Peter writes these words after witnessing the resurrection of Jesus: His divine power has given us everything for life…” (2Peter 1:3) I know. There are those who read this verse and immediately think, everything? There are some things I could use. Maybe it is only a few things. Perhaps it is something. It is hard for us to think we have been given everything. There is a part of us who wants more. Or, there is dimension in our life where we have lost a loved one and find it difficult to consider we still have everything.
But before we walk away from this verse and dismiss it—start with the picture of Peter and John running to the tomb. The empty tomb is not about nothing. It is for us about everything. The source of God giving us everything for life is recognized in the resurrection.
Granted, death is tough to deal with at any stage or age of life. Death seems to win in the end. And we seem to lose. We are at a loss until God enters this painful side of life. It is here in the depths of our sorrow “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?” You know this psalm. Hold on to the response of the psalmist cry. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121: 1-2) We find everything as we start with heaven.
The psalmist knows well the God of creation. Add to that, we know the God who lifted Jesus to the throne of heaven. As a result, I believe we have everything for life because we now have everything for life in Christ, here on earth as in heaven. The loss is healed.
This belief, or understanding, of having everything for life, requires faith. Many people struggle with faith. Ours is a day and age where agnostics seem to be on the rise. An agnostic (a-gnosis) simply admits he or she doesn’t know. This not-knowing leaves open not just questions, but doubt, despair, and dread as a result of not being able to hold faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Faith, as you know, is the foundation for hope, joy, peace, love and so much more that embraces the reality of “everything for life” with God.
Life with God shapes and forms our spiritual, inner being. It is considered by the Greek philosophers to be zoe life which is an unlimited, immortal, eternal life that is never ending. The opposite is bios life which is a mortal, physical, limited life and finds it difficult to accept or receive everything for life with God.
This verse “everything for life” is not simply a wonderful text in the Bible but it is for us a living word informing our way of life. When we hear the Bible speaking to life here on earth,it especially includes those who in dire poverty, those engaged in war or held captive. God invites us all to “walk by faith” (2 Cor. 5:7) as spiritual beings who have everything for life with God.