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.
- When beginning a school year or new semester you naturally think about what you need for the teaching that you, your students, or your children will encounter.
- We first think about having everything we need for the teaching we are receiving in a positive sense, but not necessarily from a negative perspective.
For example, on the school supply list and syllabus for my classes, I don’t remember seeing:
- Pens/Pencil - to refute against false teaching in the world
- Calculator – to consider the costs of false teaching on society
- Grammar book – to defend biological reality using gendered pronouns
- but would you agree with me that one of the greatest dangers facing any Christian, or any Christian family, or any Christian church– is adopting some form of false teaching? If so, do you as a Christian, and we as a church, have everything we need to handle it?
- 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.
- You might say – I would rather discuss in church about anything in the world other than this topic…
- We cannot ignore individually or corporately as a church false teaching and hope this will just 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…He provides us everything we need
- 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.
- Our theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life…
- You may be saying I’m not seeing a lot of hope in this issue about false teaching…
- well what about verses like …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,
- So even with the prevalence of transgender false teaching 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 evil emperor Nero towards followers of Jesus Christ around 64 AD and the believers were undergoing persecution.
- 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…
Peter is facing pending martyrdom…he knows as Jesus told him that he would be killed and crucified for his faith in Christ like his Savior.
- Already 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 of false teaching head on…
- Protecting and guarding the church from false teaching should not be surprising. The Lord warned about this in 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).
- You might say – oh great, such hope, we’re studying the dark corner of the NT…this is going to focus just on false teaching and the negative…but 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 sufficiency 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 the ultimate end goal itself…because the book will end with a rallying cry for the church to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…
- If we are spiritually growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior Jesus, what is called progressive sanctification – which is the natural and expected result of our salvation – then we will avoid and refute false teaching and not be tempted to embrace false teaching.
- so this morning we’re looking at 2 Peter 1:1-15, and rejoicing with hope because our God has given…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
The apostles and disciples of Jesus did not have a “special or unique faith” or special way to be right with God, in some kind of secret way that we don’t have. Our faith is equally valuable or equally honorable as the same kind.
- 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:
“You have received means…” Faith is talked about in the sense of a gift of God.
I cannot be good or righteous enough on my own to be right in God’s eyes.
The act of believing is a gift and for both the apostles and for us as believers, it is by the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ. There is only one way to be right with God, through faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
- One of the best protections against false teaching is remembering you have everything you need through Christ by remembering the beauty and necessity of the good news about Jesus Christ (the gospel).
- 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 by 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…
- You might pick up the pamphlet (The Gospel Primer – by Milton Vincent), or Pastor Viar’s book Do you believe what God says about you?
- To help you remember the implications of the gospel each day in your life.
- 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 man, male and female, according to his image, or He didn’t…
- and that’s proven…not by your feelings, or your subjective experience…but by the Word of God and his judgments correspond to 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.
- The same gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
- “to the…” Adulterer, homosexual, transgender, drunkard, liar, thief etc.
- Peter goes on to say that…
B. Grace and peace multiplied in knowing God
- false teaching can multiply and 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 Faith Christian School Athletic Director Josh Hill forwarded 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 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 coaches and 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 sets us apart for God’s purposes to live for God’s glory.
- it helps us change…to progressively become more and more like Jesus Christ…
- over time we can be made holy…conformed into His image…
- the lie of the world is…you can’t change…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 just ignore the experiences
- part of Christian compassion is listening carefully to another person’s experience and sympathizing with them in their sin and suffering…
- the same is true with same sex attraction or lust…that might not be your experience and temptation…you may have never experienced that temptation…
- but we better to prepared to carefully listen to those who do…
- because of our fallen nature, we all will struggle with various inordinate desires and sinful thoughts and emotions, that as believers we must fight, take captive, and seek to put to death and act in obedience to Christ.
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…
Example of Member Steve Lee and Restoration Ministries
- 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 any sinful 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…making us more like Christ and renewing our desires to please Christ.
- 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 and growth by…God’s, His divine power…by his own glory and excellence
- 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?...that in Christ and through knowledge of Him you have everything you need to live in a way that honors Him?...
- His grace and peace is multiplied (v. 2)
- You have been granted everything (v. 3)
- You will be abundantly supplied (v. 11)
- 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…But false teaching is often deceptive. It doesn’t announce itself as false teaching. But projects itself in terms of - “you need this.”
And craftily the false teaching denies the generosity and wisdom of our God and his Word that provides everything to know him and live in a way that pleases him.
- 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…
- The grace of God and true knowledge of God results in godliness and growth!
- 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…false teaching again doesn’t usually announce to you…I will destroy your life…I will destroy your marriage…I will destroy your family…I will kill your joy…I will harden your conscience…I will make you useless and unfruitful…
- Instead, it often preys upon your desires, deceives, and tricks you, and distorts the good gifts and satisfaction that God generously promises in Christ.
- has sin ever kept its promise to you?...
- Did it show you mercy?
- Did it deliver and save you?
- Did it give you eternal life?
- Did it guarantee your ultimate joy?
- Did it empower you to love and serve others?
- Did it give you significant purpose?
- 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…
- [Homework assignment for promises of God]
- 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….
You can go back and review this characteristics fleshed out in the lives of believers in the Scriptures…like the moral excellence of Daniel or the perseverance of Job.
- It’s not “Let God and Let God”…do nothing, be still and wait…instead its…
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…applying with diligence these qualities 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.
Your diligence to pursue godliness makes certain about his calling and choosing us. It confirms that God truly saved you. Assurance in this life is one of the blessings of spiritual diligence and this diligence gives evidence to you are a child of God. You are assured you be welcomed into God’s kingdom and have been given eternal life.
To continue to grow and be diligent, Peter encourages believers to
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 the truth that she had been taught by others.
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