1 John 4:4 - You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Romans 5:20 - The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…
Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20:28-31 - Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
“Second Peter (along with Jude) is viewed by some as the ‘dark corner’ of the New Testament. As a result, it is not often preached, studied, discussed, or quoted. The book is even neglected in scholarly circles, where critics dismiss it as a pseudonymous (forged) letter, unworthy of serious study. But the church of Jesus Christ ignores this epistle at its peril. After all, Peter wrote it to help believers face a world filled with subtle spiritual deception. Knowing that his death was imminent (1:14), the apostle wanted to remind his readers of the truths he had already taught them, so that those truths would continue to safeguard them after he was gone (v. 15). Peter also knew that the deadly threat of false teachers loomed large on the horizon; he wanted to expose the apostates in order to expel their demon doctrines from the church.” (John MacArthur, Commentary on 2 Peter and Jude, p. 1)
2 Peter 1:12 - Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.
3 truths to remember and apply diligently to grow in godliness and avoid false teaching
I. Remember You Have Received the Same Kind of Faith – vv. 1-2
v. 1 – a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ…
A. By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
2 Peter 1:1 - …To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ…
This immensely important doctrine of imputed righteousness is at the very heart of the Christian gospel. Salvation is a gift from God at all points. Both the faith to believe and the righteousness to satisfy God’s holiness come from Him. On the cross Christ bore the full wrath of God against all the sins of those who would believe (2 Cor. 5:18–19). Those sins were imputed to Christ so that God could impute to believers all the righteousness that was His. His righteousness fully covers the redeemed, as the prophet Isaiah beautifully expresses it, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isa. 61:10) (John MacArthur, p. 23)
2 Peter 2:1 - But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
B. Grace and peace multiplied in knowing God
2 Peter 1:2 - Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord…
“Therefore the knowledge is not simply intellectual (knowing things about God and Jesus), or even personal in the sense of having met someone, but knowledge that results in ethical living.” (Peter H. Davids, The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 165-166)
II. Remember You Possess All the Resources Needed for Growth in Christ – vv. 3-4
2 Peter 2:1-2 - But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned…
A. The source of your growth
v. 3 – His divine power
v. 3 – by His own glory and excellence
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
B. The extent of your provision
v. 3 – has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness
Ephesians 1:18-20 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…
C. The purpose of your resources
v. 3 – life and godliness
v. 4 – you may become partakers of the divine nature
v. 4 – having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust
D. The means for you to grow
v. 3 – through the true knowledge of Him who called us
2 Timothy 1:12 - For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
v. 4 – He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise…
John 10:28-29 - …and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Hebrews 13:5 - …I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you…
2 Corinthians 5:8 - …we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Psalm 23:6 - Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
III. Remember Your Responsibilities to Grow in Godliness – vv. 5-15
A. Apply all diligence
v. 5 – applying all diligence
v. 10 – be all the more diligent
v. 15 – I will also be diligent
B. Supply and increase the needed qualities for growth in your faith.
2 Peter 1:8 - For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C. Make certain his calling and choosing you
2 Peter 1:10-11 - Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
D. Call to mind the truth you have been taught by others.
2 Peter 1:12-15 - Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
- would you agree with me this morning that one of the greatest dangers facing any Christian, or any Christian family, or any Christian church – is the possibility of adopting some form of false teaching?...
- it might not be a pleasant thought for a beautiful fall Sunday…but is it true whether we want to face it or not?...
- Recently the Gospel Coalition published an article entitled “Transformation of a Transgender Teen”
- it began like this…Eva was in a church luncheon when she got an email from her 12-year-old daughter Grace. (Their names have been changed.) “Mom and Dad, I need to tell you I’m not actually a girl,” she read. “My pronouns are they/them.”
- Eva couldn’t breathe. She felt like she’d been punched in the gut. She hadn’t seen this coming—in fact, a few months before, Grace had shared on social media her belief that God created people male and female. Back then, Eva was sure that statement was going to earn Grace—who attended a progressive public school—some social problems. Instead, it seemed to blow over right away.
