It's all very good to believe what Peter says about "receiving" and believing the "exceedingly great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4), but what are the "promises" themselves? They must be understood and "received" into the heart; then they go to work and deliver the most sinful, polluted, selfish worldly heart so that we become actual "partakers of the divine nature."
Well, let's start with John 3:16: BELIEVE, appreciate, comprehend, the love that the Father gave in giving Christ to us forever. "Whosoever believes in Him" will not commit spiritual and material suicide (that word "perish" is in the middle voice of the Greek verb! I am indebted to a dear friend for this insight that somehow escaped me for all these many years). New Covenant!
Then look at the seven grand promises God made to Abraham under the New Covenant (Gen. 12:2, 3). You are his child by faith (Gal. 3:9). Therefore they are all promises God makes to you. BELIEVE them. (Someone will tell you that you must work hard in order for them to come true; let subtle Old Covenant thinking become New Covenant: the love [agape] of Christ will "constrain" you to work hard with no thought of reaping your reward.)
Then take a look at the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). Jesus invites anyone in the world, even the most terrible sinner, to pray that prayer. The New Covenant goes to work because the one who will "cry out, Abba, Father!" receives "the Spirit of adoption" (Rom. 8:15). You can't pray "our Father" without your heart being melted!
Then take a look at the 23rd Psalm. Anybody in the world, even the most hardened sinner, can pray sincerely, "The Lord is my Shepherd," and his stony heart will be broken in contrition. The New Covenant Psalm "works." The word itself has power (Rom. 1:16).
Copyright © 2009 by Robert J. Wieland.
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