FURTHERING Your FAITH-III—2Peter 1:5-11[Part 3--:6b-7(:5-7)]
Attention:
A popular adage goes something like this, “If you do what you love to do, then you’ll never have to ‘work’ a day in your life.”
?What is it that you really love to do? ?Is there some way to make a ‘Christ-honoring’ career out of that?
?Is what you really love to do, helpful to others?.....NOT self-serving, but self-giving?...NOT giving others what they WANT, But instead offering them what is helpful to them?
?What must be ‘added’ or furnished(ability, experience) in order for you to have that kind of career?....The kind of career where Christ can be honored in what you do?
?What must be ‘added’ or furnished to your life, in order for you to have a truly enjoyable & also useful career?(Specific training--Further schooling; ‘On-the-job-training’; Preparatory work doing something that you don’t plan on continuing; Learning the value of a dollar; Learning the value of humility; Learning the value of responsible leadership.)
A ‘basic’ career is a platform, to which necessities are added, so that the intended use might be well met.
Your Christian saving faith, is a ‘basic’ platform, to which Christ-honoring necessities must be added, so that God’s people might be properly equipped to produce a predictable & beneficial Christ-honoring outcome.
Need:
?Are you satisfied with your walk with Jesus?
?Are you pleased with your working relationship with the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit?
Some Christians may....
•Struggle with their calling & their giftedness.
•Struggle to ‘fit in’ with the church.
•Struggle with applying their calling & giftedness outside of a church setting....
•Struggle to bring their trust in Christ into their family situations.
•Struggle to bring their trust in Christ into their employment circumstances.
And those very ‘struggles’ are directly related to Furthering Your Faith!
The apostle Peter encouraged the Churches to bolster/strengthen/further support their initial faith in Christ, in order to provide an ‘abundant’ entrance to God’s kingdom.
God’s people are obligated to further their faith.
In our text, Peter answers the question:
?What does ‘Furthering Your Faith’ involve or entail?...
We are continuing to examine:
4 factors for Furthering Your Faith.
In the last few weeks, we began looking at the fact that,
Furthering Your Faith involves...
1. DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Parts 1-2--:5a-6a]
And Today, we’ll continue to flesh out the fact that:
(CONT...)1—Furthering Your Faith involves...
DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Part 3--:6b-7]
*INTRODUCTION:*
Before we address the remainder of the “additions to your faith” in :5-7, please recall the following:
1)“Faith” that saves your soul from hell, is just the ‘beginning point’ of a much more intentional & complex work of God in your life.
2)So each of these “additions” brings a ‘needed’/necessary element to your Christian “faith.”
3)Each of these “additions”, furnish you the believer, with an intensification of Christ-honoring spiritual strengths, that will bring boldness & fulfillment to your life.
4)Each element is “added” to the other, so that the Christian’s “faith” will become consistent, & overwhelmingly full & whole.
5)All these elements(“additions”) together, are characteristic of STRONG Christian “faith.”
6)Your Christian “faith” CAN become a source of encouragement for you, as well as for those who encounter your fullness of “faith”!
So far we have found that, you & I as God’s people, must put forth the effort—Do our DUE DILIGENCE(:5-7)— so as NOT to leave our ‘saving faith’ stagnant & anemic!
•Saving faith in Jesus Christ was never intended to be ‘fire-insurance’ faith!...so that you’ll ‘barely squeak by’ into the Kingdom of God, ‘by-the-skin-of-your-teeth’, or by ‘the-hair-of-your-‘chinny-chin-chin’!(cf.-1Cor. 3:11-17)
•Rather, all Christians are expected to, & must, “add to” (:5) or ‘furnish’ other elements to their “faith” in order for it to be a truly viable & life-changing Christian “faith.”
By examining our current text in verses :5-7, we’ve found that we must be individually “diligent”, to ENSURE that our personal “faith” exemplifies Christ-honoring “virtue” or moral uprightness. And to that “to virtue”, is to be “added” or furnished, “knowledge”, & “to knowledge” is to be furnished, “self-control.”