- “I would’ve gotten bullied,” said Grace, who is now 16. “Instead, they decided to reeducate me. I got invited to groups where all they wanted to talk about was the transgender stuff. Over the course of a few months, I decided I was going to be agender. And then I ended up deciding I was a boy.”
- Grace was experiencing what is often called “rapid-onset gender dysphoria,” in which friendship groups begin to experience similar gender questions at the same time. One in five Gen Z Americans now identify as LGBT+, double the number of millennials (one in 10) and quadruple the number of Gen X Americans (about one in 20).
- A surprising number of them—40 percent of Gen Z and millennials—also identify as religious. Increasingly, Christian pastors, youth pastors, and parents are fielding questions and declarations from young people examining their own gender or sexual orientation.
- I realize you might say – I would rather discuss in church about anything in the world other than topics like that…
- there is a side of me that agrees…but friends, we cannot bury our heads – individually or corporately as a church and hope discussions like this will go away…
- and this is just one of many issues swirling around our culture…so what’s a parent supposed to do, what’s a grandparent supposed to do?, what’s a school supposed to do?, what’s a church supposed to do?...
- knowing how to properly respond to what you believe may be false teaching is one of the privileges and responsibilities of every follower of Jesus Christ…
- thankfully, the Lord has not left us in the dark about how to handle such matters…
- with that in mind, let me invite you to open your Bible to the book of 2 Peter chapter 1 this morning…page 183 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- let’s back all the way up for a moment…our theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life…
- and I realize that you might say – well, you’ve painted yourself in a corner pretty quickly with that introduction this morning because I’m not seeing a lot of hope in the issue you’ve raised…
- well wait just a minute…what about verses like these…1 John 4:4 - You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- do we believe that’s true?...and if so…that should give us hope…or…Romans 5:20 - The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
- do we believe that one too – and is there additional hope in that thought?...
- so, transgender theology or not – can we still affirm one of our key verses for this entire series…Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- now this morning, we’re beginning a brand new series that will take us through the fall entitled Growing in Grace and Knowledge…it’s a verse by verse study of the book of 2 Peter…
- now you might say – that sounds pretty pleasant…well, about that…
- earlier this year – we worked our verse-by-verse through the book of 1 Peter…
- and you may recall that that book was all about suffering…because Peter was writing around the time of the persecution of the evil emperor Nero towards followers of Jesus Christ around 64 AD
- so the church wasn’t very old, and already they are being scattered because of their faith and what was amazing was that the book is filled with reasons to have hope even when times are hard…
- Bible students believe that the book of 2 Peter was written just a couple of years later…
- but what’s somewhat surprising is that the focus of this book is false teaching…
- so 2 Peter, though written by the same person and just a few years later, reads quite differently than 1 Peter…
- that’s why it’s authorship is one of the most debated of all the books of the NT…
- Bible students believe that the reasons for the difference is that Peter is likely now in prison facing pending martyrdom…
- plus, already in the church there are examples of false teaching threatening these young believers…
- so in what becomes somewhat of a last will and testament…Peter has to address this threat head on…
- now, when we say it’s surprising…that’s true in the sense that it is so different from the book of 1 Peter…
- on the other hand…it’s not surprising from the perspective of what the Lord had already warned about…in places like Paul’s parting words to the Ephesian elders…
- Acts 20:28–31 - Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
- that’s what Peter is dealing with…John MacArthur said it this way…
- Second Peter (along with Jude) is viewed by some as the “dark corner” of the New Testament. As a result, it is not often preached, studied, discussed, or quoted. The book is even neglected in scholarly circles, where critics dismiss it as a pseudonymous (forged) letter, unworthy of serious study. But the church of Jesus Christ ignores this epistle at its peril. After all, Peter wrote it to help believers face a world filled with subtle spiritual deception. Knowing that his death was imminent (1:14), the apostle wanted to remind his readers of the truths he had already taught them, so that those truths would continue to safeguard them after he was gone (v. 15). Peter also knew that the deadly threat of false teachers loomed large on the horizon; he wanted to expose the apostates in order to expel their demon doctrines from the church (John MacArthur, Commentary on 2 Peter and Jude, p. 1).
