to speak this morning. So, 2 Peter chapter 1, 1 through 2, 11.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness
of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours,
grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness 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. For this very reason,
make every effort to add to your faith goodness, to goodness knowledge, to knowledge self-control,
to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness,
to brotherly kindness love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,
they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But if anyone does not have them, they are short-sighted and blind and have forgotten
that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things,
you will never fall and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Simon.
Can I pray for you nicely? And then you can adjust. I'm going to pray for Simon and for us,
and then we'll listen. Father, we thank you so much for your many good gifts to us. We thank you for
your word. We thank you for this short letter of 2 Peter, written hundreds of years ago,
but yet your word by your spirit speaking to us and to our lives today. I pray that you would
pour out your spirit upon Simon and upon us all, that we may hear you, that we may understand,
that we may apply it, and that we may become more like Christ as a result of what we do together
right now. So pour out your blessing, we ask. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
too also struggle daily with indwelling sin in our hearts? Are there times we feel like
giving up or giving in? The truth is we face these very same enemies as our first century
brothers and sisters. And we need to hear now God's word as much as they needed to hear
it then. How are we to overcome the world, reject false teaching and battle indwelling
sin? Peter reminds Christians that we have been called by God to himself and we have been given
a precious faith and precious promises. In fact he says we have been given all we need for a godly
life. To this church Peter writes introducing himself as one coming in humility but also coming
with a great authority. In verse 1 he writes Simon Peter a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ
In the very first verse Peter introduces himself as a servant and an apostle. Peter identifies
himself as a servant which shows his humility but he does not intend this humility to result
in the readers having a take it or leave it kind of attitude concerning his letter for he continues
stating that he is a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Yes he is a servant but he is a servant coming
in the authority of his master the Lord Jesus Christ. He is distinguished then from the false teachers
who come in their own authority and speak from their own sinful hearts. Peter is an apostle he is one who has been
commissioned by Christ to build Christ's church and it is in this authority given to him by Christ that
he writes this letter reminding believers of the precious gifts they have received from their loving heavenly father.
Peter first brings us back to the gospel. He reminds us of our standing before God. He tells us in verse 1 that God has given us a precious faith.
Look with me in the second half of verse 1. He writes to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ
have received a faith as precious as ours. Faith Peter tells us is a gift from God. It's something believers have received from God.
We have faith because God has given it to us. And what does this tell us then about faith? One thing it tells us is that
faith is not something we have innately within us. It's not something we have sleeping inside ourselves that we just need to wake it up and rouse it up.
But perhaps you've heard it before. People say that faith is something that we need to search for within ourselves.
If we look hard enough and we look long enough inside ourselves, we'll find it.
That's what a lot of modern popular psychology says. Have faith in yourself. Trust in yourself. You can do it.
Have you heard someone say that faith is unique to each person?
So what's true for you might not necessarily be true for me.
You have your truth. I have mine.
Many people today explain faith in this kind of way.
In a way that perhaps faith is the absence of knowledge.
If you want to have faith, you need to just empty your mind of all knowledge and understanding and take a blind leap in the dark.
But scripture rejects these false understandings of faith.
Peter shows us in verse 1 that faith does not originate within us.
Nor is faith a faith in self or even a faith in faith.
But that true saving faith has Christ as its object.
He writes,
This righteousness here is Christ's saving righteousness.
Peter says that it is through the saving righteousness of Christ in order that we might know that we did not obtain faith through our own efforts,
but through God's favor alone.
God has called us by his own glory and goodness and he has given us this special faith to believe in his son.
When our faith is placed in Christ, we are rejecting all of our own self-righteousness and leaning completely on the righteousness of Christ.
We are turning our gaze from our own sinful selves and fixing it on our righteous Savior.
And when we turn from our sins and confess them to God and ask for forgiveness,
he forgives us because Christ bore the penalty of sin on Calvary.
In salvation, Christ takes our filthy rags and clothes us with Christ's righteousness.
We who were enemies of God are made right with him.
We who were dirty are made clean.
God adopts us as his sons and his daughters through the work of Christ on our behalf.
So Christ, by his saving righteousness, has given us the gift of faith.
And this gift results in our salvation and righteousness before our holy God.
And this righteousness comes to us not by working or looking within ourselves,
but by believing in Christ alone.
Peter says our faith is precious.
What makes it precious?
Christ.
Our faith is precious because of what is fixed upon our precious Savior.
We come now to a very important question.
Who is Jesus?
It's a question we must all answer.
Peter himself was asked this once by, when Jesus asked him,
Who do you say that I am?
It's a question we must all answer.
Peter answered,
You are the Christ.
Peter believed Jesus not merely to be a moral teacher or a good man,
but God in flesh.
In verse 1, Peter describes Jesus as our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter is saying here that Jesus is God.
Only a Jesus who is fully God and fully man could have borne the wrath of God for our sins.
So everything actually stands on the question of who is Jesus.
Scripture teaches that only a faith that is Christ as its object,
that is fixed on God, our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, can save.
So friends, if your faith is not on the Christ of the Bible,
then you're not saved.
If you do not have this faith, throw yourself on the mercy of God
and ask him for faith to believe in his only Son,
who is our God and Savior.
He promises that all who call upon his name will be saved,
and he will turn no one away.
We then, who are recipients of this grace and this faith,
share in a common faith.
Peter writes that we have received a faith as precious as his.
I like how the ESV describes these few words as a faith of equal standing.
So by the righteousness of Christ, we have received a faith of equal standing.
So who do we have this faith of equal standing with?
Peter says ours, meaning himself and probably the other apostles.
So what an encouragement that we have as believers,
this common and equal faith with all other believers,
this common standing before God.
We all share in having been given this precious faith through the work of Christ.
Certain false teachers in Peter's day emphasize the necessity for believers to have a special knowledge
and special particular experiences,
and perhaps be in possession of some special gift,
which set them apart and made them better than other believers.
But this runs contrary to what Peter is saying here.
Believers have all the same kind of faith.
And we all have this equal standing.
There's no secret which we need to unlock to get to another level,
because in Christianity there are no levels.
Since we all have the same standing in Christ,
there are no divisions.
We're not divided by our race, our color, our nationality,
our gender, or even our social status.
Christians are all united in this equal faith.
So may this be an encouragement to us when we feel alone in a world that isn't our home.
When the enemy of our soul tries to undermine the faith that we've been given.
Though our faith may at times increase and decrease,
we know that our standing before God is secure because of Christ.
So let's remember, we don't have,
we stand alone, we don't stand alone,
but share in a common faith with all believers,
who have all been given this precious faith.
And God has given this faith indiscriminately to all of believers,
so that all might share equally in the precious gifts and privileges of God.
So God, having called us to himself by his glory and goodness,
and given us to us a precious faith,
does not leave us to our own devices to fend for ourselves,
but gives us precious gifts for godly living.
Look with me in verse 3, he writes,
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
God has given us everything we need for a godly life.
Outside of what he has given us, we need nothing else.
We have every spiritual provision we need to live a life pleasing to him.
And God's gifts to us then are not the kind of silly and practical gifts
that we unwrap and shrug our shoulders and toss away or else re-gift to someone else.
These are precious gifts.
And we need them.
They're necessary for living that life that's pleasing to him.
Peter tells us next that we have been given very great and precious promises.
The gifts just keep on coming.
Verse 4 says,
Through these, his glory and his goodness,
he has given us his very great and precious promises.
So why are these promises so great and precious?
These promises are precious and great because of the one making the promise.
These promises aren't the kind of promises that we too often make rashly
and realize only after that we can't actually fulfill them.
Our loving Heavenly Father, who is the maker and sustainer of all things,
is the one promising us.
And his will shall come to pass.
How then do we know of these promises?
We come to know these promises through knowledge of God.
We learn about God and his promises that are for us through his word.
God has given us his scripture, which contains all of his promises for his people.
