As followers of the rise Lord Jesus Christ, we have received the “right” to be independent from fear, for through Christ, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you . . . .”  This means we have received the two most precious gifts—grace and peace BECAUSE we have been gifted “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; . . . .”  Ponder the stability that these gifts give to our daily life, the foundation they provide for us as we live. Despite what comes to us, no matter our situation in life, and regardless of what struggles we face, we are guaranteed (by the Lord Himself) to receive GRACE and PEACE because we have believed in Christ Jesus, the Son of God. We have received that which we could never afford on our own—GOD’S GRACE.

Since we have received from God that which cannot be purchased by our own merit, this gift of God brings believers GREAT PEACE, for never again does fear control or grip our lives. The PEACE of God sustains us as we navigate all life-storms.

Now, even for one who is not mathematical, the words “be multiplied to you” hold the context of multiplication, of increasing value that grows and grows. By this thinking, our peace through Jesus exponentially increases. If grace and peace were an earthly investment, we would place all our funding in this assurance, for the promises of God never fail to be true. It is a guarantee; it is multiplied BECAUSE we have received Jesus through our faith.

As we see what has been given to those who believe, we fix our eyes on the one who has paid the ultimate prize for this gift. It has been given through “His divine power [that] has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,” which does not necessarily mean worldly prosperity, but it does mean, as believers in Jesus’ finished work on the cross and in the grave, we have received EVERYTHING we will ever need.

EVERYTHING leaves nothing untouched.

• If you are walking through a tough situation, then you have received the daily, sustaining presence of Jesus there with you.
• If you are enduring a trying time, then you have gained the sustaining assurance that you do not walk alone because He will never leave you. &
• If you are struggling with anything this world has to offer, God’s Enduring Peace remains.

In the verses that follow, the apostle Peter gives readers a complete list of the godliness they have received:  diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness “through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  True knowledge does not mean that we have a casual acquaintance, like browsing through the books on the shelf at the library. No. The knowledge we have received is exact and complete.

Through this knowledge, we learn and we have community with other believers. The Word of God reminds believers that they have been “called,” meaning that we do not know God as we would know chemistry or literature. We know God through GOD HIMSELF.

• God is central and ALL that we ever need. GOD ALONE is the key to all things we have received through our faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ, through “His own glory” and His goodness to offer Himself as the perfect gift.
• God holds the entire universe in place through His Divine Power, and nothing can ever change or alter God’s domain. God’s promises are so great, so infinite, so precious—DIVINE.