2 Peter 1:10-11

2 Peter 1:10-11

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

March 13, 2014

 

1.      In the year 1928 Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist discovered penicillin...penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic drug, revolutionized the practice of medicine...when Fleming began to grasp the importance of his discovery, he warned people against taking an underdose of the penicillin...he said an underdose would permit germs to remain in the system allowing them to build up an immunity to the drug...then, Fleming said that these immune germs could be “passed on to other individuals so that the thoughtless person playing with penicillin treatments may be responsible for the death of another [person]...” [Echoes of Eternity, Dennis Kastens, CSS Publishing]...in other words, according to Alexander Fleming, getting too little penicillin would be worse than getting none at all...

2.      When read that couldn’t help but think that is how many people relate to Christianity...they have some exposure to it...they have been introduced to it...they dabble in Christianity...they play at it...and sadly, they get just enough to make them immune from the real thing...

3.      As we continue our study of that beautiful description of the Christian life found in 2 Peter 1, we’re going to focus on a fifth characteristic of the life to which we are called in Christ...want direct your attention to 2 Peter 1:10-11...(text)

 

T.S. - Key phrase in that passage is at end of v.10...”...for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble...”...for as long as you--

--keep doing what God called you to do...

--keep on persevering...

--keep on keeping on...

you will never stumble...in the context of 2 Peter 1:10 word translated “stumble” means more than merely a slight slip...Peter is not saying there that we will never sin, that we will never make a mistake...that would contradict many other things the Scripture says about our continuing need for forgiveness...the word does not mean a slight, temporary slip...it means to fall into total ruin...and what Peter is saying is that “...as long as you practice these things...” you will never lose your salvation...

That phrase reminds us that perseverance is a quality of saving faith...and faith which does not persevere is not saving faith...an old country preacher put it this way: “If your faith fizzles at the finish, it was faulty from the first.”

Warren Wiersbe puts it this way: “It is not our profession of faith that guarantees that we are saved; it is our progression in the faith that gives us that assurance.  The person who claims to be a child of God but whose character and conduct give no evidence of spiritual growth is deceiving himself and heading for judgment.” [Wiersbe, Be Alert, p.19]

2 Peter 1:10-11 tells us that we are called to a life of perseverance...and in these verses we are told two important things about perseverance...v.10 tells us that..

 

I.       Perseverance comes from looking back at what we have experienced in Christ

1.      Notice that v.10 begins with the word “Therefore...”...therefore looks back at all we have seen so far in our study of 2 Peter 1... therefore since we—

--have entered a life of equal standing before God (v.1)

--are privileged to know God in a personal, intimate way (v.2)

--share in the power of God (v.3)

--are recipients of the precious and magnificent promises of God (v.4)

--are growing and maturing in our walk with God (vv.5-9)

2.      “Therefore” what?...”Therefore—

--brethren - That’s an important word because it indicates that Peter is not questioning their salvation...he identifies them as his brothers in Christ, as fellow believers...

--be all the more diligent - That phrase translates a single word...we came across this word back in v.5 where it is translated “applying all diligence”...it means to be eager, to be characterized by sense of urgency...

--to make certain - To confirm or to remember or to focus on...

--His calling and choosing of you - Refers to what God had done for them in Christ...

Now put that all together...”Based on all I’ve said to this point, fellow believers, be eager to remember what God has done for you in Christ and remembering what God has already done for you give you every reason to persevere, to continue in the faith.”

 

1.      There’s a principle in this don’t want you to miss...while the focus of our lives must be on the present and the future and not the past...while we should be looking more forward than backward...it is helpful to us from time to time to look back and remember what we have experienced in Christ...the blessings of the past, the victories of the past, and the challenges of the past become the foundation upon which we stand today...

2.      And that is what Peter is saying in v.10...looking back at what we’ve experienced in Christ helps us to persevere...but perseverance comes not just from looking back...v.11 tells us that...

 

II.    Perseverance comes from looking forward to what we will experience in Christ

1.      While v.10 looks back, v.11 looks to the future...look at what the verse says...”...for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”...that statement provides a glimpse of what awaits those believers who demonstrate the reality of their faith by perseverance...

2.      Did you know the Bible speaks of at least two ways to enter heaven?... not two ways to get to heaven...there is only one way to get to heaven, and this is through faith in Jesus...the only way to be saved is by accepting into our lives His sacrifice on our behalf...there is no other way to do it...Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father but through Me.” ...in his great sermon before the Jewish High Court in Acts 4 Peter put it this way: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

3.      If you are depending on anything else other than a faith relationship with Jesus to get you to heaven, you are going to be greatly disappointed... nothing else will do it...but while there is only one way to get there, the Bible teaches there are at least two ways to enter...

--in I Corinthians 3 Paul speaks of Christians who have not been productive or fruitful in their spiritual lives...says they will enter heaven but “only as through fire...”...that is, they will make it, but they kind of stumble or slink across the finish line...

--but in 2 Peter 1:11 Peter speaks of an “abundant entrance” into the eternal kingdom...the imagery that Peter uses in this verse would have been immediately recognizable to his readers in the 1^st century... athletic contests were very much a part of that culture...all over Greece to this day are the ruins of ancient stadiums where the athletes competed ...when Peter speaks of the believer’s “abundant entrance” into heaven, he used the exact phrase used in the 1^st century to describe the welcome given Olympic winners when they returned home...

4.      And what I want you to see in all that is that while every believer will make it to heaven, some will have a more glorious welcome that others...

--some (those who have come to faith in Christ but who have not really been serious about living for Him and who have let lessor priorities dominate their lives) will make it, but the entry will not be glorious...

--others (those who have come to faith in Christ and who have made living for Him and serving Him their life’s priority) will experience an “abundant entrance” into heaven like a victorious athlete being welcomed home...

5.      Looking forward to what lies before us in eternity should motivate us to a life of perseverance, to keeping on in the faith today...

                                                 CONCLUSION

1.          Chrysostom was the patriarch of Constantinople in the fourth century. One of the stories surrounding this faithful witness concerns the occasion when the Roman emperor had him arrested and charged with being a Christian. If Chrysostom did not renounce Christ, then the emperor would--

--have this Christian leader banished from the kingdom. Chrysostom responded to the threat by saying that the emperor could not do so, “because the whole world is my Father’s kingdom.”

--“Then,” replied the emperor, “I will take away your life.” To which Chrysostom said, “You cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.”

--Next threatened with the loss of his treasure, this saint replied, “You cannot, for my treasure is in heaven where my heart is.”

--The emperor made one last effort: “Then I will drive you away from here and you shall have no friend left.” But again Chrysostom responded, “You cannot, for I have one Friend from whom you can never separate me. I defy you for you can do me no harm.”

[Like a Breath of Fresh Air, Larry M. GoodPaster, CSS Publishing, 1992, sited in eSermons.com, 6/23/02]

2.         In ways more subtle perhaps, but no less real,  we too are often tempted to renounce our faith, to compromise our commitments, to ignore the things we profess to believe...in the face of such constant temptation, it is important to remember that the life to which God calls us in Christ is a life of perseverance, of staying with it, of keeping the faith...this part of God’s Word teaches us that looking back to what we have experienced in Jesus and looking forward to what we will experience in Jesus will help us to persevere even in the face of great difficulty...

2 Peter 1:12-18

2 Peter 1:12-18

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

March 20, 2014

 

1.      So far in our journey through 2 Peter 1 we have explored six (6) specific things about the Christian life: It is a life of--

--equal standing before God (v.1)

--knowing God in personal, intimate way (v.2)

--sharing in the power of God (v.3)

--being recipients of the precious and magnificent promises of God (v.4)

--growing and maturing in our walk with God (vv.5-9)

--persevering in the faith (vv.10-11)

In this session we are going to explore the seventh thing Peter tells us about Christianity in this chapter, and that is it is rooted in history (vv.12-18)

2.      Many of us are like the man who said “I still can learn things but I can’t remember them!”  There is an old story about an absent-minded professor who had habit of becoming so absorbed in his work would forget the simplest of details...one morning as he was leaving for work his wife said, “Now honey, don’t forget that we are moving today.  I’m putting a note with our new address in your pocket.  That’s where you need to go when you finish teaching.”...the day passed and the man completely forgot that conversation...he went home to his old house, walked in, and found the place empty...confused by that, he walked out and sat down on the curb in front of the house...after a while he noticed a little boy sitting there on the curb beside him...he turned and asked, “Little boy, do you know the people who used to live here?”...to which the boy replied, “Yeah, dad.  Mom said she was sure you’d forget!”

3.      The Apostle Peter certainly understood the importance of remembering...in 2 Peter 1:12-18 three times Peter uses a word which means “to remember”...

--the first use of that word is in v.12 where Peter says, “I shall always be ready to remind you of these things...”

--the second use of the word is in v.13 where Peter speaks of stirring them up “by way of reminder...”

--the word is used again at the end of v.15 where Peter says he desires for them “to be able to call these things to mind (or to remember)...”

4.      Now, with that in mind follow in your Bible as I read 2 Peter 1:12-18...

 

T.S. - Specifically, what is it that Peter wants us to remember?...think the answer to that question is in v.16 - “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”...Peter wants us to remember that our faith is not built on some made up story...the phrase “cleverly devised tales” means myth or fable which has no basis in fact or in history...that phrase was used to describe something which did not really happened...”cleverly devised tales” means something which has been merely made up...in the 1^st century world, a world heavily influenced by Roman and Greek mythology, such tales were very common and many religions were built on such fables or myths...

 

In contrast to that, Peter seems to go out of his way in these verses to remind us that Christianity has it roots not in fables and myths and tales...Christianity has its roots in historic events.--

--Christianity is built on an historical person, the person of Jesus Christ...

--Christianity rests on an historical event, the coming of Jesus to our world...

 

The very foundation of our faith is that at a particular, specific time in history--

--Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea...

--Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a small village in northern Israel...

--Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River...

--Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the Judean wilderness to be tempted by Satan...

--Jesus moved to Capernaum and began to teach and minister in the towns and villages around the Sea Galilee...

--Jesus called to Himself 12 disciples, real men who lead real lives...

--Jesus was crucified on Friday of Passover week just outside the gates fo Jerusalem, laying down His life for the sins of the world...

--Jesus was placed by some friend in a borrowed tomb near the place of crucifixion...

--Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning...

--Jesus appeared to His followers on numerous occasions after the resurrection...

--Jesus ascended from earth back into heaven from a hilltop near Jerusalem...

 

Those things are not fables...not myths...not cleverly devised tales...they are facts of history...how do we know that?...we know because reliable people like Peter were eye-witnesses to those events of history as he tells us in the last part of v.16...they saw Jesus...they walked with Him...they were taught by Him...they witnessed His miracles...they touched the resurrected Lord...and they have passed those truths along to us...

 

Want to point out to you from this passage two things...

 

I.       From time to time we need to be reminded about the historical facts of the gospel

1.      William Barclay has an interesting definition of preaching.  He says that “...preaching is very often reminding a [person] of what he/[she] already knows...”[Barclay, p.363]... and that is pretty much what Peter says in v.12 - “I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them...” The Apostle Paul said essentially the same thing to the Philippians when he wrote in 3:1, “To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard to you.”

 

2.      We need to be reminded because there is something about us which causes us, in the words of Warren Wiersbe, “To forget those things we should remember, and to remember those things we ought to forget.”... the truth is, we can become so familiar with sacred things that we push them to the back of our minds...we forget, not in the sense of not knowing, but in the sense of not allowing the things that we know to impact our lives as they should...when we get to the point where we talk or sing in a matter of fact way about the amazing thing God has done for us in Jesus, we are not really remembering it in the right way...

3.      In v.13 he tells his readers that he reminds them of things they already know for a purpose...and that purpose is “...to stir you up...”...the verb translated “stir you up” means “to awaken, to arouse”...it’s the same word used in John’s Gospel to describe a storm stirring up the surface of the Sea of Galilee...and we need to be reminded of the basic historic facts of the gospel because those facts should stir us, motivate us to a deeper love for Jesus and a greater commitment to Jesus...when we stand again before the cross...when we remember what He gave for us...we can’t help but be stirred, awakened, aroused in our spirit...

 

1.      One of the things in my life I will never forget is my first trip to Israel... from my earliest days I had heard the gospel story...I knew the historic facts of Jesus life...but to go there gave me a new appreciation of those facts and it brought the story alive to me...to—

--visit the Church of the Nativity, place of His birth...

--see Nazareth, the town in which he grew up...

--stand on the hillside near Capernaum where He delivered the Sermon on the Mount...

--sail on the Sea of Galilee with which He was so familiar...

--be at Golgotha, the place of the skull, where He was crucified...

--enter an empty tomb which could have been His tomb...

touched me spiritually like I had never been touched before...being there reminded me of the reality of things I already knew...

2.      And from time to time we need to be reminded of those things we have long known...

 

II.  We need to pass along those things we know and remember to those who come after us

1.      V.15 almost sounds like a riddle when you first read it...Peter says, “And I will be diligent (saw that word in v.5 and again in v.10...means to be eager, to be characterized by sense of urgency) that at any time after my departure (means Peter’s death) you may be able to call these things to mind.”...what in world does Peter mean by that?...there is debate about that among Bible scholars, but some suggest (and I agree with them) that Peter is referring to the Gospel of Mark...it is widely believed that Peter was Mark’s major source for his gospel...and I think Peter is saying here before I depart this world I want to make sure I leave for you a systematic record of the historical events on which our faith is built...and because Peter sensed that his death was approaching, he felt a sense of urgency about getting that task done...

 

1.      There’s an important lesson in us for that...not enough just for us to know and remember the historical realities of our faith...we must have about us a sense of urgency about passing along that historical record and what it means to those who come after us...the old saying that ”Christianity is always only one generation away for extinction...” is true...if we don’t tell the story over and over again, those who come after us will not know it...the very best thing we can do for the generation coming behind us is to instill in them the historical reality of what God has done in the coming of Jesus to our world...

 

1.      Carol and I are blessed to have four of our grandchildren living very near to us…they spend a lot of time with us and we get to have an impact on their lives…and of all the things we share with them, nothing is more important than sharing our faith...that will make a greater difference, a more positive difference in their lives both in this world and in eternity than anything else we can give them...and that is true for every parent and grandparent...I will never understand how parents and grandparents can be so careful about making sure their children get proper health care and a good education and are kept safe from things that would harm them, but seem to have no concern about the spiritual welfare and training of their children...

2.      This part of 2 Peter reminds us of the importance of passing along those things we know and remember to those who come behind us...

 

CONCLUSION

1.      As I studied this passage this week, couldn’t help but ask myself why Peter was so adamant about his readers remembering the basic things of the faith... why mention three times in the span of four verses the important of remembering?...

2.      Then the thought struck me...Peter had experienced first hand the negative consequences of forgetting...remember what happened to Peter on the night Jesus was arrested...earlier in the evening he professed his absolute, total, complete loyalty to Jesus...he told the Lord that he would stand beside Him no matter what...but just a few hour later Peter forgot that commitment and as a result three times he denied even knowing Jesus...

3.      Remembering what Jesus has done in history and remembering our commitment to Him, helps us to be faithful, to live for Him today... ”Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things...”

