A CHANGE FOR CHRIST
2 Peter 1:3-14
GODS GRACE
V: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."
A. God has given us all we need to live a godly life.
1. The Word has
the power to change our worldly thoughts
and actions to that
which pleases
the Father.
2. God
inspired the writers of His Word to put
His scripture in print for our
education
enlightenment, comfort and hope.
a. Throughout
time God has preserved the word of truth so that it would not be
changed or
lose it's power.
b. God has
provided us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a teacher of His
Word.
B. God has given us every spiritual gift
necessary for successful living.
1. All believers
are gifted according to His grace.
C. God has given us
the power to resist temptation and the power to live a virtuous
life.
D. God called us out
of the world to give Him the glory.
V:4. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
A. The precious
promise is the salvation through our faith in Jesus.
1. Faith in Jesus
secures a home in heaven.
2. Faith in Jesus
secures eternal life.
B. There is a divine
nature and a fleshly nature.
1. Only God has a
divine nature.
2. We are
fleshly.
3. There is a
GREAT distance between the divine nature of God and our fleshly
nature.
4. God has made
it possible for us to experience His divine nature through His Son
Jesus Christ.
C. Through Jesus we
escape the corruption of the World.
1. In ourselves
we are corrupt.
a. In Jesus,
we are a new creation having the impartation of His righteousness.
b. Our
corruption is covered by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
2. Because of His
great love for us, God sent Jesus to atone for our sins.
3. Not that we
are righteous, but we have the declaration of the righteousness of
Jesus.
OUR RESPONSE AND TRANSFORMATION
V:5. "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge."
A. God is not slow in
giving us His righteousness.
1. Therefore, we
should not be slow in committing ourselves to His righteousness.
2. We should
make it our business to continue reaching toward the mark of Jesus.
B. Our faith in Jesus
grows through dedication and service.
1. God demands
that we be virtuous.
a. The word
"virtue" means excellence or praise.
b. Our
attitude and action ought to be worthy of praise.
c. The Lord
deserves our best and our praise.
C. Knowledge of
God's Word is the key to wisdom.
1. As Our knowledge
of the Lord grows, we understand our sinfulness
and our need
to be righteous.
2. In God's Word
is our direction and guidance.
3. Excellence in
the Lord, can only come through knowledge of His Word.
a. Therefore
we should study to show ourselves approved to the Lord.
V:6. "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness."
A. The Word teaches
us the meaning of temperance.
1. Temperance is
mastery over evil inclinations and appetites.
2. We must learn
to constrain our thoughts that lead to evil temptations.
3. We have the
power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptations.
4. We can control
what we do through prayer and the counsel of God's Word.
B. We have to learn
to be patience with ourselves before we can be patient
with anyone
else.
1. Patience
is the ability to endure with cheerfulness.
a. A patient
person continually waits and endures his situation with cheerfulness.
b. A patient
person, under trial continues to serve the Lord, being hopeful that
God will
work things out.
2. We must be
patient with others, because we do not always know what they are
going
through.
C. A godly person has
respect for others including his parents, friends and his
enemies.
1. A godly
person worships the Lord in all his activities regardless of his situation.
2. A godly
person speaks with grace seasoned with salt.
3. A godly
person is always truthful.
V:7. "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness charity."
A. Brotherly
kindness = philadelphia
1. We are all
part of the body of Christ.
2. We are all
family in Christ Jesus.
3. We should
always be kind to each other.
4. We should be
careful not to be harsh with each other.
B. Charity= agape=
love feast, affection, goodwill.
1. Believers
ought to have a holy affection for those in the body of Christ.
2. We should be
in the business of exercising our love for each other.
a. We should
not talk down or degrade one another.
b. We should
lift up one another in "agape".
FRUITFUL LIVING
V: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."
A. It is God's
desire that we serve one another in love.
1. It is the
business of Christians to treat others out of love and respect.
2. The word
barren is the Greek word "argos
or lazy.
3. We should
never be unemployed in Christian love.
4. There should
always be some evidence of our spiritual growth in Christ.
B. Our knowledge of
Christ should always be on the increase.
1. The evidence
of our knowledge ought to show up in our actions toward others.
2. There must
be a constant study of God's Word.
V: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."
A. There are two
types of Christians, none growing and spiritually growing.
1. A none
growing Christian is stuck on "I have been saved".
a. A none
growing Christian still acts like and looks like the world he has been
called
out of.
b. A none
growing Christian is still in the dark although he is part of the light.
c. A none
growing Christian still needs milk when he should be feasting on meat.
B. We are a new
creation in Christ.
1. The old self should
be dead and Christ should be alive in us.
2. We have to
put off the old man to live in Christ.
C. Those who are not
growing in Christ cannot experience the glories of Christ.
1. Those who are
not growing in Christ are not growing in the faith.
D. A spiritually
mature Christian express his faith though trial and tribulation.
1. Those who are
growing in the faith will abound in love and good works.
2. Our personal
situations should not prevent us from growing in Christ.
V:10. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence
to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall."
A. We have been
called by God and elected in the faith of Jesus to do good works.
1. The fruit of
our labor will be love and compassion for those in the body of Christ.
B. When we put on the
attitude of Christ, even though we face trials and tribulations,
we will never
fail or lose hope in the abundant living promised us.
1. The success of this
journey through life is based on our faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Through our
faith in Jesus Christ we will be strengthen to endure all things.
3. Because we are
sure in our faith we can stay calm in all situations.
OUR ELECTION
V:11. "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ."
A. In the "End
Time", Jesus will set up an empire over the souls of all His redeemed
1. This kingdom
in heaven will be everlasting.
2. Because of
our faith in Jesus, we will enjoy the abundance of His glory.
B. Heaven and all
it's splendor will be open to the faithful.
V:12. "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you
always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established
in the present truth."
A. Having grown in
Christ, we have a responsibility to other brothers and sisters
in Christ.
1. It is our job
to remind ourselves first, and then others of the promises of God and
our sure hope
of heaven.
2. We must remind
ourselves first and others in Christ of our need to continue
growing in
Christ.
3. Over time, we
should become a new person in Christ having taking on the
attributes and practices
of Christ.
B. We must continue
our study of God's Word.
1. The
foundation of our spiritual growth is the study of God's Word.
2. If we are to
reach toward the high mark of Christ, we must continue to study
Christ.
3. There is
always a deeper understanding of God's to be gained through the
interaction
of the Holy Spirit with us through our constant study and meditation
on God's
Word.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE BREATHERN
V:13. "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this
tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.
A. As long as we have
breath, we ought to be stirred up for Christ.
1. As long as we
have breath, we ought to proclaim the goodness of the Lord.
2. As long as we
have breath, we ought to be continuing our study of Jesus.
B. As long as we have
breath, we ought to teach others what we have gained in our
years of study.
1. As long as we
have breath, we should be role models for Christ.
2. As long as we
have breath, we ought to continue our assemble with the saints of
Jesus Christ.
3. As long as we
have breath, we ought to give God praise and honor.
OUR GLORIFICATION
V:14. "Knowing that shortly I must put off this my
tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me."
A. We must keep in
mind that God has an appointed time to call us home to heaven.
1. We don't know
the time or the hour, but we know for sure that we will be taken
home to be
with Christ.
2. This time we
have is "getting ready time."
B. When He calls, He
ought find us working and ready.
1. We ought to do
what we can while we can, because we don't know if we will get
back this way
again.
2. Any day now,
it could be good bye world and hello heaven.
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