All the Power You Need

When a tornado ripped through my university in February 2008, my Honda Accord lay in the path of destruction. But I received on loan a spare pickup truck, donated by a generous local family. I was tickled to get the keys to that rugged Z-71, but soon learned why it had been the family's "spare." The truck had a faulty battery that failed to start 75% of the time. Everything else about the truck was great, but it lacked the power to get started and keep moving.

Peter knows that we all have the same experience as we pursue godliness. As he writes this letter, Peter can remember telling Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death," only to find himself weeping bitter tears hours later for denying Jesus three times  (Luke 22:33, 62). Peter learned by painful experience that the spirit may be willing, but the flesh is so weak (Matt 26:41). Despite our heroic intentions, we all sputter and stall out eventually; we lack the power to keep going.

I am not sure why that truck's owners did not simply replace the failed battery, but they did the next best thing: they stored a portable battery booster pack under the seat. Whenever the truck died, I popped the hood, hauled out the pack, and hooked it up. Fresh life flowed into the battery, the engine roared, and I was on my way. It was a gracious provision for a stranded driver. That's the kind of provision that Peter says Jesus has made for each of us: "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (1:3)." This is one of the Bible's most precious promises!

Like Peter, whenever we pursue godliness in our own power, we soon learn how weak, empty, and unstable we are. We need to rely on something much stronger than our own pitiful resources! So the same Savior who called us to godliness has also made a gracious provision for godliness. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus has supplied us with his own, divine power: power to resist our sin, to run toward holiness, and to remain on the road of discipleship when we feel like quitting.

This truth is wonderfully encouraging! Relying on the Lord's power, we really can do anything he calls us to do! We can respond to any adverse situation in a godly way. We can glorify him in every season of our lives. I can fight old patterns of sin. I can strain after higher spiritual goals. My Christian discipleship is not limited by my personality, my family background, past failures, work environment, or anything else. If Jesus has given me all things pertaining to life and godliness, I can do all that he wants me to do.

Of course, this verse is also terribly challenging! It removes all my excuses for my sin and spiritual laziness! I can't blame my lack of growth on my circumstances anymore. I can no longer accept mediocre, no-effort, discipleship. I am responsible for using the Lord's gracious provision for life and godliness.

Finally, this verse is beautifully humbling. I envisioned myself jumping in that truck and roaring down the road like some rugged Marlboro man. Instead, I had to pop the hood and jump off my truck in every parking lot in Jackson, Tennessee. I still got down the road, but only by relying on my little battery pack. Humbling! That seems to be Jesus' idea for us, too: apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Have you learned this?

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church