What Do You Want — Relief or Transformation?

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: What Do You Want — Relief or Transformation? ------------------- Date: 1/16/2002
Keywords: "grace" "peace" "transformation"
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Passage: 2 Peter 1:2-7*

2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

3. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

4. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

5. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6. and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7. and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

Questions

1. It seems the world longs for peace. How about in your life? Could you use a little peace?

 

2. And what about grace? Do you understand that God longs to give you grace?

 

Practical help

This is a fantastic passage of Scripture and has a great deal of encouragement for anyone struggling with pornography. Let’s take a few studies to consider what it has for us beginning today looking at verses 2 and 3.

When we struggle, our first desire is relief. If we have become addicted to pornography or have been caught by family or friends looking at pornographic material, we predictably feel guilt and shame. This actually indicates that we have a conscience and can be helped. However, to obtain grace and peace from our guilt and shame is not the result of chanting the right words of a prayer, feeling sorry for ourselves or doing good works in the community. According to verse 2, grace and peace grow exponentially when we seek to know about God and Jesus Christ.

Although we need information which we can learn by reading books, especially the Bible, it is more than simply obtaining a head knowledge. God seeks to have our hearts as well and for us to bow before Jesus as our Lord. The good news is that when we give our lives over to Jesus Christ, we receive His divine power which is good for — what? Somethings pertaining to religious growth? No, verse 3 says "everything pertaining to life and godliness." This means if we give ourselves over to God, He promises to transform us.

Keep in mind, however, that what you know about God and Jesus must be true. You can be falsely informed and if you believe things that are untrue, it will be of no benefit to you. You must begin by accepting the Bible as authoritative. In this way you will conform you life to the Bible and not try to judge the Bible based on your limited understanding of life (remember, you are the one with the problems with pornography). A good passage to help guide you is Colossians 2:8:

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."

Grace and peace are by-products of a right understanding and right relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. As Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Jesus will not be diminished by men who place His guidance and wisdom beneath the wisdom of other men. If you do this, don’t expect life-lasting, life-changing power from God.
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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."