- now, I realize that you might say – oh great, we’re studying the dark corner of the NT…this is going to be so depressing…that’s not the case for all sorts of reasons…including this…false teaching doesn’t even come up until the second chapter…
- why is that?...the way this book lays out is very similar to that old illustration of how they train bank employees to recognize a counterfeit dollar bill…you’ve probably heard this…it’s by having them study genuine ones…
- full disclosure – I’ve had some bank employees tell me that never happened to them in their entire career
- but it does make an important point whether it’s true of banking or not…
- the book of 2 Peter helps us be best prepared to deal with false teaching by first reminding us (and those are key words) of the beauty and power and purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ in verses 1-15 (that’s what we’re focusing on today)…
- and the sufficiently of the Word of God in verses 16-21 (Lord willing that’s what we’ll study next week)…
- then and only then will he attack false teaching head on…but not as an end in itself…because the book will end with a rallying cry for the church as we seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…
- because if we’re tasting the delicious fruit of progressive sanctification – the natural and expected product of our salvation – then the temptation to dabble in false teaching will lose its appeal…for ourselves, and those we’re trying to impact…
- so this morning we’re looking at 2 Peter 1:1-15, and rejoining because our God has given us…You Have Everything You Need.
- read 2 Peter 1:1-15
- in order to understand the approach Peter is taking here – we should especially notice his point in verse 12…2 Peter 1:12 - Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.
- so with the time we have remaining…let’s organize these verses around that key idea of being reminded by this dear apostle facing imminent death – looking for 3 truths to remember and apply diligently to grow in godliness and avoid false teaching.
I. Remember You Have Received the Same Kind of Faith – vv. 1-2
- Peter humbles himself right out of the blocks…by referring to himself as…
- v. 1 – a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ…
- well, how and why did this rough and tumble fisherman get to the place where he would adopt the position of a bond-servant?...
- because he realized that the only way he or anyone else could have a personal relationship with a holy God is…
A. By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ
- in other words – one of the best protections against false teaching is long musings on the beauty and centrality and necessity of the gospel…
- 2 Peter 1:1 - …To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
- This immensely important doctrine of imputed righteousness is at the very heart of the Christian gospel. Salvation is a gift from God at all points. Both the faith to believe and the righteousness to satisfy God’s holiness come from Him. On the cross Christ bore the full wrath of God against all the sins of those who would believe (2 Cor. 5:18–19). Those sins were imputed to Christ so that God could impute to believers all the righteousness that was His. His righteousness fully covers the redeemed, as the prophet Isaiah beautifully expresses it, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:10) (John MacArthur, p. 23).
- the longer people like you and me reflect on the grace that was necessary to secure our salvation…from whom?...from our Lord…from our Master…the One to who we joyfully submit ourselves as bond-servants…
- the less likely we’ll be attracted to some false teaching about the nature of our gender, or the nature of our bodies, or the nature of our sexuality…that often-times is simply rebellion against His creative design…
- and please just peek over at what Peter is eventually going to say about these false teachers in chapter 2…
- 2 Peter 2:1 - But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
- either our Creator God made us male and female, or He didn’t…
- and that’s either proven…not by your feelings, or your subjective experience…but by biological and genetic reality…
- the gospel of Jesus Christ should humble us…the common belief that we all share as followers of Jesus Christ…that we desperately needed a Savior and desperately needed a Lord…and His teaching about our bodies is what we are going to seek to joyfully follow, without apology, regardless of what our world might say…
- with the apostle Paul, we would affirm Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
- Peter goes on to say that…
B. Grace and peace multiplied in knowing God
- false teaching will tear up a family…and it will tear up a church…
- but what happens to men and women who truly been impacted by the gospel…
- 2 Peter 1:2 - Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
- Commentator Peter Davids said…“Therefore the knowledge is not simply intellectual (knowing things about God and Jesus), or even personal in the sense of having met someone, but knowledge that results in ethical living.” Peter H. Davids, The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, 165-166.
