Daily Bread 8/16/2023

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    Daily Bread – August 23, 2023 (The Fourth Day – Genesis 1:14-19) 2 Peter 1:5 – And this is it also: bringing in all diligence, you supply in the faith virtue; and with the virtue, the knowledge. The Diligent Activity Of Faith A.T. Robertson says that this phrase “kai auto touto de” means, “Yes, and for this very cause.” However, being as literal as possible, the phrase is “And this is it also.” Either way, the practical application of obedience is being highlighted by Peter. The divine nature has empowered men and women with the nature of Jesus so we can behave ourselves accordingly. The message Peter is bringing is one of coming to a correct knowledge and spiritual maturity. If obedience is not the result of our encounter with the Divine Power, then we have failed to understand why Christ Jesus died and rose again. The Greek word translated “diligence” is ‘spoude’ and denotes urgency. This word may also be rendered “haste”, and together with ‘pasan’ the urgency is even more resounding: “all haste”. The Greek phrase “en te pistei” is found 4 times in the New Testament. As such, it is in the dative form and translated “in the faith” in every case except 2 Peter 1:5 in the Authorized Version, (1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Titus 1:13; 2 Peter 1:5). This phrase “en te pistei” (“in the faith” or “by the faith”), takes the activity described in this verse of Scripture way beyond both the Law and human discipline. “In the faith” is not to be understood as “in religion” or some other concept of religious conviction. Faith is much more than these things. It is the activity of the supernatural and divine working of God’s grace. Faith is how God created everything. It is how the mouths of lions were shut and how the violence of fire was quenched (Hebrews 11). Faith is how every miracle that Jesus worked by the Spirit took place (Acts 3:16; Galatians 3:5). Faith is always equated to the miracles Jesus did throughout the Gospels (Matthew 8:10-26, 9:2,22-29, 14:31, 15:28, 17:20, 21:21; and Mark 11:22; Luke 17:5,19, 18:42). The miracles which were done by those who believed on Jesus were done by the activity of faith (Acts 3:16, 6:8, 14:9; Galatians 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; James 5:15; Jude 20-21). These attributes of God’s nature and God’s people are to be supplied by faith – not by human discipline. Therefore virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love will be supplied through the faith realm. Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen