The P=V×I of Believing: How to Activate God's Power in Your Life

What if you had an instruction manual to unlock God's immeasurable power in your everyday life? Discover the often-overlooked blueprint in 2 Peter Chapter 1 that reveals what God has already given you and promises you'll never fall. That's 2 Peter Chapter 1, and tonight we're going to pick it apart verse by verse.

The Foundation: What We've Been Given

2 Peter 1, Verse 1: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

Right away, Peter tells us something amazing - we have obtained a “like precious faith.” And this word “faith” is the Greek word “pistis,” feminine noun, meaning “believing.” We have the same believing as Peter. And Peter walked on water. 

How did we get it? It’s in the verse. Through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ. We are righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And Romans 3:22 makes it super clear that we are righteous because we believe.

So, from the verse: We have the same precious believing. And we’re righteous. Next verse.

Verse 2: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord."

Grace and peace aren't just added - they're multiplied. Grace - that's God's unmerited favor. We didn't earn it through works. We can't lose it. It's God’s gift to us. Ephesians 2:8 says that the present reality is that we're saved by God's grace, and it's a gift.

But how is grace and peace multiplied? It’s in the verse: “Through the knowledge of God.” The Greek word for knowledge here is 'epignosis' - feminine noun, meaning precise, experiential knowledge. 

So, from verse 2: The more we know about God through His Word, the more His grace and peace multiply onto our lives. 

Verse 3: "According as his divine power, hath given unto us, all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him, that hath called us to glory and virtue."

“HATH given” is in the verse. That’s past tense, already done. He has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Not some things, not most things - ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.

And we receive all things that pertain to life and godliness by knowing Him. How do you know God? Through his Word. 

So, we have the same believing. We’re righteous. Because we know God, grace and peace are multiplied to us. And we have everything we need that pertains to life and godliness - through the knowledge of God through his Word. Sounds really good so far, right? It gets even better. 

Verse 4: "Whereby are given unto us (or, Through knowing God’s Word, we have been given) exceeding great and precious promises: that by these (promises in God’s Word) ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

By knowing God through His Word, we are given great and precious promises. When we know God through His Word, that knowledge becomes the channel through which we receive His exceeding great and precious promises. The promises come to us through knowing Him.

So that (what’s the purpose?) we can partake of the divine nature. The word “partakers” is koinōnos, koy-no-nos', meaning “partners.” We are partners in the divine nature of God. 

By learning the Word, getting to know God, and receiving God's promises, we actually get to share in God's own nature and characteristics. We don't become God, but we participate in His nature. When we’re born again, we receive holy spirit - God is Spirit (John 4:24, NKJV), God’s spirit, the divine nature literally lives in you. It’s God in you (Ephesians 4:6). We are to live with godliness, being imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). 

We don’t just know about God’s power, we actually share in it. We share in His nature through the precious gift of holy spirit. What a treasure that is!

2 Corinthians 4:7 says that God put His incredible power in ordinary people like us - Earthen vessels, clay pots. The power comes from Him, not from us. We're not the source, we're just the container. 

So, we have the same believing. We’re righteous. Because we know God, grace and peace are multiplied to us. And we have everything we need that pertains to life and godliness - by knowing God through his Word. And God gives us promises, so that we can be partners of His divine nature. 

The Power Formula Connection

Let me share something simple but powerful. There's a formula electricians use: P=V×I.

• P stands for Power - that's what actually makes things work (lights turn on, appliances run).

• V stands for Voltage - that's the electrical pressure available at your outlet (like 120 volts in your wall receptacle).

• I stands for Current - that's the actual flow of electricity when you flip a switch, or plug something in.

Here's the key: You can have all the voltage in the world at your electric wall outlet, but without current flowing, nothing happens, no power. The voltage is always there, waiting. But power only manifests when current flows.

This is exactly how God's power works in our lives. God's power (V, voltage) is always available - it never decreases, never fails. But it only manifests (P) as power in our lives when we believe and act (I, current).

The more we get our current flowing through our believing action, the more we see His power work in our lives. 

