Tag: glory

Romans 16:27 – To God Be The Glory!

Posted on by Will

to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Truth to Learn

God deserves all the glory and all of our praise.

Behind the Words

“God” is from the Greek noun theos. This is probably derived from the Greek theteres (a placer of things) because the Greeks believed that their gods were the placers and disposers of things (thus, they had a god of fire, a god of wind, etc.) In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) the title of God (elohim) is always translated as theos, even though elohim is plural and theos is singular.

“Only” is translated from monos, meaning “unaccompanied, alone, only, or single.”

The word translated “wise” is sophos, meaning “the ability to skillfully apply the knowledge that one possesses.” The meaning of sophos in the New Testament, like its Hebrew equivalent chōkmah, differs from the classical meaning in at least two ways. First of all, the biblical concept of wisdom is God-centered rather than man-centered. It refers to a fear of God and an understanding of His ways. Secondly, Biblical wisdom implies the possession of a certain adeptness or practical ability in applying knowledge.

“Glory” is from the word doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think or suppose.” Doxa primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable opinion.” In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.”

Meaning Explained

Paul’s closing benediction to his letter to the Christians in the church at Rome is the longest benediction contained in any of his letters.

In this final verse, he is proclaiming, first of all, the fact that only God is wise. In Greek, word order is significant, with the most important word being first. The Greek text for this verse reads, “only wise God.” Thus, his emphasis is on the fact that only God is truly wise. To our singularly wise God belongs “great reputation, honor, and splendor” because of the fact that He alone is wise.

This honor that God so richly deserves is earned in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Only a God of infinite wisdom could have developed a plan whereby we, God’s created race made filthy by the stain of our sin, could be so perfectly cleansed by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God.

Because of this salvation plan which reconciles God’s moral righteousness with the brilliance of His wondrous mercy, He will receive all the glory from all of creation for all of eternity. Truly, He is worthy!

Application

Throughout eternity we will give God the glorious expression of our praise. In order to be fully prepared for that experience, we should be practicing every day by proclaiming His glory and declaring His praise. To God be the glory!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:36 – It’s All His

Posted on by Will

For from Him and through Him and unto Him are all things, to Him be glory forever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

God deserves all our praise for only He is worthy.

 

Behind the Words

There is a three-fold expression that Paul uses in the first part of this verse which is very simple and yet profound. In the Greek Paul says ex autou kai di autou kai eis autou ta panta. Let’s look at this in detail.

The word kai simply means “and” and the word autou means “him, that is, in relation to him or with respect to him.” Next, let’s look at the three words ex, di, and eis. All three of these are prepositions. The first, ex is a form of ek, meaning “from” or “out of,” implying that He is the source. The second preposition is di, a contraction of dia, meaning “through, either as movement or as the instrument of action.” Finally, the third preposition is eis, meaning “into” or “unto.” Paul then finishes the first phrase with the two words, ta panta which mean “all things,” or “everything.” Thus, Paul says that all things originate with God, He is the instrument of action for all events, and all things will culminate in Him.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, from which we get our English word doxology. It is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “thought or opinion, particularly favorable human opinion.” Thus, we see that doxa means “dignity, glory, or honor.” This word is sometimes translated as “praise” or “worship,” since that is the highest possible form of favorable human opinion.

The Greek expression translated “forever” is eis tous aiōnas. This literally means “unto the ages” or “forever.”

Putting this all together we could paraphrase this verse as: All things come from God, are created and sustained by God, and ultimately belong to God. Therefore, He alone should receive our praise both now and forever! Amen.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul ends this chapter of Romans with a doxology that we would all do well to meditate on. He says that everything which exists, both physical and spiritual, has its source in God and God alone. Everything that is, exists through God’s instrumentality, that is, it has come into being as a result of His creative action. Finally, everything that exists belongs to God and will be laid at His feet, and all creatures will give Him the glory. We see this in the heavenly scene painted for us by the Apostle John in the book of the Revelation:

the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, To receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11)

And I heard every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that are in them, saying: "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13)

 

Application

Think about that as you worship Him this Sunday!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Luke 2:9 – Full of Fear

Posted on by Will

And an angel of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Truth to Learn

The shepherds were afraid when the angel appeared to them.

