KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
2nd Peter 1:1-3
When I was preparing the Sunday School lesson for last week, I had 2 Peter 1:3-4 as part of an answer to one of the questions. But as I looked over the whole passage I saw there was a lot there to tap into so I decided to develop it into a sermon series.
scientia potentia est is a Latin saying meaning knowledge is power. The related phrase, sapientia est potentia is translated as wisdom is power. The idea is having more knowledge, especially through formal education, will give one more control over one's future. Knowing more gives you the capability to be able to do more.
While this can be true in an academic sense, the idea that knowledge is power is also true in a spiritual sense. Having knowledge and wisdom allows us to utilize a power that we wouldn't otherwise realize or understand. Let's get into 2nd Peter and see what having spiritual knowledge can enable us to do.
1) That's good to know (1).
2nd Pet. 1:1, "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours."
Peter mentions the knowledge of God and Jesus in vss. 2 and 3 but the opportunity to have powerful knowledge starts with two things he says in vs. 1. If you're not careful, you could easily miss them-but they are so important. "Our God and Savior Jesus Christ". Peter calls Jesus God. This must be a glitch or something because he says God and Jesus after that.
Well, if Peter goofed Paul did too. Titus 2:13, "while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Doubting Thomas must have goofed too. In John 20:28 after Jesus challenged him to touch him and see that it was really him, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." Jesus didn't correct him so that means Jesus accepted the title. Jesus referred to himself as "I Am" in John 8:58, the title God used of himself when he appeared to Moses.
The angel must've goofed in Matt. 1:23 when he appeared to Joseph and quoted Isaiah 7:14 saying that the virgin would give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us. Which means Isaiah goofed when he prophesied this. No goof; truth!
This is important to know. This supports the trinity and the deity of Jesus. This helps me to be sure of Jesus' divine nature. This helps me to understand his great love for me when he left heaven to come to earth. It helps me to see that he has all knowledge and power. So, who should we go to if we want to have knowledge and power? The source of it all-Jesus. Buddha and Mohammed the never claimed to be God. Jesus is the only one to worship and serve.
The other statement Peter made in vs. 1 that's important for us to know is, "to those who have received a faith as precious as ours". What Peter means by this is that those who were not with Jesus have received a faith as precious as the faith of those who were with Jesus.
After Thomas made his declaration of faith, Jesus responded with John 20:29, "Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's us! We are of those who have not seen but yet have believed. There's a special blessing in that.
Peter spoke about this in his first letter. 1st Pet. 1:8-9, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
I wonder what it would've been like to know someone who walked with Jesus. I would want to hear all the stories and I'd be asking a million questions. I imagine the Apostles were bombarded with questions from those who never got to meet Jesus. So here and in 2nd Pet. 1:1, it's like he's saying, 'even though you didn't get to meet him and be with him like I did, your faith is as precious as mine. You are filled with the same glorious joy as I am'.
Peter describes this joy as inexpressible. This means it was indescribable, overwhelming and deep. I think one of the reasons Peter used this word is because it's amazing how the ones who never met Jesus could have as much faith and joy as the ones who did.
But that's the divine power of God. Spiritually we can know Jesus the way Peter physically knew Jesus. Granted, Peter was able to physically see Jesus perform miracles and listen to him teach and preach, but it's quite conceivable that part of the blessedness Jesus spoke about for those who believe without seeing is in giving us an extra measure of faith and joy to compensate for not having been in his presence like the disciples were.
It's easy to be jealous of the Apostles but when I hear Peter say that my faith is as precious as his then perhaps I have no reason to be envious. Remember, even though the Apostles were with Jesus for three years, they didn't really comprehend everything or put it all together until after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came.
The same Holy Spirit that enlightened the hearts and minds of the Apostles, the Spirit that caused them to understand more fully, the Spirit that solidified their faith, the Spirit that emboldened them to preach the gospel, is the same Holy Spirit that lives in those who are born again.
Therefore, since we have the same Spirit, we have the same precious faith and joy as the ones who were with Jesus. That's important to know because as we look at the faith and boldness of Peter and John, as we read about the wisdom and courage of Paul, as we study the lives of those first century patriarchs of Christianity, we know that we are of the same faith, the same joy, the same courage, the same passion, the same dedication, the same vision, the same giftedness, the same perseverance; all of that.
I wonder to what degree we're not living up to our potential in Christ because we think we could never do what those in the bible or Christian history have? Think about it-what if Priscilla and Aquila felt that because they weren't Paul they could never do anything on that level? If that were the case there might not have ever been an Apollos.
