Virginia Brandt Berg (1898-1968)
2 Peter, the first chapter, beginning with the second verse says: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
"According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertaineth unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
"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." It's this fourth verse I particularly want to call your attention to.
The scripture says, "Ye know these things," the things we just read. But Peter says he wants to stir up, "Stir you up by putting you in remembrance" of them. This fourth verse is so familiar, but I pray you'll really be stirred by being put in remembrance of some things.
THESE EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES HAVE BEEN A THEME OF MINE THROUGH ALL THE YEARS as we have continually proven them and found them so dependable, so real. So often I have marveled at the willingness of God to back them up readily; that is, when we meet the conditions.
BUT YOU MUST MEET THE CONDITIONS! I want you to remember that though there are all these promises, yet God expects you to meet His conditions.
BUT THESE PROMISES DO WORK, BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF IS BEHIND THEM with all His Power and ability. I say ability because man isn't always able, as you know, to fulfill his promises, but God is able! I love those words, "God is able!"
GOD'S WORD SAYS THAT HE IS ABLE, AND ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT YOU ASK OR THINK! Don't every let anyone limit your faith! God stands behind that promise that you have chosen in your hour of need, and He'll not fail you!
NO WORDS ARE PUT INTO THE BIBLE ONLY FOR EFFECT. WHEN GOD SAYS, "CALL UPON ME AND I WILL ANSWER THEE," BELIEVE IT, because it is from the mouth of God Himself! The mouth of God has spoken! Today, this day, now, the very Words of God are tingling with supernatural power to be released by the touch of your faith.
HOW IS YOUR FAITH? I say, how is your faith! If you will answer one question, I can tell you how your faith is!
IF YOU HAVE BEEN READING GOD'S WORD FAITHFULLY, earnestly, daily, with an open heart and mind, if you have, your faith is strong and active.
"FOR FAITH COMETH BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD." So says the Word of God. Don't ask friends to pray that you will have faith, just get back to God's Word! Read it and read it and you'll have faith. God says so!
DID YOU EVER HAVE A FRIEND UPON WHOM YOU COULD UTTERLY DEPEND? WHO WAS ABSOLUTELY FAITHFUL to you when things were going wrong? Such friends are so few, but oh, how we value them! Someone has said,
"THERE IS A STRANGE BOND THAT LINKS A MAN TO THAT WHICH HE HAS FOUND TO BE DEPENDABLE and true. There is a tie that really binds you to the one you can depend upon in stormy weather."
JUST SO, ANYONE WHO HAS TRIED AND TRUSTED THE PROMISES IN THE BIBLE WHEN THERE WAS NO OTHER HELP, no hope, nothing to lean on in the dark hour, has found them to be utterly trustworthy, and has come through the storms with such a love for God's Word! Do you doubt about this?
IF THESE PROMISES ARE NOT WORTHY OF UNCONDITIONAL LIMITLESS TRUST, THEN THE GOSPEL OF THE LOVE AND GRACE OF GOD IS A MYTH, a fabric of untruths! But we know through experience that we can put limitless trust in every Word, rest our full weight upon them! Take God at His Word!
WHEN THE TROUBLES AND TRIALS COME, instead of letting them grow and grow like Jonah's gourd,
GET YOUR BIBLE AND FIND A PROMISE AND CLAIM IT IN JESUS' NAME, AND STEP OUT UPON IT! Here is one that is surely too big for me to comprehend, but I often claim it! "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son." -- John 14:13. And here's one even so much bigger:
"CALL UPON ME AND I WILL ANSWER THEE AND SHOW THEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS WHICH YE KNOW NOT OF." -- Jer.33:3. No wonder the Word calls these promises "exceeding great and precious!" Remember, God's Word says that they are exceeding great and precious, that they might bring you into that place.
GOD'S WORD MAKES IT VERY PLAIN, but I want to read it from His Word: "That ye might be partakers of the divine nature." -- That's why they are so very important.
ALL GOD ASKS IS SIMPLE FAITH THAT YOU TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD AND ACCEPT THEM AT THEIR FACE VALUE! You know, many modern scientific-minded people think it utterly ridiculous and impossible to take these promises literally, seriously and cash them into the Bank of Heaven and get what we ask for! In the plant of the a factory there is a sign that reads,
"ACCORDING TO RECOGNIZED AEROTECHNICAL TESTS, THE BUMBLEBEE CANNOT FLY because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to his total wing area." But the bumblebee doesn't know that, so he just goes ahead and flies and flies and flies anyhow!
SO IT IS, THAT IN SPITE OF ALL THIS PHILOSOPHICAL REASONING, there are those of trusting and child-like faith who are daily doing things that doubting intellectuals say can't be done!
THEY DARE TO TAKE THE PROMISES FROM GOD'S WORD JUST AS THEY ARE, APPROPRIATE THEM FOR THEMSELVES AND ACT UPON THEM, and they are getting the most wonderful answer to prayer, and problems solved, and needs met. You see, the bumblebee is flying nevertheless!
SO LET THE PHILOSOPHERS TANGLE THEMSELVES UP IN THE WEB OF DIFFICULTIES and intellectual doubts, trying to explain away our rights to accept these great and precious promises,
JUST THE SAME, WE'LL WALK RIGHT IN AND ENJOY THE FULL RICHES OF THEM ALL! THEY ARE THERE FOR YOU! GOD MEANS THEM PERSONALLY FOR YOU!
IT IS SO STRANGE THAT IN THIS AGE OF MYSTERIOUS, POWERFUL, INVISIBLE FORCES of atomic energy, that we should doubt the power of a Mighty God, in His supernatural workings in answer to prayer!
I HAVE JUSTIFICATION FOR SPEAKING THUS BECAUSE MY LIFE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CONSIDERATION OF THIS, and all the accumulative evidence has been that these promises are real, they are workable, they are practical!
GOD WILL NOT FAIL HIS WORD! IT'S SO BECAUSE GOD SAYS SO! God will keep His Word! And here are those precious words of a song I have sung so many times as I stood on the promises of God:
"HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, YE SAINTS OF THE LORD
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
FEAR NOT, I AM WITH THEE, OH BE NOT DISMAYED,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
AND WHEN THROUGH FIERY TRIALS THY PATHWAY SHALL LIE,
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy gold to refine!
HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE THEE, MY FRIEND.