It's on page 1223, if you're using one of the red-coloured Bibles.
2 Peter chapter 1, and the focus this morning will be from verses 5 through to 11, but we're
going to read from verse 1 through to 11.
Thank you.
2 Peter chapter 1, from verses 1 through to 11.
Let's hear God's word.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.
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, and to goodness knowledge,
and to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, and 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, well, 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.
So, Simon.
Simon.
Well, as Simon, go ahead.
Simon adjusts his, what is it?
It's not a pulpit, is it?
Pulpit.
We'll call it a pulpit.
Mobile pulpit.
For those of you who don't know, this is Simon O'Mahony, his wife, Megan, and Simon is working
for Borgash, which I always find, but in the law area.
Yeah, in the legal department.
Legal department.
So, that's what Simon does.
So, if you have any problems with your gas, you can complain to Simon, and he'll see what
he can do for you.
Simon preached last week, and we're looking forward to him speaking again today.
So, can I pray for you again?
Please, sir.
And then we'll let you speak.
Let's pray.
Father, thank you for Simon.
Thank you for Megan.
Thank you for their involvement and their life here in this church.
And we thank you for the gift that you've given to Simon.
And we pray that you would fill him with your spirit and fill us with your spirit too.
That we may hear your word, not just to understand it with our minds intellectually, but that we
would experience it and know it in our hearts so that we are changed from the inside out to live for Christ
and to follow him wholeheartedly.
And we pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thanks, Simon.
Never, never will we stop until we have wiped away this scandal from the Christian name,
released ourselves from the load of guilt under which we at present labour, and extinguished
every trace of this traffic.
These were the words of the great emancipator, William Wilberforce, as he condemned the slave
trade before the House of Commons in 1791.
Wilberforce was so passionately opposed to the slave trade that he entered into politics
and dedicated his life to campaigning against the wicked trade.
It was shortly after his death that the British Parliament would enact the Slavery Abolition
Act, which would abolish slavery in most of the British Empire.
The physical and social chains that once bound the people would be thrown off and they would
be welcomed as citizens to live out their new freedom.
Peter too is an abolitionist of sorts.
In the verses we are going to look at this morning, we will see he tells us that we have
been elected by God to salvation from slavery to sin and corruption.
He warns us of the dangers of passivity in the Christian life.
However, we can have this assurance of salvation since fruit is evidence of having been set free
from corruption.
Having this assurance then, we await the rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
In verse 5, Peter begins an exhortation for us to be fruitful in Christlike virtues.
Let's look at verse 5 down to verse 7 together.
Peter.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge,
and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness,
and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Peter said in verse 5, for this very reason make every effort.
For what reason are we to make every effort to grow in Christlike virtues?
It's important that we look at the foundation and grounds of his exhortation to us.
Peter exhorts Christians to live a fruitful life because we have been elected and called
by God's glory and goodness to faith in Christ.
Our understanding of what Peter means when he speaks of election is important
if we're to understand his exhortation to us, and also the warning which follows.
Though the doctrine of election is difficult for us to understand,
for the Christian it's a great source of comfort in knowing that we've been saved perfectly
by Christ's grace alone, completely outside of anything good we have done
or good we can do.
In election we see God's great love, goodness, and glory.
Election, we will see, is the reason for our faith.
Election is God's unconditional calling of a sinner to salvation
based only on God's own glory and goodness.
Look with me back to verse 3.
Peter writes in the second half of the verse
that God called us by his own glory and goodness.
God's calling of a sinner to salvation is not based on anything done by the sinner.
God did not call us because of anything good he saw in us,
nor was it because he saw any potential good in us.
The grounds of his saving call are his own glory and goodness.
Before our series on the Psalms, Johnny preached through Titus,
and before Titus, he preached through Deuteronomy.
A recurring theme in Deuteronomy is God's favour and faithfulness
to an unfaithful and unfavourable people.
I'll read a few verses from Deuteronomy,
chapter 7, verses 6 to 8.
If you want to keep a finger in 2 Peter, you can.
You can find it in the Church Bible on page 186.
Starting in verse 6.
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.
The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth
to be his people, his treasured possession.
The Lord did not set his affection on you
and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples,
for you were the fewest of all peoples.