- a couple of weeks ago our school had its very first football game
- a few days later our Athletic Director Josh Hill forwarded me a message he received on his IHSAA portal – because we’re part of the Indiana High School Athletic Association…and it said that an exemplary behavior report had been added to the system…my first though was – oh, oh – an example of what?...
- but it from one of the referees assigned to the game…
- it said - I had the honor of officiating Faith Christian‘s first varsity football game on Saturday night August 19. 2023. Coach Schale and his team are to be commended for showing amazing sportsmanship. All the players were very respectful and played the game the way it is intended to be. I also want to commend player number 40, his attitude was amazing, as he even asked me if I wanted him to pray for me for anything. These young men were a blessing to be around. Good luck with this season, thank you coach and staff for training and preparing these young men for real life.
- what is that?...maybe a group of student athletes who had been impacted by the gospel?...
- and as a result, were going to submit themselves to their Savior…which in that setting included…submitting themselves to the referees…
- and you might say – but that’s just a football game…maybe so, and maybe not…
- because what happens when young people like that come across false teaching?...
- the same gospel that motivated them to obey the Word of God regarding authority could very well motivate them to obey God regarding what the Word of God says about gender identity, and human sexuality, and so much more…
- let’s remind one another over and over and over about the nature of the salvation we’ve received through the powerful and life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ…
- [develop – those who have not yet trusted Christ…]
- next Peter calls us to…
II. Remember You Possess All the Resources Needed for Growth in Christ – vv. 3-4
- not only does the gospel of Jesus Christ save, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ sanctifies…
- it helps us change…to progressively become more and more like Jesus Christ…
- over time we can be made holy…re-made into His image…
- the lie of the world is…you can’t…that’s the essence of much of false teaching…
- if you just peek over at chapter 2 again…2 Peter 2:1–2 - But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
- there’s the lie…
- you can’t change…because in so doing, you would deny yourself…you would go against your feelings…and your feelings are what determine truth and reality for you…
- it’s the old Invictus poem – you’re the master of your fate, and the captain of your soul…
- now there’s no doubt that our feelings can be very powerful…
- if you talk to someone experiencing gender dysphoria, they will report overwhelming feelings and significant experiences…and we should not automatically discount all of that…
- part of Christian compassion is listening carefully to another person’s experience…
- and if a parent isn’t willing to do that, or a church isn’t willing to do that…guess who will?...the world will…
- the same is true with same sex attraction…that might not be your experience…you may have never felt that way…
- but we better to prepared to carefully listen to those who do…
- life in this broken world can be confusing and complex…
- however, the message of Scripture is that we are much more than our feelings…
- and in joyful submission to the Lord Jesus Christ – the true Master of our fate and rightful Captain of our soul…we can choose to think, and speak, and act in ways that honor His truth, and His reality…
- and Peter says – remember all the resources you possess to grow in Christ…including…
A. The source of your growth
- · v. 3 – His divine power
- · v. 3 – by His own glory and excellence
- false teaching and false teachers can’t offer any of that…
- and when a follower of Jesus Christ chooses to turn to this source of truth and enablement, delightful change can occur…
- we had a gentleman give a membership testimony not that long ago where he shared, not because he had to but because he wanted to, that he experiences same sex attraction…
- but he understands that in order to honor his Lord Jesus Christ with his heart and his body…he must not and will not act on those desires…
- it took an incredible amount of courage for him to say that…and an incredible amount of power to joyfully live that way…
- and when you stop and think about it – that’s all of our testimonies…do you do everything you feel like doing everyday?...of course not…
- you test your feelings and desires with the truth/reality of Scripture and you crucify the ones that would dishonor Him and act on the ones that will please Him…
- and each time we do that well, what’s occurring…God’s divine power…His glory and His excellence are working in and through us…
- Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
- giving in to every feeling and desire is a sign of weakness – controlling them with biblical truth is a sign of strength…God’s strength…
- Peter also speaks about…
B. The extent of your provision
v. 3 – has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness
- friend, do you believe that this morning?...that in Christ you have everything you need to live in a way that honors Him?...
