godlike power he gives us promises which lead to our ability [or power] to participate in the godlike nature.  Nature comes from the Latin word natura, which means birth or quality of something.

To be able to be like God – righteous, just, self-controlled, loving, peaceful, joyful, faithful, patient, kind, gentle, and many more things – is inherent in us – if only we would turn and learn, turn and grow, turn and be.  That is bigger than big.  That is life changing.  Knowing God is the most important thing.  Being with him is the result.

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