We definitely need the full knowledge of the One who has called us for the purpose of bringing us into His glory and virtue.

[jidong xiao]

在三节彼得不是说到认识神，也不是说到认识父、子、灵；他乃是说到充分认识那呼召我们到祂的荣耀和美德的一位。这里彼得不是说神已呼召我们上天堂，甚至不是说祂已呼召我们到救赎或圣别。在本节彼得说，神呼召我们到祂自己的荣耀和美德。我们需要对此有充分的认识。我们不可满意于肤浅的认识。我们惟有藉着经过漫长的过程，才能认识那呼召我们到祂的荣耀和美德的一位。关于这点，我们该像游客搭慢车经过美丽的乡间。这样的游客喜欢缓缓前进，以饱览风景。同样，我们需要透彻、缓缓的看一章一至四节。你也许一再匆匆读过这些经文，而没有看见甚么。所以，我们读这些经文时，需要谨慎的看其中所包括的每件事。

我们的确需要充分认识那呼召我们，目的要将我们带进祂的荣耀和美德的一位。我们若对祂有这样经历上的认识，神圣的能力就会在我们里面有效的运行。不然，神圣的能力就无法在我们里面作工。虽然这能力浩大，我们若没有履行其运行的条件，这能力就无法在我们里面作工。如我们所看过的，我们必须履行的条件，是我们必须与神的运行合作。

In verse 3 Peter does not speak of the knowledge of God nor of the knowledge of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Instead, he speaks of the full knowledge of the One who has called us to His glory and virtue. Here Peter does not say that God has called us to heaven, nor even that He has called us to redemption or sanctification. In this verse Peter says that God has called us to His own glory and virtue. We need to have the full knowledge of this. We  must not be content to know it superficially. We can know the One who has called us to His own glory and virtue only by passing through a long process. Regarding this, we should be like tourists taking a slow train ride through a beautiful countryside. Such tourists like to ride slowly in order to have a good view of the scenery. In like manner, we need to consider 1:1-4 thoroughly and slowly. You may read through these verses quickly again and again and not see anything. Therefore, as we read these verses, we need to consider carefully everything included in them.

We definitely need the full knowledge of the One who has called us for the purpose of bringing us into His glory and virtue. If we have such an experiential knowledge of Him, the divine power will operate in us effectively. Otherwise, the divine power will not be able to work in us. Even though this power is great, it will not be able to work in us if we do not fulfill the conditions for its operation. As we have seen, the condition we must fulfill is that of our cooperation with God's operation.