Thursday after Populus Sion, The Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 8, 2022 by under
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:2-9 (NKJV)
1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Devotion
“He who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
It is easy to say, “I believe…” or “I repent…,” but the Lord also teaches us to bear fruit that is in keeping with these confessions. His Spirit endeavors to make us grow in faith and deeds. However, Satan continues to lie to us. He would have us think that we can neglect the works of love that God prepares for us, as long as we think the right things, or have the right doctrine “on paper.” As our Lord teaches in Matthew 25, the goats will call Him “Lord,” but they will not acknowledge that their carelessness toward good fruit and love was a failure to confess Him as their Lord.
Our Lord most certainly forgives us of our sins by His grace alone, only on account of Christ’s death on the cross. He that believes and is baptized is most certainly saved, apart from works. Our Lord also calls us to walk and grow in all His holy gifts, which are connected with that forgiveness and salvation. Our works do not save us, but if we resist His Spirit who works them in and through us, we are in danger from the devil’s works and ways. Christ saves us by His blood and His Gospel, and as we are cleansed from old sins, He blesses that new life with all the other things that He teaches and commands!
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