If Apollos thought because he wasn't an Apostle he couldn't go around evangelizing then there would have been a lot of people who would've missed hearing the gospel from him? What if Timothy or Titus or Barnabas or Silas thought because they weren't Paul or Peter or James or John they could never achieve anything like what those guys did?
How do we hold ourselves back because we compare ourselves to those men and women of the faith from yesteryear and say that level of faith and power doesn't exist anymore? If we have received the same precious faith as they did, if we have received the same Spirit as they did, then we have the same power, ability and opportunity as they did to accomplish everything God wants us to.
Not that God gifts every Christian like he did Peter, John and Paul, but we shouldn't shortchange ourselves either. Who are the Priscillas and Aquilas of today? Who are the Peters and Pauls of today? Who says we can't have the integrity of Joseph? Who says we can't have the courage of David? Who says we can't have the faith of Daniel? Who says we can't be like Hannah, Esther or Deborah?
They were all ordinary people equipped by an extraordinary God to do amazing things. Am I depriving myself from becoming who God wants me to be? Do I allow things to get in the way of what God has gifted me to do? Our faith is too precious to be limited.
2) Through the knowledge (2).
2nd Pet. 1:2, "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Grace and peace; yeah, I'll have me some of that. But Peter said these are mine in abundance through knowing God and Jesus. What's that mean?
What if I think I can earn God's grace? What if I think peace is the absence of conflict? Would these thoughts be accurate? No. Do these beliefs come from God? No. When I think the grace of God is given through ways that God has not ordained then my understanding is not based in my knowledge of God; it's based in something else.
Unless I decide to humble myself and change my understanding I'll continue to be misled. I'll think I can earn God's favor and do things to achieve salvation. We believe we are good people and therefore we're okay with God and at peace with him; but that's not true.
We are sinners in need of salvation. Because we are sinners we are not at peace with God. As oil and water don't mix, neither do sin and holiness. Since we're in our sin and God is in his holiness, there can be no harmony; no peace. But through Jesus I receive God's grace and then there is peace between me and God.
But if I don't come to accept that knowledge, I will continue to think, based on knowledge that did not come from God, that I'm good to go. But when we believe that it's through the sacrifice of Jesus that we receive God's grace and not of ourselves, then we will find that grace and peace.
When Jesus was making his triumphal entry, Luke 19:41 says he wept over Jerusalem. In vs. 42 he said, "if you had only known what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes". They wanted national peace but Jesus was trying to show them the way to spiritual peace.
Everyone wants peace but most are unwilling to accept that true peace comes from knowing Jesus. As the bumper sticker reads, "know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace". If I don't get this I will forever be held in bondage by my misunderstanding of what will bring me peace.
But this isn't just about our initial reception of these things. Peter mentioned having an abundance of grace and peace. This means we need to continue to grow. 2nd Pet. 3:18a, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
After we accept Christ we have that grace and peace. But, we've only just begun. We need to continue to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God. We realize our need to stay in communion with him through prayer. We realize our need to read and study his word to know more about him and understand his ways.
As we grow we gain the knowledge and understanding that we can have peace despite our circumstances. As we grow we see what is working against our peace and what we need to remove so we can become more like Christ. We realize we need to have confidence and approach God and seek and find mercy and grace when we need it.
Heb. 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." God wants us to know we need him all the time and he wants us to know that he is ready to dispense everything we need to succeed in life. This is what we gain through our knowledge of God and Jesus.
3)Divine power.
2nd Pet. 1:3, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."
There's power and then there's divine power. There's natural power like solar, wind and water. We've seen these natural powers at work and they're impressive. Solar power runs and heats homes through solar panels. Wind powers windmills and moves sailboats along. Water power is turned into electricity. Water currents were used in the logging industry to move logs down the river to specific places.
We've seen natural power in extreme ways with wind storms and flooding. If you've ever been to Niagara Falls and heard the roar of that rushing water going over the falls it's impressive. Then there is man-made power in the form of explosives and engines and turbines and such. We've seen the damage that can happen with explosives; not just in war but in demolition and implosion too. When you consider things like atom bombs, H-bombs or nuclear bombs, you're talking about something that has amazing power.
But, you bring it to a whole different level when you start talking about divine power. First of all, God's power supersedes any other power. When the wind and the waves were releasing their fury in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus rebuked them and everything quieted down. The disciples were terrified of Jesus' awesome power and asked, "who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him."
