Faith refers to our belief and trust in the triune God to save us and sanctify us. Virtue goes beyond duty to delight in serving God and others. Knowledge refers to knowing God in a warm and affectionate way. Self-control refers to walking by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Steadfastness means to resist temptation and exhibit Christlike character.

How many times this week has someone told you, You’ve got this, after confiding in them about a difficult situation, work assignment, final exam, or important conversation that lay ahead of you? How many messages have you heard through advertisements, songs, or social media that have told you, You can do it? While the world around us and our own flesh tempt us to believe we’ve got the power to be good and to do good, the Bible tells us otherwise.

In 2 Peter 1:3-11 we learn about God’s power. Specifically, Peter teaches us that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (v. 3). God’s power is the source of our knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. In fact, God has “called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). As those made in His image, we’re to reflect His knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, not perfectly on this side of glory, but truly.

God has also “granted to us his precious and very great promises” (2 Pet. 1:4), especially the promise of His presence, protection, and provision, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me” (2 Cor. 6:18). United to Christ by faith, we have “become partakers of the divine nature” and “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Pet. 1:4). Therefore, believers are to have a different kind of life because we are dealing with a different kind of power—we have divine power at work in our lives.

The same God who has the power to save us also has the power to change us. To prove the greatness of “his precious and very great promises” (2 Pet. 1:4).

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