- this is why Paul prayed for the Ephesians…Ephesians 1:18–20 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
- false teachers and false teaching cannot offer any of this…
- which means that gospel centered living is one of the best antidotes to the philosophies of the world there is…the response should be – who needs that when I already have everything I need in Christ?
- He also explains…
C. The purpose of your resources
- · v. 3 – life and godliness
- · v. 4 – you may become partakers of the divine nature
- this is one of the beauties of being part of a church family…
- we’re not a perfect group of people by any stretch…but there is a lot of growing taking place here…
- you can point to all sorts of examples of people who are benefitting from the resources available to them in Christ…that’s part of what helps us remember…is by seeing it worked out in a brother or sister’s heart and life who is part of our family…
- then there’s…
D. The means for you to grow
v. 3 – through the true knowledge of Him who called us
- remember that Peter is likely in prison awaiting martyrdom…
- that has a way of helping you sort out what you really you…and perhaps better stated in this case…Who you really know…
- it’s like Paul said…2 Timothy 1:12 - For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
- [develop – Stevie Fuller – riding with Wilma past a graveyard – “I’m going to go to heaven when I die] –
- another key component is how…
v. 4 – He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises
- false teaching always over-promises and under-delivers…
- has sin ever kept its promise to you?...
- but think about God’s wonderful promises…here’s a brief sampling…
- · John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
- · Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
- · John 10:28–29 - and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
- · Hebrews 13:5 - …I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you…
- · 2 Corinthians 5:8 - we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
- · Psalm 23:6 - Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- we need to remind ourselves of such wonderful promises…so whatever is offered by false teaching and false teachers just pales in comparison…
- lastly Peter says…
III. Remember Your Responsibilities to Grow in Godliness – vv. 5-15
- for those who were with us this summer, verses 5-8 will sound familiar because we worked through them word for word as part of our study on fruitful character….
- but now in their context…we have to…
A. Apply all diligence
- · v. 5 – applying all diligence
- · v. 10 – be all the more diligent
- · v. 15 – I will also be diligent
- these resources available to us have to be accessed, they have to be put to good use…
- families and churches who are going to avoid false teaching will have to work at it…be diligent about it…
B. Supply and increase the needed qualities for growth in your faith.
2 Peter 1:8 - For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- this is why we sometimes have to stand for our freedom to proclaim these truths to people in our community who voluntarily come to us and ask what God’s Word says…
- so when the City of WL attempted to pass an ordinance that would fine faith-based counselors $1000 per day if we showed minors who voluntarily came to see us what the Word of God said about human sexuality…we had to stand up and fight that…
- it’s one thing for God to give us the resources – it’s something else for us do what we have to do to ensure access to those resources for anyone who desires them…
- the bottom line is – the WL City Council was trying to promote and protect false teaching…we had no choice to enter that fray…
- that’s why we worked with our state legislators this year to pass SB 350 which prevents local government units from restricting faith-based counseling…
- a lot of good people worked on all of that – some heroically - because we want men and women, boys and girls to be fruitful in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and accept/fulfill their responsibilities to grow in godliness…
- and one of the net effects is…
C. Make certain his calling and choosing you
- the more you grow in Christ…the more you’ll possess assurance of your salvation…
- 2 Peter 1:10–11 - Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
- and I realize that in some cases, a person could say – PV, I did not learn one new truth this morning…that’s not necessarily bad…
D. Call to mind the truth you have been taught by others.
- 2 Peter 1:12–15 – Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
- so what about the young girl named Grace who told her mom she was no longer a girl and had changed her pronouns?...
- you can read their family’s entire story on the GC website
- by God’s grace…after several years of loving care by her family and her church…
- She remembers walking her neighbor’s dog, wrestling with God, near the end of her freshman year of high school. “I knew I couldn’t be a trans kid and a Christian at the same time,” she said. “I had to choose. Very begrudgingly, I told God, ‘Fine. If you made me to be a woman, whatever. Fine.’” A week later, her gender dysphoria was gone. She felt uncomfortable but immensely relieved at the same time.
- The god of grace (literally in this case)…helped her remember.
Authors