Think about it - every outlet in your house has the same voltage available. But a nightlight uses just a little current, and puts out a little bit of light. While your air conditioner uses a lot of current. Same voltage, but a ton of current flowing, and a massive power output.

God's power is constant. Our believing is the variable (it goes up and down). When we increase our believing action, we see more of His power manifested in our lives.

2 Peter 1:5-11

Verse 5: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;"

Diligence here is the Greek word, spoudē, spoo-day’, meaning haste, all earnestness, in accomplishing or striving after something. We are to work hard at this - adding to our faith, our believing action. 

Verse 6: "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;"

We’re adding! We’re adding to our believing. 

Verse 7: "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

"Charity” - that's the Greek word “agape”, feminine noun, meaning love, brotherly love, unconditional love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. 

Notice how it builds? We just keep adding. Each quality prepares you for the next one, ending in agape love. Can’t get to glory without agape. John 17:22 says that Jesus has given us the same glory that God gave Him.

Verse 8: "For IF these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

IF these things are in you AND abound - not just present in you, but overflowing!

This is the electrical current flowing! When we work hard to develop and add these qualities to our believing action, when we add these things and they are abounding in us (faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, charity) God's power flows freely through us. And we will not be barren, but instead, we’ll be spiritually fruitful. 

Ephesians 4:13 says that when we truly know our Lord Jesus Christ, we’ll all be united like spiritually mature men and women. That’s our goal. To be spiritually mature and fully equipped. 

Verse 9: "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

Without this knowledge of the power of God, we become spiritually nearsighted. We can’t see what’s ahead. And, we forget what God has done for us in the past. And we can’t improve who we are right now, and can’t get any better than who we were in the past. 

Not accurately knowing what’s available by God through His Son, we don’t have any power in our lives.

It’s like having an entire house wired up, but no one has turned on any lights.  

Verse 10: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence (there is it again) to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

"Give diligence” - same word as verse 5. Spoudē, spoo-day’. Give diligence. Make an effort. Work hard at this. Strive. 

“Make your calling (you’ve been invited) and make your election (you have been chosen) make it sure.” Make your calling and election firm and established, to yourself and to others. You’ve been invited, and you’ve been chosen. 

And here’s God’s exceeding great and precious promise: “ye shall NEVER fall.” That's God's guarantee when we walk in His power! We shine like bright powerful lights (Phil 2:15).

Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Get it? 

Verse 11: "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

We are not going to sneak into this party! Oh, no. No fake IDs needed here! We get an abundantly ministered entrance into the kingdom. Oh, yeah! That sounds good. 

Here's What We've Learned

Let's bring this all together. We have learned that God's power isn't just something we read about in the Bible - it's working IN us right now!

Let’s remember these seven things:

1. You have the same believing as Peter - 'like precious faith' - and you're righteous right now because of what Jesus did.

2. Grace and peace multiply - not add, but multiply - through knowing God in His Word. The more you know Him, the more they increase.

3. You already have everything - God HATH given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. Past tense. Done deal.

4. You're a partner with God - partakers of His divine nature. His spirit lives in you. You're the clay pot carrying His treasure!

5. Power flows like electricity - P=V×I. God's voltage never fails. Your believing is the current. When you act on His Word, power manifests in your life.

6. Add to your believing - virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Each one builds on the next.

7. You will never fall - You'll not fail, stumble, or fall. That's God's promise when these qualities abound in you!

Here's Your Practical Challenge This Week

Look at that list in verses 5-7. Pick ONE quality to work on. Maybe I need more patience with my kids. Maybe more self-control with my words. Maybe more brotherly kindness at my work.

Here's what we can do:

• Write that quality on a card and put it where you’ll see it every day.

• Each morning, thank God in helping you develop it.

• Look for ONE opportunity each day to practice it.

• Before bed, thank God for how His power helped you grow.

Remember - we’re not trying to generate power. We’re just flipping the switch! The power is already there. Let’s start with a small current, and watch God multiply it.

Let's make our calling and election sure. Let's be people who never fall. Let's walk in the power that God has already given us!

Amen?