 

Behind the Words

The words “stood over” are translated from the Greek word ephistēmi, from epi meaning “on, above, over, or against” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” The most common translation of this word in the New Testament is “stand upon.” In this occurrence, however, most translators give it the meaning of “stand against” or “stand before.” However, given the content of this verse, I believe a more literal translation of “stand over” is reasonable. Hence, rather than standing before the shepherds, this angel was probably above them or over them. That is why the glory of the Lord shone around them – because the angel was in the air over them and his magnificent glory shone all around them.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, a form of dokeō. The root meaning of this word is “to think” or “to suppose.” Therefore, the root meaning of doxa is “thought” or “opinion.” There are a number of secondary uses of this word including, reputation, praise, honor, perfection, light, or splendor. In this verse it is used to indicate “bright visual splendor.”

“Shone around” is from the Greek verb perilampō, which is made up of peri, meaning “around” and lampō, meaning “to give light” or “to shine.” Literally, this word means “to illuminate all around.” Thus, perilampō refers to a light which is shining all around.

The expression “they were greatly afraid” is from the words ephobēthēsan phobon megan. This literally means “they feared great fear.” In Greek, repetition of words indicates emphasis, so saying “they feared fear” would indicate that they were very afraid. In addition, the inclusion of the word megan (mega, meaning “great”) indicates that their fear was extremely great.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that shepherds (probably those responsible for the sheep to be used for the Temple sacrifices) were camping out among the sheep. They were “watching watches,” that is, they were taking turns during the night looking around in order to detect any possible dangers to the animals. Shepherds in those days were fully responsible for the protection of their flocks. In fact, they cared so greatly for the animals under their protection that they experienced mourning over the death of even a single lamb.

While these particular shepherds were protecting their flock in the middle of the dark night, a bright and glorious angelic being appeared to them. This angel seems to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere, suspended in mid-air with his glorious brightness lighting up everything around them.

The sudden appearance of this glorious angelic being caused these normally unflappably courageous shepherds to become extremely afraid. They were used to fighting off lions or bears, but they were not prepared for the presence of this angel.

It’s interesting that the announcement of the birth of the Messiah should start out with fear, because the whole purpose of His incarnation was to bring peace. Just as the fear that Adam and Eve experienced after sinning was taken away by the sacrifice of animals, so the fear of all sinners can be removed by faith in the blood of the Lamb of God.

 

Application

There are many who are afraid even in this season of celebration of the birth of our Savior. It may be fear caused by sickness, financial worries, or fear of physical harm. Look around! Perhaps there is someone around you who is fearful even in the midst of this season of celebration. Is it possible that you can be God’s angel of peace for them? What can you do to relieve their fear?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:3 – Joyful Tribulation

Posted on by Will

And not only that, but we also rejoice in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

Truth to Learn

We also rejoice in difficult times because these are the times when we learn to endure hardship.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word that is translated “rejoice” in the current verse is the word kauchomai, which means “to boast (either in a good or a bad sense)” or “to rejoice.” In some translations it is written as “glory.” However, in the previous verse the word translated “glory” is a different Greek word. It is the word doxes, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion,” and thus in a secondary sense “reputation, praise or honor.” But the word in the previous verse that is translated “rejoice” is kauchomai, as it is here. Therefore, to be consistent in our translation, we see that the word which some translations have as “glory” in the current verse should be translated “rejoice.”

“Tribulations” is translated from thlipsis, which is derived from the verb thlibō, meaning “to crush, compress, or squeeze.” Hence, we can see that thlipsis refers to “pressure, affliction, distress, or tribulation.”

