ICS Daily Devotions
How Do You Have Grace and Peace In Our Life
God wants us to know Him well. He wants us to be in a close covenant relationship with Him by spending quality time with Him, knowing His Word and experiencing Him as we walk with Him in faith. God is able to honour His Word which demonstrates His faithfulness to us far above any man’s commitment in an earthly covenant relationship.
People do not have a clear understanding of covenant relationships given the number of failed marriages in today’s world. We only believe when we witness something actually happening before us or we adopt a wait-and-see attitude. We have subconsciously brought these attitudes before God. We have lost faith in man’s word. We need to bring our faith back to trusting in the integrity and the promises of God based on His character.
2 Peter 1:1-2 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Apostle Peter mentioned in the above passage that grace and peace will be multiplied to us when we have the correct knowledge of God. He was dealing with the Church at a time when philosophical and intellectual Hellenistic influences were affecting the ritualistic Jews who have had rich experiences with God. The Greeks emphasized rationalism and intellectualism, thinking that believing in God and the Resurrection was foolishness. We have the same problem in our societies today between rationalism, philosophy and biblical faith in God.
We will all continue to struggle until we finally acknowledge the only way forward to walk with God is by FAITH ALONE. This is done through knowing God progressively through a close relationship (“epignosis”). Peace and grace will be multiplied to us through “epignosis” and these, together with God’s divine power will give us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness. We can be someone who is strong and stable in good and bad times.
If we have a solid foundation, we will not be affected when the storm hits because we know God and His character. In the midst of trials and tribulations, you will experience peace because you know God is for and with you. You will also experience grace in your heart as a form of strength because you know the Holy Spirit infuses it into your inner man.
Sermon Series: Knowing God
