Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek
29 November 2025
Reading From II Peter 1
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
—II Peter 1:3-4
Salvation, our deliverance from sin, means so much more than forgiveness. Forgiveness happens at the new birth, but remember, there are two other components to our salvation: sanctification and glorification. Please do not misunderstand me, forgiveness is one of the greatest treasures provided by the Father through the atoning sacrifice of the Son, but forgiveness is not where our journey ends. It is the will of God to restore His sons and daughters to the quality of relationship enjoyed by Adam and Eve before their fall and see us progress further into our election and calling as we discover and live the eternal destiny He desires for us. We are to be transformed from glory to glory as we are conformed back into the image of Christ Jesus. II Peter chapter one reveals the tools and experiences we need to continue on this transformative journey of sanctification.
Sanctification is the process of salvation by which we are made holy and more like Jesus in ever increasing measure. Sometimes for us it is two steps forward, one step back, but we are encouraged to press on toward the goal, which is perfect unity with God and with one another. Perfect unity with God, who is Love, means that we will experience love to fullest, glorious degree. This oneness with God is the essence of what it means to be partakers of His divine nature. Life in our present reality is a training ground for what is to come. We are called to reign and judge with Jesus forever. We begin to learn about what that means in the here and now. To know Him is to love Him and He has called us to share in His glory and excellence. He calls us to so much more than we have now.
It is through the promises of God found in His Word the Bible that we know Christ, experience the power of His resurrection, and begin to grow into our identity, community and destiny in Him. II Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” This is why it is so vital for our spiritual life, wellbeing and growth to know that Word of God. The spiritual truths contained therein are revealed to us by His Holy Spirit who lives within us as Jesus told us in John 16:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
The Father not only calls us to something greater, He gives us what is necessary to walk into our eternal potential in Him. He blesses us with experiences and tools for spiritual life, wellness and growth. It is not enough to be born again, we must grow in God. We do this by following the path laid out through the Apostle Peter. “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”[1] As we walk with Jesus through life, we unpack each of these spiritual supplements and experience more and more of the goodness of God’s grace.
Grace is not only God’s undeserved favor for forgiveness, it is also the supernatural ability He blesses us with to accomplish what we cannot do on our own. We cannot give ourselves spiritual life, we cannot make ourselves holy, we cannot become more like Jesus without the grace of God continually at work in our lives. The Greek word for grace in the New Testament is “charis” which Strong’s Concordance defines as, “the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life.” He is at work in us and through us; in Him we live and move and have our being.[2]
Ephesians 2:8-10 shows us that, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We cannot earn favor or position with Him. There is a difference between earning and effort. Effort is good, fruitful, and has eternal significance if the effort is the power of God working through us. He blesses us with grace upon grace to see His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven and continue in the faith to our destiny. We must allow God to transform us from the inside out as conduits of His grace.
By grace through faith we partner with Him to become virtuous, deepen our knowledge of Christ and His Word, allow the Spirit to teach us to control ourselves with balance and moderation, become more and more godly, and to experience and share the love of God. This progression continues to build upon itself until our salvation is made complete in the Presence of the Almighty on the Last Day. “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.”[3]
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the wondrous inheritance we, your adopted and sealed sons and daughters, have been blessed with through the life, death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus. Help us to grow in You. Strengthen and expand our faith. Broaden our spiritual horizons to take in the glorious identity, community, and destiny we have in You. May we be careful to give You all the praise and all the glory. In the strong and mighty Name of Jesus Christ I pray these things, Amen.”
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
—II Peter 1:16-21
[1] II Peter 1:5-7
[2] Acts 17:28
[3] II Peter 1:10-12
Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God 
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