The word translated “perseverance” is hupomonē, which is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under or beneath” and a form of menō, which means “to stay or to remain.” It is a picture of a beast of burden who, when loaded with a heavy burden, remains under the load. That is, he perseveres under the load with patience.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells us that not only do we rejoice in our confident expectation of standing in the glory of God one day, but we also rejoice in afflictions.

But that doesn’t make sense, does it? When we are in the midst of tribulation, do we feel like rejoicing? No! But Paul says that we should. Why? Because when we are undergoing trials and tribulations and we realize that Jesus went through even greater trials and tribulation (leading up to and while on the cross), we can identify with Him and gain some comfort in the fact that He knows what we are going through. This, then, helps us endure the tribulation, and by enduring it we learn patience.

Patience is one of those things that everyone wants to have without having to earn it. Unfortunately, though, patience can only be learned and fully developed under trying circumstances, and even then only by trusting in God to carry us through. James teaches us a very similar thing regarding trials which test our faith:

My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the proving of your faith brings about patience. (James 1:2-3)

The word translated “patience” in James’ letter is the same word as the one translated “perseverance” in today’s verse.

 

Application

Beware of asking God for patience unless you’re really serious. God may very well give it to you by giving you trying or distressing situations through which you will develop patience, if you remain under the load.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 4:20 – Wait Training

Posted on by Will

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Truth to Learn

While waiting for God to fulfill His promise, Abraham’s faith got stronger, and he gave glory to God.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “waver” is diakrinō. This word is made up of dia, meaning “through,” though it is occasionally used to indicate “separation” and krinō, meaning “to distinguish, to judge, or to decide.” So, diakrinō in the passive voice, as it is used in this verse, implies being separated from oneself or to be in conflict with oneself. Hence it is often translated as “to doubt, to hesitate, or to waver.” This is the sense in which this word is used in today’s verse.

“Unbelief” is translated from apistia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of pistis, meaning “a conviction or belief in a truth.” Hence, apistia refers to “the lack of faith or lack of belief.”

The word “strengthened” is from the Greek word endunamoō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and dunamoō (from which we get our English word dynamite), meaning “to strengthen or to empower.” Therefore, endunamoō means “to make strong or vigorous” or “to strengthen.”

“Glory” is translated from the Greek word doxan, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion,” and thus in a secondary sense it means reputation, praise, honor.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse simply summarizes what has been said about Abraham in the previous few verses. In spite of his having to wait 20 years, Abraham did not stagger in his faith. The Greek actually says that “he did not waver in unbelief regarding God’s promise.” His faith was so sure and so strong that his faith did not weaken over time, and he apparently never doubted God once he accepted and believed the promise God made to him regarding his descendants.

I find the next phrase quite interesting. Paul says, “but (he) was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” If we look at Abraham’s life we see that he had many direct interactions with God. In each case he learned a little bit more about God, and each situation served to reaffirm his belief in God and in His promise to Abraham. So, instead of Abraham’s faith getting weaker over the course of time as he waited for God to fulfill His promise, his faith was unwavering and it actually was strengthened. As a result of his strengthening faith, Abraham gave glory to God. Do you see what that says? Abraham’s strong, unwavering faith actually enabled him to give glory to God while he waited. In a similar way, when we believe God’s promise and act on faith, we give honor to God. Also, as we learn to depend on God’s promises, which we must accept by faith alone, we become a testimony to his greatness.

 

Application

Are you going through a time of testing? Does God seem to be ignoring your prayers? If you remain firm in your faith and wait patiently for God, your faith will be strengthened and in time you will be able to praise God and give Him glory. Time won’t make your faith weaker, it will make it stronger!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 3:23 – Sinners All

Posted on by Will

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Truth to Learn

Every one of us has committed sin. As a result, we don’t meet God’s reputation.