And as we read God's word, God reveals himself to us and his will for our lives.
In verse 3, Peter writes that God has given us everything we need for a godly life
through our knowledge of him.
The knowledge of God is the means by which we receive all we need for a godly life.
A knowledge of God comes through reading the word.
It's through the text of Holy Scripture that we come to know God
and that we learn of his very great and precious promises.
The promises of God aren't found in our particular experiences
or some special new revelation only available to a select few number of Christians.
But his promises are indiscriminately given to all who trust in Christ.
And the reason that we are recipients of these promises
is not because of our faithfulness are based on something we've done,
but on something Christ has done on our behalf.
Since scripture then is the source of true knowledge of God
and it contains all of God's promises,
then there's nothing outside of scripture we need for godliness.
God's word alone is sufficient for knowing God and informing us
how we're to live lives that are pleasing to him.
The church in Peter's day was plagued with false teachers
who proclaimed false promises.
And again, it's not unlike the church today.
There are false teachers today who are popular men and women
declaring false promises based on a false knowledge of God.
They declare promises that sound great.
They sound like good things.
But they're not promises of God,
so they can only bring us spiritual ruin.
Being surrounded by a mentality of consumerism
makes it more difficult for us to grasp
the concept of the sufficiency of God's promises.
Not much is sufficient today for our desires.
We always strive for something bigger,
something better,
something new,
and more of it.
This thinking,
if we bring it into the Christian sphere,
will leave us grasping
for things that God has not promised us.
God has not promised us
in this life
that we will be physically healthy,
that we will be cured of all illness.
God has not promised us
in this life
that Christians will be financially successful
and have the most successful careers.
These are false promises,
and if we've heard people speaking
these false promises,
we've heard from false teachers.
Dr. Albert Mohler said,
the biggest problem
with this kind of theology
is not that it promises too much,
but that it promises far too little.
The gospel of Jesus Christ
offers salvation from sin,
not a platform for earthly prosperity.
So though we acknowledge
that all blessings,
both temporal and temporary,
and eternal blessings
come from God,
the promises of Scripture
are not temporary,
but they're eternal.
They're better promises.
Through our knowledge of God,
he has given us all we need.
Let's now look to the richness
of the promises of the gospel
that are ours through Christ,
in the Old Covenant.
God promised Israel
many temporary,
earthly blessings,
but he also promised
a new and better covenant.
The book of Hebrews
demonstrates the superiority
of the ministry of Christ
under the New Covenant
over that of the priests
under the Old Covenant.
The author of Hebrews
writes in chapter 8, verse 6,
But, in fact,
the ministry of Jesus
has received,
the ministry Jesus has received
is as superior to theirs,
the priests,
as the covenant
of which he is a mediator
is superior to the Old One,
since the New Covenant
is established
on better promises.
So the New Covenant
is established
on better promises.
As Christians,
we have Christ
as our mediator
on our behalf
to the Father.
Jesus is the guarantor,
the one who guarantees
these promises.
So what are these promises
that we have as believers
in the New Covenant?
God promises
in Jeremiah 31,
verses 33 to 34,
this is the covenant
I will make
with the people of Israel
after that time,
declares the Lord.
I will put my law
in their hearts,
in their minds,
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God
and they will be my people.
No longer will they
teach their neighbor
or say to one another,
Know the Lord,
because they will
all know me,
from the least of them
to the greatest,
declares the Lord,
for I will forgive
their wickedness
and will remember
their sins no more.
What precious words
to sinners' ears.
The promises of the Gospel
are precious
and very great.
God promises
that in the New Covenant,
which we are a part of,
that he will write his law
on our hearts
and on our minds.
God has worked in us,
transforming
our wicked hearts
and giving us hearts
that love him.
So that through faith
in Christ,
we can say
that we know God.
Through Christ's righteousness,
we have peace with God.
God promises,
I will forgive
their wickedness
and remember
their sins no more.
As Christians,
we can know
true forgiveness
from sins.
