Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Fully Equipped for Life and Godliness” 2 Peter 1:3-11
Review
I. Reproof for fleshly behavior 1-6
A. Reproof for a divided church 1-4
B. Reproof for a defiled church 5
C. Reproof for a defeated church 6
1. Defeated by lawsuits before unbelievers 1-8
2. Defeated by improper behavior 5:12-20
Flee immorality!
Paul reminded them that they at one time only reflected the selfish nature of the evil one but something happened.
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:11
How does God transform us into temples that reflect His nature? We too must be washed, sanctified, justified.
Because Jesus paid for our sin, we can be a vessel that is cleaned by God.
By trusting Christ we can be a vessel that has been designated as something special.
By trusting Christ we can be a vessel that reflects the righteousness of Jesus.
When we attach to Jesus and He lives in us, the fruit that results is His character. Even though the members of this church struggled with living out their character, Peter recognized them as temples, vessels set aside by God to reflect his nature.
Why do we struggle so much? What causes us to stumble and sometimes fail in our walk with God? Why do the desires of the flesh seem more powerful than these new longings implanted in the core of our being? Does your Christian walk sometimes feel like you are on a roller coaster?
God’s plan for his children is far beyond.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Eph 2:10
Peter, in his second letter to a scattered bunch of believers in what is modern day Turkey, gave them the secret of a stable walk. The secret is found in Peter’s wish or prayer for their life.
I. Increased realization of God’s grace and peace
A. God’s Powerful resources 1:3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Peter prayed for the multiplication or increase of two essential elements.
God’s Grace or abundant power for real life. God’s Peace (calmness in difficulty)
These are a core of life. Contentment and confidence
Contentment in the plan of God.
Confidence in the provision of God.
This contentment and confidence increase the more we come to know Christ. We come to realize that the all-powerful God provided and continually makes available everything necessary for us to live a meaningful and productive life. Life has to do with quality of life. Godliness refers to one who reflects the character of God. We tap that resource as we come to know Jesus more intimately. Grace and peace increase through a deeper knowledge of Jesus. Unlimited resources for life and godliness comes through a deeper knowledge of Jesus.
"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3
Do we really know God that intimately? Does relationship with God really touch every other area of our life.
Does our relationship with God grow deeper? Relationships take time. Great relationships take more time. Talk, listen, understand, share, serve, think about, work with, play with.
All good relationships require these things. Grace and peace don’t come from striving. Access to unlimited resource for life and godliness don’t come from striving. God tells us to cease striving and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) Get to know me.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, Philip. 3:8
The divine invitation to life and godliness comes from a radiant and pure God. Glory has to do with a radiance emitted from something of high caliber. Excellence refers to perfection.
B. God’s Precious promises
How do we get to know Jesus like this?
For by these (His glory and excellence) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises
Out of His own glorious nature and moral integrity Christ granted us precious and magnificent promises that can be trusted.
“Magnificent” = mega, great, large, loud, high, strong, big
“Precious” = valuable, costly, honored, esteemed, dear
God decreed those promises at a point in time and they have not nor will ever be revoked. These are promises regarding the sharing of eternal life and becoming like Christ.
so that by them (promises) you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4
Trust in God’s promises results in sharing God’s nature. The promise made to sinful man relates to a restoration of relationship and a sharing in God’s nature. God promises that those who believe in Him will be transferred out of the kingdom of darkness in the kingdom
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:13-14
“partakers” = sharers, associates, partners
“may become” it is important to observe the verb tense here.
We would normally understand this as a process of becoming like Christ. If that were the case however, Peter would have used a present tense verb. The fact is that Peter used a “point in time” verb. These promises relate to an event that happens at the moment of salvation. At the moment of faith we escape the corruption caused by unbridled desires and are immediately transformed. We become His new creation with a whole new set of desires and longings for godliness.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor. 5:17
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephes. 2:10
How is this possible? We are His children. He puts his nature in us. He invites us into community with the Godhead. We are the dwelling place of God, His temple. Not only do we right now share the divine nature of God through the transformation of the Holy Spirit but our entire nature is on line for supernatural transformation.
II. Application of Character to Faith
Few will never grow in their walk or adequately reflect their new nature until they fully understand the wonder of God’s work in them. Peter prayed to God for an increase in grace and peace and a utilization of the storehouse of resources available when we focus on deepening our trust relationship with Jesus. Peter also urged the development of godly character. He not only talked about the reception of God’s nature in them but also expected a reflection of God’s nature through them.
Now that you understand God’s part. Now that you understand the basis of spiritual growth (knowing Jesus more deeply).
for this very reason also,
On the basis of God’s work in you and the fact that you BY FAITH share God’s nature, live like it by making every effort to develop and live godly characteristics.
applying all diligence,
This exhortation is similar to Paul’s command to the Philippians
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philip. 2:12-13 (NASB-U)
It takes work to fully appreciate and apply our trust relationship with Christ to life. When someone gives you 100 million dollars it takes time and energy to fully invest and utilize such wealth. God provides everything we need for a meaningful and godly life. It takes energy and diligence to see that developed.
“apply” = to bring along side, introduce
Now that God has done a great work of salvation we are to introduce or bring along side our faith, all diligence.
“diligence” = eagerness, haste, speed, care, earnestness.
Peter urged his readers to be serious about supplying the outward signs of an inward faith. Supply behavior to belief; conduct to creed, actions to affirmation. Having applied diligence to what God has done, we have something to do. We are to “supply” something.
“Supply” = to furnish, aid, contribute from your own expense.