But it was because the Lord loved you
and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors
that he brought you out with a mighty hand
and redeemed you from the land of slavery,
from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
So we see in verse 6 that God chose these people
out of all the people of the earth
to be his treasured possession.
God didn't choose these people based on their own prosperity as a people
or on their faithfulness to God
but chose them out of his own love and mercy.
God's choosing and electing of people today
is on the very same grounds
that he chooses and elects the people in Deuteronomy.
Election is not conditional on anything we have done or will do.
He elects us to salvation
based solely on his own love and mercy.
And it's when we come to correctly see
how undeserving we are of this mercy
that the doctrine of election brings so much comfort and joy.
So we are elected based on God's goodness and mercy
and this is accomplished then by God's divine power.
So if you look with me back to verse 3,
Peter writes,
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.
God has called us
and God's calling of us here in verse 3
is what Peter is referring to in verse 10
and we look there when he says,
Therefore my brothers,
be all the more eager
to make your calling and election sure.
Election and calling mean the same thing.
We see from verse 3
that in election God calls sinners to salvation
and equips them for godly living
by his divine power.
The source of our election is God's divine power.
We're not saved based on a decision we made
at some point in our lives.
We did not decide to be saved
and then we were elected
but we were called from a state of corruption
and saved to godliness.
We were saved by God's divine power.
And it's by this divine power
he has given us the precious gift of faith
which Peter writes in verse 1
comes through the righteousness of Christ.
This faith that we have been given
is fixed on our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This gift of faith does not originate within us
but is given to us by God.
So faith is a gift given
to all who are called by God.
Just as we read in Deuteronomy
how the undeserving Israelites
were chosen by God
and freed from slavery
to live freely as his holy people.
So too we are chosen by God
set free from the shackles of sin
and called to live a life
that's pleasing to him.
In election God calls sinners
from spiritual slavery and death
to a new life marked by holiness.
Last week we looked at how
Peter contrasted the corruption of the world
with partaking of the divine nature.
Let's look in verse 4
Peter writes
Through these
he has given us
his very great
and precious promises
so that through them
you may participate
in the divine nature
having escaped
the corruption in the world
caused by evil desires.
We have escaped corruption
and we are partakers
of the divine nature.
Participating in the divine nature
means being made more like Christ.
Our old lives were marked
by corruption
and love of sin
but we now live lives
marked by Christ likeness
and are being made more like Christ.
Our love for sin
has been replaced
with a love for Christ.
We were once slaves
but now we are set free.
And Paul writes
in 2 Corinthians 5.17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ
he is a new creation
the old has gone
and the new has come.
Christians
we are new creations
no longer slaves to sin.
We have been elected
to salvation
by the divine power of God
which is based
on his goodness
and glory
and it is to us
as new creations
that Peter charges us
in verse 5
and following
to strive for holiness.
Since we are new creations
having been elected
from corruption
to salvation
and holiness
we bear fruit
according
to our new nature.
The fruit
of our new nature
is Christ likeness.
If we are elected
and are new creations
then our faith
will be evidenced
by fruit.
Fruit
is the evidence
of our faith.
And it's on these grounds
that Peter charges us
in verse 5.
For this very reason
make every effort
to add to your faith
goodness
and to goodness
knowledge
and to knowledge
self-control
and to self-control
perseverance
and to perseverance
godliness
and to godliness
brotherly kindness
and to brotherly kindness
love.
The list that Peter
gives us
isn't a list
which we are meant
to tick the box
as we master each one.
It's not that we
first master goodness
and then we move on
to knowledge
and keep ticking
the boxes
but this is a list
of Christ-like virtues.
Since we are new creations
we are to bear
the marks
of Christ-likeness.
We are to resemble
the one
whom we are being
modeled after.
The Christian life
is a life
marked
by Christ-likeness.
Peter continues
then his exhortation
in verse 8.
So 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.
Having these
Christ-like qualities
Peter tells us
keeps us from being
unproductive
in our knowledge
of Christ.
So as we
practice these qualities
and as these qualities
are seen
in our lives
we are giving evidence
that we know Christ
in a life-transforming way.
For if we know Christ
these fruits will come
as a result
of knowing him.