We have a new heart
that wants to serve
and love God.
The promises
of the Gospel
are overflowing
mercy and grace
from our loving God.
Having given us,
then,
precious faith,
and precious promises,
God also gives us
a new
and a precious identity.
God's purpose
in giving us
faith and promises
is that we would live
godly lives
which reflect Christ.
Peter writes
in verse 4,
through these,
he has given us
his very great
and precious promises
so that
through them
you may participate
in the divine nature.
God's purpose
is that we would
participate
in the divine,
partake of the divine.
Peter isn't actually
saying that we become
deified,
we don't become
little gods
or anything like that.
He's saying that
through God's promises
we become
more like Christ.
Christ.
As God works
in our hearts,
he makes us
and creates us
in such a way
that we become
more and more
like Christ,
that we live godly
and fruitful lives.
The purpose of God
calling his people
to himself
is to restore them
to the glorious image
of God
and to renew them
in holiness
and in righteousness.
God has given us
as Christians
all we need
for living godly lives
that reflect Christ.
A plant
has three basic needs.
They're water,
light
and a soil to grow in.
Think with me
for a moment
of a gardener
who carefully
places a plant
in soil
that he's prepared
that is rich
and full of nutrients.
He searches the garden
for the perfect spot
that has the optimal
amount of sunlight
and he ensures
that the plant
has an adequate
supply of water.
The gardener
has provided
for all of the plant's needs.
The plant
has everything
it needs
to grow healthy
and strong,
to bear fruit
and flowers
which please
the gardener.
the very same
is true for us.
We have everything
we need
for a godly life.
Since we share
in the riches
of Christ
we're lacking
in nothing.
Through his gift
he is reproducing
his character
in us
which is holiness.
His very same power
which accomplished
salvation
is also
at work in us
in our lives.
Since God
has given us
this new
Christ-like identity
how then are we
to live lives
that are pleasing
to him
in a corrupt
and sinful world?
Peter tells us
through trusting
in promises
in the promises
we have escaped
the corruption
of the world.
Look with me
again
at verse 4
the second half.
Here Peter
sets before us
the majesty of heaven
and contrasts it
with the lust
of the world.
Through them
you may participate
in the divine nature
having escaped
the corruption
in the world
caused by evil desires.
What then
does it mean
to escape
the corruption
in the world?
Are we to flee
from the world?
Are we to set up
special Christian communes
where we can live
in a kind of
sinless society?
Is that what
we're supposed to do?
Peter doesn't advocate
that we flee the world.
We don't need
to flee the world
in escape pods
or set up communes
because we've been
equipped with
everything we need
to live in this world.
Christ prayed
to the Father
for us
in John 17-15
he prayed
my prayer
is not that you
take them
out of the world
but that you
protect them
from the evil one.
God has given us
every spiritual
provision necessary
for living
in this world.
you're not alone
at the times
you feel
under attack
from the world.
Perhaps you're
a student
and you're
the only Christian
in your class
and you're made
feel different.
Maybe you're
mocked.
Maybe at work
you're the only Christian
in your workplace
and colleagues
treat you differently.
Maybe your boss
or your manager
actually discriminates
against you
in terms of the kind
of work he gives you
or perhaps
in promotion.
Maybe you're a parent
struggling to raise
children in a God
honouring way
in a world
that's completely
hostile to everything
you're inputting
into them
and teaching them.
As Christians
we often feel
like pilgrims
in a foreign land
and it's at these times
we must look
to the promises
of God.
Peter seeks us
seeks to invite us
to God
and draw our affections
from the things
of the world
to look to the glory
and goodness
of God.
Peter's declaration
that we have escaped
the corruption
of the world
means we can stand
firm
in the face
of opposition
that comes
from the world.
Later on
in the letter
Peter writes
in chapter 3
verse 13
but in keeping
with his promise
we are looking
forward to a new
heaven
and a new earth
where righteousness
dwells.
The promise
that Christ
will return
for his people
and the establishment
of the new heavens
and the new earth
is a comfort
for weary believers.