 

Behind the Words

“All” is translated from a form of the Greek word pas, which means “all, the totality, the whole.” It does not mean generically all (all peoples) but specifically all (all people, every one).

The word translated “fall short of” is hustereō, which means “to be behind or under either in place or time.” What Paul is saying is, because of our sins we don’t have the same glory as God and, therefore, are not worthy to be in His presence.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, which primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion, and thus in a secondary sense it refers to reputation.”

 

Meaning Explained

We left the previous verse having declared that God’s righteousness is only given through faith in Jesus Christ and it is given to all who believe. It is this faith, believing whole heartedly in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a substitutionary payment for our sins, which causes God to declare us righteous.

But what does the phrase, “For there is no difference,” mean? In our study of the previous verse we showed that the Greek word that this is translated from is diastolē, meaning “a distinct difference.” Paul has been talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome who were still putting their hope in their righteousness obtained from obeying the Law. But Paul has shown them that there is no righteousness obtained by obeying the Law. The Law only produces sinfulness. He has shown that this sinfulness applies to all, both Jew and Gentile. All have gone out of God’s way and have become sinful by following their own path. Paul’s closing phrase in the previous verse coupled with this verse shows that he is talking about the fact that there is no difference, no distinction, between the righteousness of Jews and Gentiles.

The reason that there is no distinction between the righteousness of Jews and Gentiles is, “for all have sinned.” In other words, Paul is saying that every person on the earth (except for Jesus Christ) has committed sin and, therefore, is unrighteous. And, because each and every one of us has sinned, we fall short of God’s glory. That is, we don’t measure up to God’s reputation. You may recall that in verse ten we learned that we are all unrighteous. That is, we don’t measure up to God’s standard.

Recognizing this fact about ourselves is the first step in what has come to be called the Romans Road to Salvation. In order to be saved a person must first recognize their need for salvation and they need it because they are a sinner.

 

Application

According to the Apostle Paul you are a sinner, not “were a sinner” but “are a sinner.” Because of this fact you don’t measure up to God’s standard or God’s reputation; you are unrighteous. But, you can be declared righteous and measure up, through faith in Jesus Christ. You may be a sinner, but you can be saved through faith in Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:25 – The Truth or The Lie

Posted on by Will

who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the created thing rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

We all choose to believe either the truth about God or the lie.

 

Behind the Words

“Exchanged” is translated from metallassō, which is made up of meta, denoting “a change of place or condition” and allassō, meaning “to change.” The word, metallassō means “to convert from one state to another.”

The word translated “glory” in verse 23 is “doxan,” the root of which is “doxa.” According to the Complete Word Study Dictionary, “the word primarily means thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion, and thus in a secondary sense reputation, praise, honor (true and false), splendor, light, perfection, rewards (temporal and eternal).”

In today’s verse, the phrase “truth of God” is a Hebraism (an idiomatic Hebrew phrase) meaning “the true God” or “the truth that He, and He alone, is God.”

 

Meaning Explained

On first glance it appears that this verse is a restatement of verse 23, but there are a couple of significant differences here. In verse 23 Paul said they “changed the glory of the incorruptible God” and in this verse he says they, “exchanged the truth of God.” Thus verse 23 says that they changed the reputation or splendor of God into an image. So we see that in verse 23 those who deny God and His power use an image for worship, which is a representation of a created thing. In this verse they have progressed to the point where they deny the truth that Jehovah is the one and only God who is to be revered and worshipped. Paul says that these who deny God’s existence convert that truth into a lie (actually, the Greek text says “the lie”).

These non-believers, according to Paul, both worship and serve the created thing more than the creator of all things. Why do they do this? It’s because they don’t want to submit to Almighty God. Instead, they are willing to submit to a false god, knowing all the time that it really is no god at all. In the case of secular humanism of today, they make man the god and worship and serve self rather than the creator. Hence, the lie that is being subtly propagated today is, “since we have evolved from lower life forms and there is no proof of a creator, we are the supreme beings (i.e. we are gods).

