For a society to prosper and experience stability, there must be adherence to rules or laws that form a framework and acceptable standard in which to function. This is evident in driving a vehicle. While the person can choose their destination, it behooves the driver to know the rules of the road in order to arrive safely.

God has established mandates for the Christian life. They differ from man’s rules in that we humans must depend on our own resources and abilities to fulfill the requirements of the law. However, since man possesses a sin nature, one’s choices are at times in conflict with the imposed legal standards. The same is true in the spiritual life.

Jesus, in His priestly prayer to the Father on the eve of His crucifixion, prayed for every individual who would place their faith in Christ. The next day He would be crucified and pay the debt and bear the penalty for every individual’s sin. By expressing faith in that Work on the Cross, anyone would be reconciled to God and have eternal life.

The Apostle John repeatedly stressed the fact that faith in Christ was the only requisite for salvation. The New International Version of the Scriptures renders John’s words thusly … “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36); “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24); “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40), and “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves his child as well” (1 John 5:1).

God’s provision of eternal life has implications for the present life of the Christian. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus directed His request to the Father … “My prayer is not for them [the disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21 NIV).

This request was an earthquake of spiritual proportions. From the day of Pentecost forward, every believer was to form the Body of Christ possessing the same Divine assets and provisions that God the Father had provided for the humanity of Christ in order to fulfill the Father’s plan for His life. That meant that all the resources that were needed for the humanity of Christ to accomplish His unique plan, would be available for each Christian to fulfill the plan that God had for them. Those resources would be found in the Word of God and were to be claimed by faith.

Peter described the totality of God’s provision in one statement … “His divine power has given us everything we need for life [physical life] and godliness [spiritual life] through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us 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” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).

The Apostle concluded his epistle with this challenge … “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a NIV). Such a life would present Christ as the only Savior to the unbelieving world; a life that demonstrated unconditional love and forgiveness as taught in the Word of God. It was a mandate that could only be fulfilled by being in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. That would bypass human effort … “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil 2:13 NIV).