The Thursday after Populus Sion Sunday, the Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 11, 2025 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
Today’s lesson is all about the Word of God, even though Peter does not use that specific phrase! The Word of God is what Peter refers to when he speaks about “knowledge”. For divine knowledge comes to us through the Word. Through the Word we have knowledge of “our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Through the Word we are given “exceedingly great and precious promises” and made “partakers of the divine nature.” Through the Word we learn that Jesus’ divine power “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
Peter is very concerned that we do not leave this Word of God behind. Once we are brought to faith in Christ and begin to bring forth fruits of faith, he urges us that we be diligent to add “knowledge” to these fruits. In other words, we should study and learn the Word of God! Remember (from yesterday’s devotion) the five uses of Holy Scripture. The Scriptures are useful for comfort, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. If we wish to be fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we must have the Word of God, since the Word of God is what teaches and produces these fruits. The Word, in its Law and Gospel, not only creates a living faith, but adds to this faith self-control, perseverance, godliness, and love.
Collect: 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.