Paul now does an interesting thing in this verse. As he finishes this comparison of false gods and the true God, he is so focused on the divinity, majesty, and holiness of God (the doxa glory of God), that he is compelled to proclaim a “doxology” ascribing praise to God. It is almost as if he is once again so struck with the very truth he is proclaiming that he is compelled to give God the glory He is due. And he follows it with a proclamation of amen, meaning “it is so!”

 

Application

Let me ask you, have you bought into the lie that we are the highest form of evolved creatures? Or, do you find yourself awestricken by the divinity, majesty, power, love, and holiness of God? Or do you find yourself somewhere in between, not accepting the lie but not in awe of our Creator God?

How you answer these says a lot about your relationship with the God who sent His Son to die so that we can know Him personally.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 3:18 – Eternal Praise

Posted on by Will

But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and the day of eternity! Amen.

Truth to Learn

We are to grow spiritually and give God all the glory.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “grow” is auxanō, meaning “to grow.” This growth, however, implies the result either of some outside agent or the element of life within. It is the word used of a seed which grows into a plant, simply because it has the element of life in it. There is a different Greek word, prokoptō, which also refers to growth. This, however, refers to growth as a result of human achievement. So we see that even though Peter gives this to us as a command, our growth in grace (there is no definite article “the” in the Greek text) and knowledge of Christ is not a result of our active conscious effort, but a result of the spiritual life within us.

The word translated “glory” is the Greek word doxa. The root of this word, dokeo, means “favorable thought or opinion.” Hence, it is often translated as “glory, praise, or honor.”

“Day of eternity” is translated from the Greek expression hēmeran aiōnos. The word hēmera refers to a “day.” It can refer to a specific twenty-four hour period of time, or it can refer to an indefinite period or point in time such as “the day of the Lord.” The word aiōnos refers to an “age of time.” It is most often used to refer to an indefinitely long period of time and, therefore, is often translated as eternity. These two words, therefore, refer to “the day of eternity,” that is, the time after the creation of the new heavens and the new earth when time will no longer have any meaning.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter told us to beware of the false teachers and scoffers, and we learned that we can only protect ourselves from false doctrine by studying correct doctrine. He now gives us another command. He says to “grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter tells us that we are to grow both in grace and in knowledge. Like a tree which continues to grow because it has life fed from the roots sunk deep in the earth, we are to grow because we are being fed from our roots in Christ through the Word of God. The only way to have continual growth is to be fed regularly from the book of life, the Bible. Only through regular constant reading and fellowshipping with the God of the Bible will we receive regular nourishment.

Peter then closes his letter with a word of praise for the one to whom we owe everything. He says, “to Him be glory …” God, and God alone, is to be given recognition for who He is and what He has done. Peter proclaims that this praise and honor is His both now and into (or unto) the day of eternity.

 

Application

As we complete this study of 2Peter, let’s take a few minutes in prayer to give Him the worship and praise that He is due. And let’s submit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him and commit ourselves to doing His will…

… from now until the day of eternity!

May God richly bless you as you do these things.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 1:17 – A Father Well Pleased

Posted on by Will

For having received honor and glory from God the Father such a voice was brought to him from the majestic glory, saying, "This is my Beloved Son, with him I am well pleased."

Truth to Learn

God the Father is, and has always been, pleased with His Son.

 

Behind the Words

The word “honor” is a translation of the Greek word timē, which also occurred back in verse 4 of this chapter. It refers to “having value.” In verse 4 it was used in reference to the promises that have been given to us and there it was translated as “precious,” i.e. very valuable. In today’s verse it is translated as “honor.” According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, the word honor means, “High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem” but this doesn’t quite carry the same sense as the Greek word. It is more than respect or esteem, it is recognition of His value in the order of creation, He is preeminent, that is, the highest, most valuable, and greatest!

