The letters of Peter are very powerful in defining who we are as people of faith. He gives Christians their identity, not just for those he was directly writing to, but also for us today.
At the time Peter wrote these letters, many believers were being persecuted for their faith. They fled from place to place, settling in Asia Minor—what we know today as parts of Turkey and Greece. Even though they were scattered and living in fear, they still gathered together as the church to worship God. Peter wrote to encourage them, and through his words, we too are encouraged.
We have already seen that Peter gave us several identities as the people of God. In his first letter, he called us “elect exiles.” We talked about that a couple of Sundays ago. He also described us as “living stones,” with God building His church together in this world. Each of us is a stone—but not just ordinary stones—we are living beings, and so Peter says we are living stones. At first glance that may seem contradictory, but it captures the truth of who we are in Christ.
Peter also reminded us that we are a chosen people, elected by God. He calls us royal, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession. Through all of this, Peter defines our identity as God’s people. At the core, we are children of God. That is the bottom line.
In this chapter, Peter makes an extraordinary claim. He tells us that in Jesus Christ we find everything we need for life and godliness. In verse one, he says that God has blessed us with all things we need to live in this world with godliness. It is good to know that God is good, and God is enough. He has given us Jesus Christ, who is sufficient for our faith and for our life. Through Him, we have everything we need.
But what does Peter mean by life and godliness? Life refers to all that we need in this world to live fully, while godliness refers to our walk of faith and living a godly life. Everyone in the world seeks the things of life, but not everyone seeks the things of godliness. That pursuit belongs to those who believe in God through Christ Jesus.
Peter knew from experience what it meant to struggle in faith. He was the fisherman who became a disciple, yet he denied Jesus three times. When Jesus was crucified, Peter fled like the others and was nowhere near the cross. Even after the women discovered the empty tomb and told the disciples, Peter ran to see but left confused and empty-handed. His faith was shaken. But later, the risen Jesus appeared to him, and that moment changed his life forever. From then on, Peter was transformed, fully committed to spreading the gospel—even to the point of giving his life as a martyr under the Roman emperor.
That is why Peter can so confidently say that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He experienced it.
This truth echoes what we see in the Old Testament. In the story of Abraham and Isaac, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Abraham told Isaac as they walked up the mountain, “The Lord will provide.” And indeed, God provided a lamb as the substitute sacrifice. This foreshadowed Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice—the promised Son who gave His life on the cross for us.
God provides. He provides the resources we need at the right time. He provides life through Christ—not just eternal life after death, but a rich and full life here and now. Eternity begins the moment we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
A full life does not mean a life of wealth or material possessions. The richness Peter speaks of is the richness of God’s love, mercy, kindness, and compassion. Even in persecution, sickness, grief, and trials, we can live fully if we choose to live in Christ. We can choose a frustrated, empty life—or we can choose the rich, abundant life Jesus offers.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Yet often we live as though we are dead, blind to the fullness Christ gives.
There’s a story of a man who believed he was dead. His family took him to a doctor, who tried to convince him otherwise. Finally, the doctor showed him a medical book that said, “Dead men don’t bleed.” He pricked the man’s finger, and blood came out. Instead of realizing he was alive, the man concluded, “Well, dead men do bleed!” Sometimes we are like that. Even though God has given us life in abundance, we don’t claim it. We chase after worldly things and miss the fullness of God’s love.
But God calls us to live not as empty shells but as people filled with purpose, joy, and a deeper relationship with Him. An empty life will never glorify God. A full life does.
Peter describes our faith as “precious.” Though freely given to us, it came at a great price—the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because of that, our life is meant to be filled with power, richness, and godliness. And this godliness is not about us—it is about God’s glory shining through us. Without Him, we are empty. With Him, we are full.
God’s divine power has given us everything we need—whether in school, work, marriage, singleness, crisis, old age, or even death. He is with us. That is the richness of the Christian life.
Medical science may add years to our lives, but only Jesus can give life to our years. That is the abundant life Peter proclaims.
So regardless of what we need in our life or faith, God is sufficient. He is enough. He is the provider. Through Christ, we have everything we need for life and godliness.
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