Knowing That God Accepts Us
2 Peter 1:2-11
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
June 22, 2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes
It is a part of the human condition to feel accepted by others. We dress and talk so that other can accept us. Surely, if someone in church wears shoes that we deem ugly, we don’t say, “My, your shoes are ugly?” Of course, not we act politely so that others can accept us.
When we think of our Lord, we wonder, “Is God accepting?” Our scripture today will address this question and we’ll learn that God accepts us unconditionally, purposefully, and eternally.
I. God accepts us unexpectedly, 2 Peter 1:2-4
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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.
Consider the words in this passage:
“Godliness.” God gives us the capacity to display the virtues of God.
“Promises.” We can believe all that he has promised to us.
All this sounds fantastic and then here comes the hard word:
“Having escaped.” We’ve responded to God’s invitation and we are now a part of a new kingdom.
“Sinful desires.” We’re still in our flesh and our natural tendencies are to gravitate to the works of the flesh.
At the core of sinful desires is self-centeredness or selfishness. We feel that our wants and our needs are the most important things in life and that we are the most important individual in the world.
Selfishness manifests in many subtle and overt ways. We wonder about other’s careers and we say, “Why can’t I have what they have?”
We look at another person’s spouse and we say, “Why can’t my husband be like her husband” or “Why can’t my wife be life his wife. This is called coveting.
A quick search on the internet regarding self-centeredness tell us these are a few qualities of selfishness:
1. A tendency to dominate the conversation.
2. Lacking empathy- unable to feel the pain or challenging predicament of others.
3. To take more than what we give.
4. We want to be the center of attention.
5. We want things done our way.
6. We often blame others and rarely take responsibility.
As I read this list, I asked myself these questions:
1. Do I tend to dominate my conversation with God when I am in prayer or do I make time to listen to His voice?
2. Do I have compassion toward others who are struggling or do I just think of my own pain?
3. Do I take more than what I give to God and to others?
4. Do I want to be the center of attention and feel that my needs and wants, are first and foremost and everyone else is under me?
5. Do I want thing to be done or to go my way?
6. Do I blame others or do I take responsibility for my actions?
I was convicted by the Holy Spirit. Selfishness is huge in my life.
Yet, God accepts me. This is hard to understand. Our therapist and mentors and even preachers tell us, “Stay away from toxic people!”
What is it about God, my friends that is different? Let’s look at one of my favorite Scriptures: Isaiah 55:6-9.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We reject those who are toxic, selfish, self-centered. God gravitates to these people. His ways, thoughts, and time are different from ours. How great is our God!
You know where you are in your faith with God when the more you understand how self-centered you are the more you recognize how amazing God is.
God accepts us unexpectedly.
II. God accepts us purposefully, 2 Peter 1:5-9
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. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Here we are presented with a list of virtues and vices, the works of the Spirit and the works of the flesh.
When we come to Christ, we recognize what He has done for us and then we ask ourselves, “What is my response to Him?”
When we become a member of the family of God, Jesus begins to direct the spiritual growth traffic in our lives.
For instance, when we need self-control, God says, the doctor said you have high cholesterol, therefore You need to exercise more or eat better.
We begin to grow and develop the heart and mind of Christ. Of course, we are all different. Some of us a disciplined in Bible reading and prayer and are more logical and reasonable. Other of us are more emotional and we worship God or address God differently, out loud, weeping, for example.
This passage shares with us some important words for us to ponder and act upon:
“Faith.” This is a commitment to the God who loves us and rescues us.
“Virtue.” The excellencies or qualities of God.
“Knowledge.” This is not about facts, but it refers to our intimate relationship to our Lord.
“Self-control.” This is in reference to our impulses.
“Steadfast.” This is a military term which means enduring under hardship.
“Godliness.” This word talks about honor for the deity and also for the representatives of the deity. In that time, for example, the worshipper of Zeus was required to honor the priests as well. In our setting, we are to honor God and human beings because they were creating in the image of God.
“Brotherly affection.” This is in reference to caring for one another in the family of God. Love is a habit.
Everything in this passage points toward growth. God’s purpose is to make us like Jesus. God does not want us to remain in the same place; he wants us to change.
What changes are you willing to make in your life to reflect the mind and heart of God?