Look with me now
in verse 9
his exhortation
changes to a warning
but
if anyone
does not have them
he is short-sighted
and blind
and has forgotten
that he has been
cleansed from past sins.
His warning here
is not necessarily
to the faithful
and fruitful Christian.
His warning
is to the person
who with his mouth
professes to be a Christian
but with his actions
tell a very different story.
There were false teachers
at this time
teaching that
since we are saved
by grace
the law doesn't matter
anymore.
Since Christ
died for us
and has forgiven us
of our sins
won't he keep
forgiving us
no matter how we live?
Why not just
sin a little
and then run back
for a little bit more grace
and keep doing that?
We are under grace
aren't we?
Peter describes
the person
who thinks this way
as being blind.
You would have to be
completely blind
to the grace
and goodness of God
if you think this way.
Grace is not
a license to sin.
It isn't a cheap
kind of token
that gets us
out of trouble
when we sin.
If a person thinks
that because Christ
died for them
they can go on
sinning unashamedly
then they're blind.
not only is he blind
but in verse 9
we read
he has forgotten
he has been cleansed
from past sins.
So not only
are we forgiven
of our sins
but we are cleansed
from them.
If our understanding
of salvation
is that God
merely wipes
the slate clean
and sends us off
on our own way
then we've forgotten
what salvation is.
God saves us
from slavery
to sin
to a new
and precious life
of godliness
and Christ likeness.
In salvation
God does not only
forgive us
of our sins
but he also
gives us
a new heart
that loves
to serve him
and hates sin.
Peter continues
then in verse 10
warning and exhorting
us to be eager
to make our election
sure
so that we do
not fall.
He writes
therefore my brothers
be all the more eager
to make your calling
and election sure
for if you do
these things
you will never fall.
What Peter says
at the end of verse 10
for if you do
these things
you will never fall
he's not saying
that what keeps us
from falling
is our own obedience
or our own fruit.
Remember what we said
about election.
Election is God's
unconditional calling
of a sinner
to salvation
based only on
God's own goodness
and glory.
Our election
is not conditional
on our actions.
Our good works
don't contribute
to our salvation.
What Peter is saying
is that our outward fruit
is evidence
of what God
has done internally.
Our fruit is
evidence
of our faith.
Peter's warning
again is
primarily directed
at the person
who's not bearing fruit
in his or her life.
What Peter is saying
is that the person
who's not bearing
Christ-like fruit
will fall
because they're
giving evidence
that they are not saved.
This tells us then
that there is
a true profession
of faith
and a false profession
of faith.
A true profession
of faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ
will be evidenced
by a turning away
from sin.
True faith
is not merely
a verbal expression
but is accompanied
by living
a new life
of obedience
to God.
But a false
profession
won't have that evidence.
And this is why
we are warned
in verse 10
therefore my brothers
be all the more eager
to make your calling
and election sure.
How then are we
to be assured
of our election?
Well since fruit
is the evidence
of true faith
we can look
for that fruit
in our lives.
A Christian's fruit
is evidence
of salvation.
About twice a month
I go to Dublin
for work
and it's sometimes
awkward
when the train
changes
either at Mallow
or Limerick Junction
I have to gather
all my stuff
and jump onto
the next train
and I sometimes
am left wondering
am I on the right train?
Am I going to miss
my meeting
if I end up
in Limerick?
That won't be good.
They might cut
my contract
a little bit shorter.
