God has given us everything we will ever need already?
In his second letter, Peter, the apostle Christ commanded to feed His sheep, made sure to let the bearers of faith in Christ know that they have everything they could possibly need in life.
2 Peter 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."
☞ It's a hard verse to look at with the natural eyes. Not many believers would agree that they have everything they need to live, and to do so in a godly manner. So, is what Peter said true?
Let’s start with the foundations…
It's a "technically, yes, but experientially, it may not seem like it" sort of verse.
— Why didn't Peter just say that? —
☞ He did, and here's how. By tagging on the phrase, "through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness," Peter is alluding to the reality that the “everything” isn’t automatically experienced, even though it has already been given. Rather, it is experienced “through” our knowledge of God who called us.
☞ To dissect that, let’s navigate 2 Peter 1 a little. At this point, I encourage you to grab (or pull up) your Bible and follow along. In verses 5 to 7, Peter goes on to mention virtues that the believer should “make every effort” to develop, in addition to unswerving faith in Christ.
goodness~knowledge~self-control~perseverance~godliness~brotherly kindness~love
In laying emphasis on the value of these virtues, he says in verse 8,
2 Peter 1:8 “ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— What does this have to do with the “everything I need” that I’m supposed to have, but don’t seem to?—
☞ To answer that question, we have to make the connection between verse 3 and verse 8. Peter tells us in verse 3 that we have everything...through our knowledge of Him who called us, and in verse 5-8, he mentions qualities that will increase our effectiveness and productivity in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.
☞ By making every effort to "possess these qualities in increasing measure," of course, through the help of the Holy Spirit, we will grow in our knowledge of Christ. The more we know Him, the more we grow in our faith and trust in Him. This will in turn enable us to take hold of God's very great and precious promises (verse 4) in which are contained everything we need for life and godliness.
One more thing
☞ Note verse 9 of this same chapter. "Whoever does not have [these qualities] is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." In the absence of a pursuit of these qualities, condemnation is bred in our hearts. The one who feels condemned may not be confident to take hold of God's promises, but rather, may feel excluded from them. Such a person - although having been blessed with everything needed for life and godliness - cannot avail themselves of all that God has so graciously provided.