TAKING ADVANTAGE OF GOD
2 Peter 1:3-11 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION: When we think of someone taking advantage of someone else, we often think of this is negative terms. Our thoughts often go to one person getting over on another person in one way or another. In contrast, this passage of Scripture affords us an opportunity presented by God Himself, whereby we can and should take advantage of what God has both accomplish for us and provided to us. Please join me as we look at this very intense passage from God’s Word.
1. Taking Advantage of God’s Power – verse 3
a. Sufficient
i. God’s power is EXPLOSIVE – like dynamite in our lives
1. Power to realize God’s plans for us.
2. Power to resist temptations around us.
3. Power to restore us when we have fallen.
ii. Already possessed!
1. “Has been given”
2. We already have the power that God has been talking about
3. Already have what we need to realize, resist, and restore
b. Provides for:
i. Life
1. My personal growth as a believer does not come from me, but comes from God.
2. We would NEVER have what we need so God gives it to us!
ii. Godliness
1. Piety
2. Godliness is living like God
3. Godliness is Christlikeness
c. Access Through Our Knowledge of God
i. Notice the word, “our”
1. Not a general knowledge
2. A specific, and personal knowledge
3. An intimate acquaintance with God!
Key Thought: Access to the power God has given us is by an intimate knowledge of our Savior
d. Access as a result of God’s glory and goodness
i. We should be attracted to God because of his excellence and goodness
ii. Attraction to God should be a natural response, like a moth to a light
iii. Notice, God saved us and now calls us
iv. Everyone is called by God to do something and to be something!
There is purpose God gave us everything we need – He wants us to Partnership with Him!
2. Take Advantage of God’s Partnership – verse 4
a. The meaning of “participate”
i. Literally this means partnership
ii. Our intimate knowledge of God (salvation) allows us to be a partner with God.
Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Acts 17:29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.
iii. WE ARE IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS!
b. Partner With God In Nature
i. The nature and life of God
1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
ii. Christ took on a human in order to provide the access we needed to God through faith and the forgiveness of sins.
iii. Now, once we are united with Him, we have access to the very power and nature of God.
iv. We are partnering with God for our eternity
c. Partner With God In Escape
i. This is the flip side of partnership
ii. Just as we have partnered with God regarding our eternity with Him, we have also partnered with God avoiding the punishment of an eternity without him
THE GOAL OF SALVATION IS ACHIEVING HEAVEN AND AVOIDING HELL – ALL DONE THROUGH CHRIST!
THE RESPONSE OF SALVATION IS GROWING WITH CHRIST! GROWING WITH CHRIST IS A PROCESS
3. Take Advantage Of God’s Process – verses 5-9
a. We are to take advantage of the process God has given us BECAUSE He has given us the power to do it AND we have been called to do it!
b. Aim – “make every effort”
i. Literally this means “to bring to bear”
ii. Picture someone bringing a gun into aim in order to hit the desired target
iii. The Christian life takes effort
c. Effort – “Add to your faith”
i. The word add comes from the word “choreograph”
ii. Back in the time of the writing of Peter, this word referred to one who trained a choir.
iii. The choreographer was not only responsible for the training, but also paid for the supplies needed to accomplish the training.
iv. We have to be willing to take personal responsibility that we have what we need to live our lives in response to God. We cannot count on others to do it for us, and others CANNOT do it for us!
d. Stamina
i. Start with faith – the quality that separates Christians from the world
ii. Move on to goodness – the development of a moral excellence in the world.
iii. Move on to knowledge – a focused knowledge of God
iv. Continue on to self-control – Controlling my passions and desires
1. Everybody has them; God has given you the resources to control them!
v. Continue to perseverance – after developing the last three as a result of faith, now we need to develop the habit of staying with the program.
vi. Developing godliness – developing an sense of obligation towards God
1. Remorse at failure
2. Excitement at obedience
3. We do not want to disappoint those we have a close relationship with!
vii. On to Brotherly kindness
1. The correct order
2. Our ability to love God in turn allows us to administer practical care towards others
viii. Finally resulting in love – the desire for the highest good regarding others, and my own personal involvement in it!
e. The concern of the process
i. Positive concern
1. Possessing these qualities allows us to avoid being a lazy and unproductive believer
ii. Negative concern
1. Failure to posses these qualities leads to:
a. Shortsightedness – we lose sight of the details
b. Blindness – we cannot see what our state is
c. Forgetfulness – we forget what a life with Christ is and should be like, falling back into sinful patterns.
4. Take Advantage of God’s Provision – verses 10-11
a. “Be more eager” – means to make the effort
i. You have to make the effort now to live the Christian life in the power God has given you.
b. “make your calling and election sure” – check the warranty!
i. Are you really protected?
ii. Salvation protects you from hell
iii. Sanctification protects you from discipline
1. Become more like Christ is the process of practical sanctification
iv. Godly behavior is the warranty of salvation and sanctification
v. It is the: of our election and calling!
1. Security
2. Guarantee
3. Confidence
4. Foundation
5. Courage
6. “In Force”
c. “you will never fall”
i. Double negative in the Greek – very strong statement
ii. You will never be an offense
1. To Christ
2. To the cause of Christ
3. To the gospel of Christ
d. “receive a rich welcome”
i. Literally, “a rich welcome will be added to you”
ii. We can receive a welcome into heaven or we can receive a rich welcome into heaven.
iii. Which do you want?