The word “glory” is from the Greek word doxan, which refers to “glory, dignity, or honor.” There is a subtle but distinct difference in these two words that Peter used (glory and honor). The first refers to His worth as a being and the second refers to recognition for what He has done.

The word translated “Majestic” is from the Greek word megaloprepēs, which is a compound made up of  megas, meaning “great or big” and a form of prepō, meaning “that which is right or proper.” In English, this word implies something “resplendent, glorious, magnificent, or majestic.”

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has just talked about his eyewitness account of the transfiguration of Christ on the mountaintop. In today’s verse he recounts some of the details of that event. Before we talk about his details, however, let’s look at the word translated “transfigured” from Matthew 17:2. It is the Greek word metamorphoō, which is a compound word made up of meta, which means “a change of place or condition” and morphoō, which means “to form.” So Matthew is telling us that he didn’t simply change appearance, he actually changed in form on that mountaintop.

In today’s verse Peter tells us that Jesus Christ received “honor and glory from God the Father.” He then tells us how glory and honor were bestowed on Jesus. There was an audible voice carried forth from the majestic (or magnificent) glory saying, “This is my son – the beloved, with whom I was well pleased” (literal translation). Jesus received glory in that God the Father referred to Him as “my Son” (the Son of God), and He received honor from God the Father when He proclaimed, “with him I was well pleased.” This does not mean that the Father is no longer pleased with the Son. Rather, it means that He has been pleased with the Son of God since eternity past.

 

Application

Although we will never attain the same position as Jesus (i.e. we will never be God), we who have accepted Christ as Savior have had His righteousness bestowed upon us and we have been adopted into the same family. And, if we are faithful and diligent in our efforts for Him during this life, we may someday hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Is that what you want to hear from your Heavenly Father? I know I do!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:21 – Eternal Hope

Posted on by Will

who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Truth to Learn

It is through Christ that we believe unto salvation, and our hope for eternity rests with God and God alone.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “through” is dia which can refer to motion “through” something or it can refer to instrumentality. In this case it is the latter.

The word “believe” is from the Greek pisteuō, which means “to have faith in” or “to believe in.”

“Raised” is translated from egeirō, which means “to rouse from sleep.”  It also implies the idea of rising up from the posture of sleep. Hence, it is also used of raising someone from death.

The word translated “glory” is doxa. The root of this word is the word dokeō, which means “to think or suppose.” Hence, the word doxa principally refers to thought or opinion, especially favorable opinion. By extension it also means praise, honor, or splendor.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse must be connected with the previous verse to make complete sense. Together these two verses read:

He indeed was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times because of you  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Now we can clearly see that the “who” that begins the current verse refers to “you” which ended the last verse. In other words, those of us to whom Christ was manifest (made known) in these last days are saved through believing in Him. Throughout time, faith has been the key to being declared righteous by God. In Noah’s case it was belief that God was going to bring a flood. In Abraham’s case it was believing God’s promise that his descendents would be as innumerable as the stars in the sky. In the case of the Old Testament Jews, it was the belief that the Messiah was coming. In our case it is the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that his sacrificial death on the cross paid the ransom for our sins.

It is through Christ that we believe in God because Jesus Christ in his incarnation showed God the Father to us. And, it is God the father who raised Christ from the dead to prove Christ’s deity. Also, it is God the Father who placed Christ at his own right hand and returned to Him the glory He had in eternity past. Therefore, it is through Christ, and in God the Father, that our saving faith and hope for eternity rests.

Peter makes it very clear in this verse that our hope for eternity is in God. This is clearly contrary to the belief of some that our hope for eternity is in the good works that we perform while we are here in this life.

 

Application

If you believe that it is your actions or good deeds that ensure your place in heaven, then Peter says you are wrong. He declares to us here that our faith is in Him (through Christ) and that our hope is in Him as well. Our hope is in God the Father, not in our own deeds. Think about that!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved