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Diligence to Your Calling and Election

Christ Church on May 20, 2018

The Text

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Introduction

God as chosen and call His people for a purpose – that they may be like the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what’s more is that God desires for us to know that we have been called and chosen for godliness. So Peter says, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.” But how are we to make our calling and election sure? Peter tells us in verses 5-7.

Make Every Effort to Add (vv. 5-7)

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” The command to “make every effort” to add these qualities is based on what God has already done for us in the first verses. God’s divine power has given us all things that lead to godliness (v. 3): “for this reason” make every effort yourself to be godly. God works out our salvation by putting us to work!

There are eight qualities that you are to make every effort to add:

Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Self-control
Steadfastness
Godliness
Brotherly affection
Love

The person that Peter describes that we are to make every effort to become is perfectly manifested by Jesus.

Effective and Fruitful Activity (vv. 8-9)

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 8). If these characteristics are 1) yours and 2) increasing, then they keep you from being an ineffective and unfruitful Christian. The Christian life is not static. A tree is either growing or dying. Godly fruit always grows from a godly root. All these character qualities will only truly grow and increase if you are rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus? We have already spoken of knowing about Jesus. If you try to produce these qualities in your life apart from Christ, then they have about as much chance as growing as a fake apple scotch-taped to an apple tree.

But if you lack these qualities, you are near-sighted, spiritually blind, forgetful of what God has done for you. “For whosoever lacks these qualities is so near sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleaned from his former sins” (v. 9).

Diligent to Make Your Calling and Election Sure (v. 10-11)

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (vv. 10-11). The Scriptures teach that all those who are saved are saved because God elected them to salvation. And those he elected, he called (Romans 8:30-31).

And so, are you called? Are you elect? Are you chosen by God and precious? Peter says you can know and you can even make it sure. “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” Diligently cultivate with, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, love. Are these qualities yours and are they growing? Do you want these? Are you pursuing them? Then this is proof that you are called and elected by God. How do you make your calling and election sure? Make every effort.

But a question arises, “Is my work (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, etc.) the source of my election? Does my calling depend on my good works?” God is the source of your election and calling and not your good works. The order is Jesus speaks, and then Lazarus comes forth. And once called, Lazarus had an obligation to obey. And all the hugs and kisses and praising and identification with Jesus were all evidences of the life Lazarus had been given. He was not a robot, but a resurrected man who obeyed Jesus.

Knowing His Great and Precious Promises

Christ Church on May 6, 2018

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The Text

“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: ²Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:1-4).

Knowledge for the Battle

Peter is preparing is readers for a battle with false teachers, sexual invasion, persecution, corruption in the church. Peter will get to these battles in chapter 2 and 3. But we first my be armed with the knowledge of God, and what he has done for his people. Right knowledge leads to right living. The church needs courage to face these challenges. A corrupt people, both of mind and life, will not be a courageous people.

Peter: Servant and Apostle (vs. 1)

Peter introduces himself as “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” Peter takes on two seemingly contrary titles––servant and apostle. Though he has great authority as an apostle, he identifies himself first as a servant. Wouldn’t Jesus be proud of Peter who jumped up on his chair when Jesus tried to wash his feet (Lk. 22:26).

Peter writes this letter “to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Some people would object, “Sure Peter, it’s fine for you to talk about enduring suffering, being holy––you got the faith on an apostle. But not the rest of us.” Peter, however, says that we have all been given a faith of equal standing, “a like precious faith.” There are no “cheap seats” for faith where the apostles get the front row seats and the rest of us are up in the nose bleed section. The faith is all equal, and equally precious, because the faith of all Christians shares the same object––Jesus Christ and his righteousness. John Calvin adds, “He calls it like or equally precious, not that it is equal in all, but because all possess by faith the same Christ with his righteousness, and the same salvation” (Commentary on 2 Peter 1:1). You are saved by Christ’s righteousness plus nothing, and that’s what you believe.

Grace and Peace Multiplied (vs. 2)

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Maybe you’re like me and sometimes skim over the first line or two of an email with the usual pleasantries–– “hope you and the kids are good…” But for Peter, this is not a throw away introduction. Rather, it is his prayer for what his letter will accomplish. “May Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” This knowledge is not limited to facts, tidbits of information. Peter knew Jesus as his God, his Lord, his Savior, his Christ. He didn’t merely know about Jesus. He knew Jesus.

His Knowledge for Life and Godliness (vs. 3)

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” God is the creator and the sustainer of life (Heb. 1:3). This includes the Milky Way galaxy and the Milky-Way candy bar. And God granted to us all things that pertain to life, and godliness.

How can we be like God? This is the question that’s as old as the dirt shaped into a man. You don’t get it by grasping for yourselves––nix Adam and Eve’s attempt. You don’t get by following rules––nix every man-propelled religion. How do you get godliness? You are given it from God. He’s the source. And he gives godliness “through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Knowledge of God shapes you to be like God. No knowledge, then no godliness. But that understanding is not based on our IQ, but on the God who calls by his glory and virtue (1 Peter 1:15, 2:9, 2:21, 3:9, 5:10). Where is glory? Where is virtue? They are found in the Son of the Father (Jn. 1:14,18).

Precious and Exceedingly Great Promises (vs. 4)

“He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (vs. 4) Through knowledge of Christ, we have received great and precious promises which enable us to partake of the divine nature and “unpartake” of the world’s corruptions. There are two things we need above all––1) to be liberated from our sinful desires that corrupt the world and 2) to return to God. What are God’s promises? 1) He will liberate us from sinful desires and 2) He will make us partakers in his divine nature.

You have escaped the corruption, the punishment, the judgment that is in the world from your sinful desires. Why? Because Christ your Savior was crucified. You share in the divine nature. Why? Because you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. Do you know these great and precious promises of God? Then believe them. Then believe Him, and so arm yourself for what’s ahead.

God’s Sure Promises

Christ Church on April 29, 2018

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The Text: 2 Peter 1:1-4

1. Peter’s Confidence

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” ( 2 Peter 1:19).

2. Sense of Urgency

“knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me” (2 Peter 1:14)

3. What is coming shortly?

New Heaven and New Earth

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;

And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;

For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,

And her people a joy. Isaiah 65:25

End of the Age

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14

The Day of the Lord

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10

4. What is Peter’s exhortation based on this urgency?

“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:18-21