“…through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence…” – 2 Peter 1:3
In the last article, we explored how Jesus renews us by His divine power. But how does that power flow into our lives? Peter now draws our attention to a key aspect of this renewal—relationship. This article focuses on the idea that our new story comes through relationship with Jesus. To learn the default story of our lives we inverted 2 Peter 1:3-4. In this article we will focus on how the gospel transforms the first highlighted part of the inversion:
Our human power has worked in us all things pertaining to death and godlessness, through the knowledge of the world, which calls us to its own shame and brokenness. By it, we have been duped with empty and deceptive promises, so that through them we become practitioners of selfishness, enslaved by the corruption that is in the world because of desires that go against God’s design.
We Are Renewed Through Relationship
Peter continues in verse 3, “…through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence…” How does His divine power, which grants us all things pertaining to life and godliness, flow into our lives? Peter tells us that it flows through knowing Jesus.
When Peter speaks of “…the knowledge of him…”, he means more than just information about who Jesus is and what He has done. It refers to an intimate, personal relationship. In the Old Testament, when the Bible speaks of a man and woman “knowing” each other, it signifies deep relational unity. Similarly, Peter is saying that when we are united with Jesus in a relationship, His divine power flows into our lives. This begins at the moment we enter into union with Christ and continues through our ongoing communion with Him.
Access & Benefits
Think about a relationship in your life where you gain access to some benefit because of your connection to that person—whether it’s tickets, discounts, or insider knowledge. Now, imagine the access you would have if you were fully united with that person. Peter tells us that when we are united with Jesus, we gain access to all that He has.
Jesus as Mediator
This is one of the things we mean when we call Jesus our Mediator. A mediator is a go-between, a channel through which blessings flow from God to us. Just like tuning a TV to the correct channel allows you to receive the content being broadcast, Jesus is the channel through which we receive the power of God.
As Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” In other words, everything needed for life flows from Jesus to us through this relationship. By being united to Him, we partake in His glory, and our eternal destination is to share in His exalted state. Tuning our lives to Jesus means receiving nothing short of eternal glory.
Relationship With Jesus
Perhaps you’ve heard about the power of Jesus, and now you’ve learned that it comes through relationship with Him. I invite you to call upon Him. Ask Him to save you, to pour His power into your life, and to transform you. Jesus is a friend of sinners. You don’t need to fix your life to come to Him—come as you are, and He will change you from the inside out. If we stay connected in vital relationship to the world—the pattern of life contrary to God’s design—we will continue to bear the fruit of shame and brokenness. But if we become connected to Jesus, He will change our story.
For those who already know Christ, continue to pursue communion with Him. Don’t change the channel! If being united to Him brings such glorious realities, then ongoing communion with Him is the secret to enjoying life and growing in godliness.
CLICK HERE to read Our New Story, part 2