When it comes to applying faith to life we are to give our energy. Many Christians look for the minimum requirements. Peter calls all believers to go for the max! Peter lists seven aspects of godly character that define what it means to live godly. This is the natural bent of the believer. We think that we have a natural bent to evil and we have to work at godliness. Actually, God instills new desires; godly desires in every believer.
A. Specific Traits
1. Moral excellence
in your faith supply moral excellence,
Peter used the word in his first letter. Peter used the in this letter earlier in relation to Christ’s glory and virtue or moral excellence.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9
The best way to proclaim those excellencies is to let them show through our life. The concept most likely has to do with a moral excellence or even a spiritual dynamic. An urgency to be like Christ. A desire to live godly.
2. Knowledge
and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
Along with “moral excellence” we need to fully supply “knowledge” to our faith. This word referred to knowledge or understanding in general or had a specific focus. In this context, it most likely referred to a deeper knowledge about God and His ways. Christians are never to check their brains at the door. We are people of truth. We are to search God’s ways and wisdom as we would gold or silver. Our quest to know God must be a lifelong quest. As we live godly we gain a greater ability to understand God’s will and ways.
Just as Paul prayed for the Colossians, to be directed by the knowledge of God’s will resulted in a life pleasing to him which in turn enabled an even deeper knowledge of God which resulted in an even stronger influence of God’s will and greater pleasing etc. This is a powerful prayer and a powerful growth spiral all divinely powered or energized.
3. Self-control
and in your knowledge, self-control,
The Greeks viewed this virtue as the ability to keep one’s passions under control. It described one who was not self indulgent but self controlled. It is obvious that such an inner control is a result of one who is yielded to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
4. Perseverance
and in your self-control, perseverance,
We find this word quite often in Scripture. It combines the preposition “under” and the word “remain” thus the meaning to remain under is derived. To endure is not just to grit our teeth until it is over because we don’t have any other choice. This kind of endurance voluntarily endures the present suffering with a sense of purpose and hope realizing that God is truly in control and that His eternal purpose is greater than my present happiness or comfort.
5. Godliness
and in your perseverance, godliness,
It is made up of two words, “well” and “to worship” thus to worship well or respond well both to God and people. This word generally had to do with those who exhibited complete devotion to God and concerned duty toward human beings. This is the virtue mentioned earlier that God has made abundant provision to develop. Godliness describes one who exhibits proper response to worth both in God and men. It is worthship. We are to eagerly cultivate such honoring response first to God and to others. People have worth that demands worthship because they were made in God’s image. We must develop God-centered living as well as others-centered living. This virtue eventually blossoms out in a specific response to people.
6. Brotherly kindness (philos)
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,
Here, Peter urges believers to cultivate, by faith, a sense of companionship or partnership with one another.
7. Love (agape)
and in your brotherly kindness, love
This is an unconditional commitment to pursue relationship with someone and do all we can to support them.
B. The benefits of Godly character
1. Useful and fruitful in the knowledge of God
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
Peter identified the condition by which the addition of these virtues upon one another will be beneficial. They must be “continually in you” and “continually increasing”. If they are, they will continually make you useful and fruitful in your relationship with Christ.
they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be not question about the reality of your relationship with Christ. These two sections work off of one another. If we really know Jesus we will live like Jesus. If we are not living like Jesus we really don’t know Him. Does our relationship with Christ make a difference in how we live? We say that being a Christ doe not really make a difference in my life. I accepted Him but there seems to be no impact in my everyday living. Knowledge of Jesus seems to be “unfruitful” and “useless.” If our relationship with Christ appears to be useless and unfruitful then there are two problems and the character of Christ is neither evident nor increasing.
FIRST: We do not really know Christ and do not share the divine nature.
SECOND: We know Christ but…
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Peter asserts that the reason we don’t develop these things is because of blindness. Blindness due to shortsightedness. We don’t see the point. We don’t understand. Why?
Because we forgot what Jesus did in us and there for have no hope of Him living through us. We forget who we are. We forget what He did for us. We forget that we are purified saints. We forget that we are not the same. We forget that we are new creatures created in Christ Jesus for godly living.
We forget that we no longer need to be slaves to sin but are alive to God. We forget what He promises us. We forget that deeper relationship with Christ is the key to life.
Not more seminars.
Not trying harder.
Not seeking some mystery or hidden principle.
Knowing Jesus more deeply opens the flood gate to greater grace and peace which enables us to access an unlimited storehouse of everything we need to live a meaningful and a godly life.
2. Stability (never stumble)
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
Make sure about your relationship. Make sure you really know Jesus. If you know him you will live like Him as a matter of nature. And as long as you live like Jesus, you will never stumble.
“stumble” = error, fall, offend, fail
3. A glorious heavenly reception 1:8-11
for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Remember the One who called you!
Remember who God made you!
Remember to supply character to faith!
Only as we realize that we have been made partakers of divine nature through faith in the promises of God will we live differently. When we forget, we stumble. When we remember, we get to know Jesus better and increase godly character. We have escaped the corruption that is in the world through evil desire. We share in God’s very nature. We are no longer children of Adam but Christ.
1 Peter 1:13-19
Paul exhorted us to glorify God in our body. What kind of temple are you? Do people encounter God by being around you? Whose nature do you reflect to those around you? Have you forgotten your purpose to proclaim His excellencies by practicing His excellencies?
Start today by renewing your commitment to know Christ more deeply.
Institute the things that cultivate relationship. Set aside time to get to know Christ.