Job was a righteous man but eventually after his suffering and the rhetoric and accusations from his friends, Job gets a little big for his britches and basically demands an audience with God so he can make his defense. God decided he needed to bring Job down a notch or two.
In Job 38-41, God asked Job a series of questions to put things in perspective. He asked Job if he was there when he laid the foundations of the earth. He asked him, 'who shut up the sea behind doors and said you may come this far and no more?' He asks him if he has command over creation. He asks Job if he gives the horse his strength. He mentions the most powerful creatures and asks Job if he can control such massive beasts.
After God makes it clear that he is the one who created and controls everything, including the forces of nature and the wild beasts, Job realizes his folly and repents.
And in that whole discourse there is a lesson for us. When mankind harnesses the power of the natural world and "tames" wild animals and invents things we can get to where we think we are in control; that we have the power. We think we're so smart and powerful that we get to where we see ourselves as god.
What a foolish mistake. If you could collect every element of power generated by anything this earth has produced and then set it all off at the same time, God could dispel that power with a single word.
Peter says God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Here we see God's miraculous power both in the natural and spiritual. God is the author of life. He made man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. God is our creator and he has created what is needed to bring life.
His divine power is evident in the formation of human life. Adam and Eve came together and God worked the miracle of life in her womb and she gave birth. David talks about God knitting him together in the womb. Only God can do that. You can talk about test-tube babies and cloning sheep but only God decides if these things are successful.
God's divine power is also at work in bringing about spiritual life. God has provided everything we need in order to have spiritual life. He sent his son to die on the cross in our place. He provides the means for us to have faith and put our trust in Jesus for salvation. His divine power works in transforming us from spiritual death to spiritual life when we are baptized in Christ. God gives us everything we need to be transformed to the image of his Son Jesus through the divine power of the Holy Spirit.
Peter said we have what we need through our knowledge of God. What does that mean? We might think we can gain the things in life that matter through means other than God. I may think I have knowledge and power in and of myself so therefore I can achieve everything in life without God.
I think I can achieve godliness through principles and ideas that have not originated with God like man-made traditions or tapping into positive vibes or some other teaching. Some of these might sound good but they don't produce anything godly. I might think if I perform a set of religious practices I'll obtain godliness.
The problem with all this is that I'm not operating under the knowledge of God but simply by a supposed knowledge of God. If we want to have divine power; if we want to obtain what truly matters in life; if we want to achieve godliness then we will need to humble ourselves and seek to know the God who knows where all this can be found.
Through my desire to know the one true God, through my desire to know his ways, through my desire to understand why God's commands are not burdensome, I can be equipped to achieve a level of ability that would not be provided to me otherwise.
However, I need to remember there is an undivine power at work too. And in our natural selves we're no match for the power of satan. But with Christ we have more power than he does.
2 Cor. 10:3-5, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Paul says spiritual weapons have divine power to demolish strongholds. The word stronghold(s) is used many times in the OT. It can refer to a fortress, a refuge or a place of protection. Although the word is used many times in the OT, this is the only time it appears in the NT. In the OT it's used in a physical sense but here it's used in a spiritual sense. Since Paul is talking about a spiritual war with spiritual weapons, it makes sense that he would talk about a spiritual stronghold.
Although stronghold can refer to a place of refuge, it can also refer to a prison. Have you ever felt like Satan had you trapped in a spiritual prison with no means of escape? Synonyms for stronghold include stranglehold and vice-like grip. Have you ever felt a certain sin, character defect or negative mindset had you in a vice-like grip? You felt like these things were strangling the spiritual life right out of you. Have you been conditioned to believe there's nothing you can do about it? Not true-you have divine power to demolish these strongholds.
Paul says we demolish arguments and pretensions [boastful yet hollow claims] that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. When we gain knowledge we have the divine power to see when an argument is spiritually unfounded. That's important because a theory or argument may sound good. And if we don't know any better, we will be taken captive by them.
Col. 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
If we are thinking about something we've heard or learned we need to take it captive and turn it over to Christ to see if it's valid or not. We need to go to God and pray about it. If a principle or teaching is not something we should be entertaining the Holy Spirit will tell us.
Taking our thoughts captive means to capture them so they don't run around in our head. Those negative thoughts become ineffective. The more we know about the truth the easier it will be to recognize falsehood; no matter how well it's disguised. Having a knowledge of God will result in divine power to recognize and defeat an ungodly enemy. Knowledge is power.