2 Peter 1:5-9

2 Peter 1:5-9

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

March 6, 2014

 

1.         There is an old story about a man who was in habit of attending church only on Christmas and Easter...he had done this for years, and one day his pastor decided to confront him about it...the pastor went to the man and said, “You need to join the army of the Lord!”...to the pastor’s surprise the man said, “I have been a faithful soldier in the army of the Lord for many years.”...and the pastor said, “Well, if that is so, how come I don’t ever see you except on Christmas and Easter.”...the man looked around to make sure no-one was listening, then motioned for the pastor to lean near to him...then he whispered, “I’m in the secret service!” [Jones & Wheeler, Hometown Humor, August House, 1991, p.101 - quoted in Sermonillustrations.com, May 28, 2002]

2.      Unfortunately, many Christians live as if they are in the Lord’s secret service...at some point in their lives they made a faith commitment to Christ...but for some reason they view that commitment not as the beginning point but the ending point of their Christian commitment...they fail to grow, to mature, to proceed up the ranks in the army of the Lord...they are like a person who enlists in the military then doesn’t show up for basic training and never serves...

3.      In our study of 2 Peter, we have come to a passage which reminds us of the importance of growing/maturing in our Christian lives...from 2 Peter 1:5-9 we are going to explore a fifth characteristic of the Christian life...we have seen so far in our study of 2 Peter 1 that the Christian life is a life of—

--equal standing before God (v.1)

--knowledge of God (v.2)

--strength/power (v.3)

--promise (v.4)

2 Peter 1:5-9 reminds us that the Christian life is a life of spiritual growth. This passage has been described as the best known passage in 2 Peter.  And from these verses we can see four basic principles about the spiritual growth which should characterize every follower of Jesus.

 

PRINCIPLE 1 - We are to grow spiritually not to win God’s favor but because we already have God’s favor.

1.      I think many Christians get the process of spiritual growth exactly backwards...they approach the subject as if it is something which they must do to be accepted by or approved by God...it becomes more of a duty, a chore than a joy or a blessing...

2.      It is significant that Peter begins this discussion of spiritual growth with the phrase “Now for this reason...” in first part of v.5...for what reason?... for the reason he has just stated in the previous verse...for the reason that we, through the promises of God, are partakers of the divine nature...for the reason that we already belong to God...that God, in His grace, has accepted us, loved us, welcomed us into His family...

3.      Peter is saying we should desire to grow spiritually not to convince God to love and accept us but because God loves and accepts us...that’s the way healthy relationships always work...for example, take the parent/ child relationship...

--a parent can relate to a child in such a way which says to the child, “I will love and accept you if you do what I want you to do.”...in that case the child may do what the parent wants, but it will be in a grudging, resentful way...

--or a parent can relate to a child in such a way which says to the child, “I love you and accept you.”...in that case, the child is more likely to do what the parent wants, not out of duty, but out of reciprocal love and respect for the parent...

4.      In same way, when we come understand, God is His grace and mercy, has chosen to love and accept us...then, out of love for Him and a heart which desires to please Him we will grow and mature spiritually...

 

PRINCIPLE 2 - Spiritual growth is not automatic; it requires effort on our part.

1.      Notice the phrase “...applying all diligence...” in verse 5...some Bibles translate that phrase “...make every effort...”...those three words translate a single word in the Greek...the word carries the idea of earnestness or zeal or haste...it means to be characterized by a sense of urgency that moves a person to action...

2.      Peter wrote to in a world heavily influenced by Greek thought...the Stoic philosophers of Peter’s day were extremely concerned about their personal moral development...they gave it the highest priority in their lives...they worked at it...they strived to progress in their moral development...

3.      In effect, Peter is saying here that Christians should be just as concerned and have about them just as much a sense of urgency about growing and developing spiritually as the pagan philosophers have about growing intellectually and morally...

 

1.      I think many Christians are not growing spiritually simply because they are just lazy...much more to growing spiritually than just “Letting go and letting God” as the old adage says...if we fail to spend time—

--in developing our personal prayer lives...

--in serious study of God’s Word...

--in spiritual fellowship with other believers...

--in serving others...

There is going to be no significant spiritual growth in our lives...

2.      Very few good things come to us by chance or accident...they are the result of preparation and effort and work...and that is certainly true when it comes to spiritual growth...we are to “...apply all diligence...” or “...to make every effort...”

 

PRINCIPLE 3 - Spiritual growth is a continuing process.  We never come to the end of the process in this life.

1.      Must confess to you I find this principle somewhat frustrating...I’m a finisher...I like to identify what needs to be done, attack the task, get it complete, and enjoy the results...but that’s not how it works when it comes to spiritual growth...we never complete the process...it is on-going...if we think we have come to the end, we are actually back at the beginning...

 

1.      The heart of 2 Peter 1:5-9 is a listing a eight (8) characteristics which we should be in the process of developing in our lives...it is not surprising that Peter would include such a list in this letter...William Barclay points out that such lists were common in the ancient world...books were rare and expensive and could not be owned by the average person...basic instructions were often reduced to simple lists which could be easily memorized...in several places in the NT you will find lists of virtues to remind Christians how they are to live...

2.      One writer refers to these characteristics as “The Royal Road”...others refer to this list as a “spiritual ladder” or a “ladder of virtues”...while those analogies may be helpful, they can also be misleading...they imply this list of eight (8) characteristics is something you begin, work through step by step like rungs on a ladder, and then you are finished with it...

3.      Think it is more accurate to view this list like a never ending spiral staircase...the staircase has eight (8) steps which are repeated over and over, going higher and higher...we move from faith to moral excellence to knowledge to self-control to perseverance to godliness to brotherly kindness to love...

4.      It is significant that the process begins with “faith” and ends with “love”...as one person put it, “Faith is the foundation and love is the culmination ... every grace in between springs out of faith and is intended to be expressed in love.” [Brian’s Lines, Sept/Oct, 1997, p16]

5.      And while there is much to be learned from each of the words Peter includes on this list, the main thing want you to see is the process being described here...once we have made all eight (8) steps, we do it again....and again...and again...and for as long as we live in this world...spiritual growth is a continuing process...

 

PRINCIPLE 4 - As we grow spiritually, we become more useful to God

1.      In verses 8 & 9 Peter contrasts two types of Christians...verse 8 describes a Christian who is growing/maturing...verse 9 describes a Christian who is not growing/maturing...

--one is productive and the other is unproductive...

--one is useless and the other is useful...

--one is fruitless and the other is fruitful...

--one is spiritually blind and the other has spiritual vision...

2.      The words translated “useless” and “unfruitful” in v. 8 are very graphic...

--”useless” carries the idea of idle or slothful...literally the word means out of work...it’s a picture of a person who has no purpose, no direction for life...the person is out of work in the sense that he/she has no desire to contribute anything to anyone in any setting...

--”unfruitful” means barren and unproductive...

3.      Notice that Peter says that growing Christians are NOT useless and NOT unfruitful...in other words, those who are growing spiritually are  useful to and productive for God...

4.      Point is spiritual growth is not an end in itself...it is a means to an end... a means to make us more useful to God in this world...the way to measure our spiritual growth is not by how pious we can look or how spiritual we can feel...the way to measure spiritual growth is by how effective we are in doing what God calls us to do...

CONCLUSION

1.                    James Moffatt, the Scottish biblical scholar/theologian once made an insightful, cryptic comment about the Christian life...he said that “...the Christian life must not be an initial spasm followed by a chronic inertia.” [Quoted by William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter, p.354]

2.      Unfortunately those words, “an initial spasm followed by a chronic inertia.” accurately describe the lives of many Christians today... that is not the life to which God calls us...instead, the life to which God calls us is a life of spiritual growth...and understanding the principles Peter sets forth in this passage will help us in that life...

#1  We are to grow spiritually, not to win God’s favor but because we have God’s favor

#2  Spiritual growth requires effort on our part

#3  Spiritual growth is a life-long process

#4  As we grow spiritually we become more useful to God