Room for Improvement

Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/

By Pam Iannello (my late mother)

"Room For Improvement"

What character qualities do you find most attractive in other people?  If you could be better at one thing, what would you want to improve?   Keeping that one thing in mind, how do you think you are going to be able to add it to your life?  What do people often do to "grow" intellectually, spiritually, or in some similar way?  Let's look at the first chapter of the book of 2 Peter and see if we can't find God's answers to some of these questions.

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

I like how Peter introduces himself to us in this verse.  He calls himself a servant AND an apostle.  As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Peter claims authority to be heard in the name of the Lord.  That means we need to listen to what he is going to say. And as a servant, Peter exposes his humble attitude and his total dependency upon the Lord.  Is that how you would describe your relationship with the Father today, dear lady?  Are you His humble servant, completely trusting in Him for all things that pertain to life and godliness?  Have you placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior?  Or is there room for improvement?  The audience to whom Peter is addressing is referred to as - “to them that have obtained like precious faith with us”.  Christians are those who have been saved only by the grace of God; salvation is not obtained by our own initiative or works.  The Christian life begins with faith, and upon this faith in Christ are we to build and add the proper character qualities to our lives. When we trust Christ as Savior, HIS righteousness becomes OUR righteousness.  And along with the righteousness that has been made available to God's children, two other qualities can be added to our lives as seen below…

2 Peter 1:2 (KJV)

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

Ladies, the Bible says God's grace and peace are multiplied toward us as we walk with God and trust His promises!  Grace is channeled to us through Christ.  We do not deserve it, yet God has given us what we do not deserve in His great mercy and love for us.  And the result of that loving experience in our lives is peace -   peace with God, and the peace of God.  Scripture describes this as a peace that passes all human understanding. Over and over again this grace and peace is multiplied unto us throughout our lifetime!  Multiplication is an ongoing process, and these attributes are multiplied unto us “through the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord.”  So, as believers, we must actively participate in learning the truth!  We should take steps to learn all about the power of God in order that we might grow and add to our lives the things that are pleasing to the Lord…

2 Peter 1:3 (KJV)

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Ladies, it is God's power and God's power alone that permits us to add godliness to our lives.  There is not some other secret way, no other method whereby we can grow.  It is only as the Bible says, “through the knowledge of Him”.  How equipped do you feel for life and godliness today?  Are you resting in God's power or some other power, perhaps your own? This is how we are to become partakers of His divine nature and sever our ties with lust…

2 Peter 1:4 (KJV)

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

I hope every one of you today have come to a place in your lives where you have realized God's promises for what they are - exceeding great and precious!  And they are available to one and all. When you have actively and faithfully applied God's promises to your life, you will come to understand just how truly great they are and they will become more precious to you! They are precious because through them we escape corruption; through them we lose interest in the garbage of this world.  Our growing knowledge of God stirs in our hearts a hunger for righteousness and more righteousness, that our lives might have His blessing upon them.  When we taste of God's grace and peace, we want a steady diet of it, for it is truly addicting!  We want it multiplied unto us over and over again, and it is - but only through those exceeding great and precious promises.... 

I hope you are resting in them today dear lady, for they are promises of His performance in us, for us, and through us.  Are you persuaded that God will do what He says?  If indeed you are resting in Him today, you've fully embraced God's exceeding great and precious promises!  But if you are not resting in Him, you are not persuaded of His ability to do what He promised, and you will divide your grace and peace right down to the smallest of proportions until it no longer exists!  Yes, the Christian life begins with faith, but that faith must lead to spiritual growth, and multiplication of grace and peace in our lives, amen? 

Romans 4:21, "And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was 

able also to perform."   

2 Tim. 1:12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."   

Hebrews 11:13, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."  

I don't know about you ladies, but if I could be better at one thing, I would

like to improve at resting in the promises of God, amen?

God Bless,
Pam

Isaiah 60:1&2

Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello