Everything We Need

We all know and believe salvation is a gift of grace, freely given and not based on our efforts. But, do we realize this gift involves so much more than the moment of salvation. This is a gift for life.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us “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.”(NIV)

Craig Groeschel, in his book [amazon_link id=”B008EGRETW” target=”_blank” ]Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are[/amazon_link], references this verse when he says, “A godly life doesn’t happen on our own power, but by God’s divine power. What has God’s divine power given us? Everything!”

Groeschel demonstrates the Greek means everything, but can also mean “each, every, any, all, the whole, all things…or in other words – everything!”

Yes, he gave us salvation.
Included in that are the tools we need for life.

He gave it to us before we gave Him anything.

He gave it to us so we wouldn’t have to try to create that goodness or ability in ourselves, but rather we could be weak. We could depend and rely on him to do what we cannot do. We did that for salvation, we can do that for all of life.

In fact, it is this same saving grace which trains us and equips us for life. Titus 2 :11-12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

This is how God can challenge Moses to “set my people free” when he was neither a leader or speaker.

He can build his church on the rock of Peter, who first was a denier and an ear chopper.

God knows what he has given us for life and godliness, so when he asks us to do the impossible, he wants us to trust he has already done it.

Groeschel also says, “God is never caught off guard. He does not ask people to something then realize later they were not equipped to do it.”

Today I am a public speaker. I never dreamed this would happen. I used to be so nervous in presentations, my knees were moving faster than my mouth.

God knew my weakness, but He also knew he had given me what I needed for life and godliness. So he called me to speak, teaching and preaching,  based on his equipping he had already given me.

I never would have dreamed it, but God is the one who dreams about our future more than us.

Whether it be our calling or simply living the Christian life, we can’t do it alone.

Purely on our own strength and ability we cannot live the Christian life.

As we trust and rely on him to give us what we need, the everything, the all, and the total sum; we can experience success.

And our success is not based on our own merits, it is based on God’s gift of Grace.