So when I'm sitting there
reading my book
or doing whatever
I'm doing
every so often
I'll glance up
out the window
and look for
maybe a sign
or a landmark
that I know
yeah these are familiar
I know these
I know I'm on
the right track
I know I'm on
my way to Dublin
and these landmarks
and signs
that point the way
to Dublin
that are familiar
yes this is the way
to Dublin
they serve as a comfort
to me
I say yes
okay you know
I'm on the right train
here
and these landmarks
they serve as signs
and evidence
that I'm going
the right way
and in the same sense
we can look to the fruit
in our own lives
because they serve
as landmarks
and signs
they give evidence
that we're saved
our fruit
is not what saves us
in the same way
the signs
and the landmarks
didn't get me
to Dublin
but the fruit
serves as evidence
and a signpost
of a heart
changed by God
having been given
a true faith
let us be active
then in Christ
likeness
Peter charges us
in verse 10
be all the more eager
to make your calling
and election sure
he's calling us
to look for fruit
as evidence
and he's warning us
of the dangers
of not having
that fruit
this doesn't mean
we're to wake up
every morning
questioning our salvation
not at all
nor does it mean
we must be perfect
in every way
and anytime we sin
we must question
am I saved
that's not what
Peter's saying
perfection is not
what's expected of us
for when we sin
through Christ
we have forgiveness
of sins
Peter wants us
to strive forward
to be eager
to make every effort
in pursuing
goodness
self-control
perseverance
godliness
brotherly kindness
and love
Peter's warning to us
is not meant to
turn us inward
and leave us
in a state of
questioning our salvation
every time we sin
but it's an encouragement
to pursue
that Christ likeness
in full confidence
of our standing
before God
we're not to have
a passive attitude
of thinking
we can let go
and let God
having been saved
we are to be active
in pursuing
Christ likeness
Peter urges us
to be all the more
eager
and make every effort
in order to
spur us on
living a life
pleasing to God
is not passive
but it's active
in good works
are we active
in doing good
and pursuing
Christ likeness
do we see
these virtues
being played out
in our own lives
let's take comfort
let's look back
to verse 3
his divine power
has given us
everything we need
for life
and godliness
he's given us
everything we need
to live a godly life
pleasing to him
armed with this knowledge
let's make every effort
at bearing fruit
what is at stake
if we're not bearing fruit
is not that we'll
lose our salvation
but we'll evidence
the fact
that we don't have
a true faith
in Christ
as our Lord
and Saviour
let us be active
and alert
for if these virtues
are active
in our lives
we have evidence
and assurance
of a true heart
changed by God
election
is the reason
for our faith
fruit
is the evidence
of our faith
and heaven
is the destination
of our faith
the end destination
of this Christian life
is being with Christ
forever
in heaven
we'll start again
at verse 10
and read
therefore my brothers
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
Peter motivates us
towards godliness
with the thought
of being richly received
into the eternal kingdom
as Christians
this is our final hope
this is what we strive
towards
being welcomed
by our God
and Saviour
we see
in this passage
that God
who elected us
is also the one
who will bring our faith
to completion
Peter tells us
in verse 1
that God has given us
a precious faith
in verse 2
he gives us grace
and peace
in verse 3
having called us
he gives us
everything we need
for godly living
in verse 4
he gives us
his precious promises
and in verse 11
he gives us
a rich welcome
into his eternal kingdom
God
is the giver
of faith
in verse 1
and the completer
of faith
in verse 11
it is God
who sustains us
and he receives
all the glory
the reason we receive
this rich welcome
is not because
we've earned it
but because Christ
has earned it
on our behalf
he's taken our sin
upon himself
and clothed us
in his own goodness
and righteousness
in 1820
a woman by the name
of Fanny Crosby
was born
from infancy
she was completely blind
her whole life
she devoted herself
to helping the poor
though very often
herself
she was unable
to pay her own rent
she penned
about 3 or 4 hymns
a day
and it's believed
she wrote
over 8,000 hymns
Fanny Crosby
is an example
of a woman
who lived a life
bearing much fruit
evidencing
God's work
in her heart
her full assurance
was in Christ
which inspired her
to pen the hymn
blessed assurance
having been blind
her entire life
she was once asked
if she would like
to be able to see
she answered
no
the first face
I want to gladden
my face
is that of my saviour
may we
like Miss Crosby
be spurred on
in our pursuit
of Christ likeness
as we ponder
the thought
of Christ
gladdening our face
as he richly
welcomes us
with open arms
into his eternal kingdom
let's pray
dear heavenly father
we thank you
for this wonderful
truth of election
that you love us
completely based
on your own goodness
and mercy
and not because
of anything
we have done
we thank you
that because
of the blood
of Christ
we are cleansed
from past sins
we are free
from slavery
to sin
to live
a new life
of obedience
to you
thank you Lord
for the promise
that you will
bring to completion
the work
which you started
in us
I pray you would
give us
every grace
necessary
as we live
the Christian life
Lord we long
for the day
when we will see you
and you will
richly welcome us
into your eternal kingdom
Amen
and you will
acknowledge and
all
âm