Knowing that God
has given us
all we need
to live a godly life
means we do not
have to retreat
from the world.
During the Reformation
Martin Luther
lived in constant
fear of his life
both from the Pope
in Rome
and the authorities.
However
he acknowledged
that there was
something far
more dangerous
than his physical enemies
than the Pope
in Rome
and that was
his own heart.
As we battle
against the sin
in our hearts
we don't fight
with our own
homemade weapons.
God has armed us
with every spiritual
weapon necessary
to fight sin
in our hearts.
Is there habitual
sin in our lives?
As Christians
we are those
who have escaped
corruption.
We are no longer
slaves to sin
but slaves
to righteousness.
righteousness.
And when we do sin
scripture promises us
if we confess our sins
he is faithful and just
and will forgive us
our sins
and purify us
from all unrighteousness.
As we trust
in God's promises
our faith is nurtured
and we grow
in holiness.
This promise
of forgiveness
should spur us on
to reject sin
and the promise
of the Holy Spirit
in our lives
working in us
should cause us
to put sin to death
and strive for holiness.
God hasn't called us
to an impossible task
but has equipped us
for a life
that is pleasing to him.
We recall his promises
then when we
read his word
when we sing his word
and we speak his word
and pray it
and as we recall
God's promises
to us
we come to know him
more and more
for God's promises
show forth his glory
and his goodness.
There is nothing
outside of the promises
of scripture
which we need
for godly living.
Having glimpsed
for a moment
at the glory
and goodness
of God
what more
could we possibly need?
The hymn writer
Robert Robinson
penned the words
of the hymn
Come Thou Fount
of Every Blessing
from a heart
that was aware
of its propensity
to wander.
He was aware
of his weakness
in the face
of spiritual enemies
but his faith
was not in his own strength
but in Christ
who he had
every confidence
had delivered him
from sin
and the world
as he had promised.
He penned the words
Here I raise
my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help
I am come
and I hope
by thy good pleasure
safely
to arrive at home.
Ebenezer means
rock of health
and it's a reference
to when
the Lord delivered
Israel from their
enemies
the Philistines
as a monument
to what God
had done
and a constant
reminder to the people
Samuel set up
this Ebenezer
saying
thus far
has the Lord
helped us
thus far
has the Lord
helped us
we see
from scripture
that God
is faithful
to fulfill
his promises
his divine will
shall come to pass
so when we hear
false promises
from false teachers
who seek to rob us
of our hope
look to God's
living word
search the scriptures
that you may obtain
true knowledge
of God
which leads to
grace and peace
when you feel
overwhelmed by the world
and feel
submission or retreat
are your only options
stand firm
on the promise
that God
has given you
every provision
needed
when temptation
to sin
bubbles up inside
remember
that we are
those
who have
been delivered
from corruption
and given
new and precious
identities
which reflect
Christ
Christians
we have been
called
by God
to himself
we have been
given a precious
faith
in Christ alone
and he has equipped
us with very great
and precious promises
having called us
from the world
he has given us
a new nature
so that we can
live lives
pleasing to him
in a sinful
world
until he finally
calls us home
if you are a believer
these promises
are yours
will you trust
these promises
let us take hold
of them
and then look
to God
with expectant
eyes
dear heavenly
father
we thank you
that you are
gracious
and giving
God
Lord
your gracious
gifts
show forth
your glory
and your goodness
Lord we acknowledge
that all blessings
come from you
both the earthly
blessings we have
here
and the
wonderful
spiritual
blessings
that we have
that are eternal
Lord
thank you
Lord
for the
precious faith
that you have
given us
in Christ
Jesus
your son
who is
God
and who is
the mediator
and the
guarantor
of the
precious
promises
that you have
given us
please Lord
increase our
faith
help us to
trust in these
promises
so that
through that
you would be
working in us
creating
your image
in us
that we would
live lives
that are
pleasing to you
and reflect
your glory
reflect
Christ
in Jesus name
I pray
Amen