Start the new year with some encouragements from 2 Peter 1.3-4
Villette is Charlotte Bronte’s classic 19th-century novel.
In the story the heroine Lucy Snow gets a position as a teacher on the Continent. As a despised Protestant in a Catholic land she is given a hard time by the principal of the school where she is working. But one of the senior teachers, Monsieur Paul, takes an interest in her and they fall in love. They decide to marry. But Monsieur Paul must first fulfil a duty, some work which will take him overseas for two years. He manages to set Lucy up in her own little school to alleviate her difficulties but solemnly promises on his honour that he will return to make her his bride.
Communication between the two is not easy. But Lucy treasures her fiancé’s promise and hangs on to it and she says that trusting his word made those years of waiting not just bearable but truly happy. Certain of his intentions, looking forward to their wedding brought great joy.
Life transforming
Promises can change your life. As long as they are honest promises for good, made by someone solid who can deliver on what they have said, promises can make all the difference.
2 Peter 1.3-4 speaks of the promises of God. Peter speaks of them having power to transform us. We have been given ‘his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires’(v.4).
Yet though God’s promises are the key to growth and joy, I find that many Christians fail to use or apply them and so miss out. Are you like that? You know them, but they don’t make really make a difference to your life?
The power of the promises
Notice two phrases in 2 Peter 1.3-4. There is God’s ‘divine power’ (v.3) which changes us so we come to participate in ‘the divine nature’. How does that happen?
Without going into detail, the mechanics, the links in the chain of transformation which Peter is describing here, go like this. We are changed by the divine power of Christ as we know him through his word/ his promises, and so we participate in the divine nature. The promises of God play a vital role. It is through the promises of God that, as we believe, we have spiritual engagement with Christ and so are transformed.
I think most Christians would accept that this is what happens when it comes to our conversion. We hear the great promises of the gospel and we are enlightened by God’s Spirit, we ‘see’ something of Christ, we believe and are changed. But what Peter is saying here is that that same mechanism of change which made you a Christian is also how you make progress as a Christian. It applies not just to initial salvation but to ongoing sanctification. In the words of the Puritans, the promises are the pathways where Christ meets the soul. ‘The promises are instrumental in the coming of Christ and the soul together’ (William Spurstowe 1605-66).
So here is a friend you are desperate to meet. You know that she walks her children to school each morning at 8.30 from Church Road. If you want to meet her it is no good waiting in the High Street. She won’t be there. But in any of the roads leading from Church Road to school you will meet her. Just so, if you would meet Jesus, linger over the promises of God.
The nature of the promises
Now when Peter refers to God’s promises in v.4 obviously he has in mind promises God makes to all Christians. What am I getting at? Well, for example, God promised Abraham that he would make his descendants into a great nation and through one of them all the world would be blessed. Similarly he promised to make David the King of Israel. Those promises are specific to Abraham and David. He doesn’t promise to make you or me the ancestor of Christ or the King of Israel. But there are many promises which are for everyone. There are gospel promises: ‘To all who received him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God’ (John 1.12). There are promises generally to all his people, for example: ‘Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength’ (Isaiah 40.30,31); ‘No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless’ (Psalm 84.11,12); ‘No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it’ (1 Corinthians 10.13). You get the idea.
Now what is the nature of those promises?
First, because they are God’s promises they are truthful, absolutely sure. Remember what Balaam said when he realised he could not persuade God to curse Israel; God is not a man, that he should lie…or change his mind’ (Numbers 23.19). Second, they are loving. They come to us out of Christ’s glory and goodness. His glory and goodness find their climax at the cross – that’s how much he loves us. And out of that loving heart these promises emerge. Third, often they are conditional. For example, it is those who hope in the LORD, who wait on the LORD who will renew their strength (Isaiah 40.31). If we don’t do that we can hardly expect the promise to be fulfilled for us. God knows we won’t be perfect, but we need to take the conditions seriously. Through the promises he is seeking to shape us in the likeness of Christ. The conditions are one way he does that.
The excellence of the promises
Notice how Peter describes them (v.4a). First, they are ‘very great’. They are far beyond anything our cynical minds could imagine. For example, one of the great promises Peter has in mind in this letter is a transformed universe where everything is put to rights (3.13). Thinking of God’s promises of eternal life Spurgeon said: ‘A fish can more easily drink the oceans dry than we can ever exhaust the love of God in heaven’.
Second, these promises are ‘precious’ and that word precious is a recurrent word in Peter’s writings (1 Peter 1.19; 2.4; 2.6; etc). The promises are precious, because Christ and his cross purchased them for us. They are precious because they are made to sinners – real sinners like us. They are precious because as we believe them they feed, sustain and build our spiritual lives in love, joy, peace and more. They are precious also because of their content; the vast blessings which they insist upon are ours or will be ours.
The use of the promises
How are we to reap the benefit? We need to say 4 simple things.
First, of course, we need to know the promises. If we don’t know them we can’t use them. That leads us back to reading our Bibles. God has many gems. But we must enter the mine.
Second, we must believe the promises. We must trust that God means what he says and rest upon his faithfulness.
Third, we must apply the promises. Recently I had an horrendous week. There were all sorts of pastoral pressures, decorators in the house and my mum in hospital and a holiday imminent which we could not cancel. But as we were feeling it we decided to take hold of God’s promise that in all things God works for our good (Romans 8.28).
Fourth, we need to pray the promises. We should set aside time to pray, beginning by thanking and worshipping him that in line with the promise we knew that ‘behind a frowning providence/he hides a smiling face’ – for our good. We applied the promise and we were given peace. ‘Lord, you have promised this – in Christ my Saviour’s name – please fulfil it in my life.’
God is able
The end of Charlotte Bronte’s Villette is ambiguous. Though Monsieur Paul sincerely promised and planned to return we don’t know if he did. Did a storm take him? But God is not subject to storms. What he promises he means and is able to deliver.
