God gives us all kinds of people in our lives and wants us to reach unity in the faith and one another. It’s about getting to know Him better, so we can get to know others better. Let’s jump in and find out more!
Show Notes:
- Find Jennifer Ervig: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
- Book: Help! I’m Saved
- Who Is Jesus? Let us introduce you!
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Transcription:
Guest Host: Jennifer Ervig
Here we are, episode three of this week’s series on the Bible for Busy People. And I’m Jen. You know I love dumb humor. Though I’ve never watched this particular movie, maybe you’ve seen “Stepbrothers” with Will Ferrell. There’s a popular meme and gif from that movie that I just adore. It’s that one. Maybe you know it, Did we just become best friends? It comes from a scene where the two stepbrothers, who up to this point couldn’t stand each other, answer a question with the same answer simultaneously. They’re so in awe of their unity, they proclaim, “Did we just become best friends?” Then again in unity, Yep! And off they go to practice karate in the garage. Imagine being so unified with Christ that you answer the questions of life simultaneously with the same answer. Obviously nothing to do with John Stamos. If you know, remember 2 Peter 1:3.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to…
We gain power through knowing him, the power of God, which is the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in us who have answered his call and has made everything available to us that we could ever possibly need to live a God life here and forever. We saw that come to fruition in yesterday’s episode as Peter got some serious Holy Spirit chutzpah that he lacked before. Peter assures us we lack nothing, nothing that we need. Through the knowledge of him. We lack nothing as we become intimately acquainted with him, as we become best friends. The next verse shows us how to be successful in knowing him and building that friendship. Verse five says,
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness, and to goodness knowledge and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness and to godliness, mutual affection, and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities and increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful. That means these things keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the full knowledge of him or in getting to know him. These things keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge that gives you everything you need to live godly lives.
Let’s visit another piece of scripture that fits so well with this. It’s Ephesians 4:13 says,
God gives us people to equip us and encourage us.
That’s why I’m here today and why Erica does this podcast. God gives us these people until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. So here again, it’s about getting to know him. And we become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, the whole measure, meaning having everything He offers us through knowing him and having his promises.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Our knowledge gives us ability. What’s another word for ability? Power. So we’re not tossed back and forth by the waves. If we have Holy Spirit power or ability, nothing can push us around, not even the waves. Our knowledge of him becoming personally acquainted with him, knowing how he moves, what he says, becoming best friends, gives us power and ability to withstand the world. The corruption in the world that acts as waves tossing us back and forth with false teaching and sinful desire. So be encouraged. You can get to know Jesus by inviting him to spend time with you as you practice karate in the garage, or bake cookies in the kitchen, or whatever it is you love to do. And during that time, add goodness to your faith and knowledge to your goodness, and self-control to your knowledge, as well as godliness, perseverance, mutual affection and love. I mean, how can you not when you’re becoming best friends with Jesus?
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