?Does your Christian “faith” exemplify Christ-honoring ‘moral uprightness/excellence’(“virtue”)?
?Does your Christian “faith” exemplify Christ-honoring “knowledge”?
?Does your Christian “faith” exemplify Christ-honoring “self control”?.....
...!It SHOULD & it CAN!
(CONT...)1—Furthering Your Faith involves...
DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Part 3--:6b-7]
:6b—“...to self-control perseverance,...”
Peter shows us that there is yet another characteristic that must comprise your “faith”, in order to make it Christ-honoring...
For a “faith” that’s given to Christ-honoring ‘moral excellence’(“virtue”), “knowledge”, & “self-control”, God’s intent is still further normalized, fleshed-out, manifested, bolstered, tempered, & strengthened thru & in, “perseverance.”
*“Perseverance”(or ‘endurance’) is maintaining one’s course in the Lord thru all manner of freedoms & trials...‘Thru-thick-&-thin’ as we might say. It has everything to do with continuance.
Js. 1:2-4—“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience[upomonh]. But let patience[upomonh] have its perfect work, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking nothing.”
Lk. 21:19—Jesus encouraged the faithful who would be held accountable for their Christian faith, in the context of persecution & intolerance from others,—“By your patience[upomonh] possess your souls.”
Rom. 5:1-5—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance[upomonh]; & perseverance[upomonh], character; & character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
•“Perseverance”(endurance/patience) describes ‘remaining steadfast’ & ‘loyal’ to God the Father, God the Son, & God the Holy Spirit, above everyone & everything else.
•God’s people that “persevere” ‘remain steadfast’ & ‘loyal’ to God, DESPITE the weight & force pressed upon their lives, by a world that runs the spiritual gamut—from being openly hostile toward you, to being openly tolerant of Christian norms, & everything in-between.
*Everything about your Christian “faith” is tempered & strengthened by it’s being furnished with “perseverance.”(:6b)
*?Does Christ-honoring “Perseverance” accent/characterize the way you live the life that God has granted to you?
“Perseverance/Endurance”—upomonh—Noun Fem. - Dative Sing. Fem.—1) Steadfastness, constancy, endurance—1a) in the NT--The characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose & his loyalty to faith & piety by even the greatest trials & sufferings, 1b) Patiently, & steadfastly; 2) A patient, steadfast waiting for; 3) A patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance. Upomonh is the temper which does not easily succumb under suffering, makroyumia is the self restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. The one[makroyumia] is opposed to cowardice or despondency, the other[upomonh] is opposed to wrath & revenge. Strong—Cheerful(or hopeful) endurance, constancy.?From—upo—1) By, under. Strong—Under, Beneath, or Through; Whither, Underneath, or Below, or At; a primary preposition.—&—menw—1) To remain, abide; 2) To wait for, await one. Strong—To stay(in a given place, state, relation or expectancy); a primary verb.
:6c—“...to perseverance godliness,...”
*There is yet another characteristic that must be furnished to help complete your Christian “faith”...
*So as with the previous aspects, a “faith” given to Christ-honoring “virtue”, “knowledge”, “self-control”, & “perseverance”, is even further normalized, fleshed-out, manifested, bolstered, tempered, & strengthened thru & in, “godliness.”
•“Godliness” speaks to a Christian’s being so “virtuous”, “knowledgeable”, “self-controlled”, & “persevering” that they readily & intentionally order & pattern their life around their personally ‘devoted reverence’ for God.
•“Godly” people are careful to live in a manner that accords with everything associated with God & His Kingdom.
•“Godly” Christians are concerned to examine & approach their world, recognizing God’s design & hand in all things, even though ‘all things’ don’t necessarily honor God. “Godly” Christians ‘adore’ God, & honor Him with all their actions.
•It is not possible to personally approve & live ‘revering’ God, without first establishing a personal relationship with Him thru Jesus. Trust in Jesus is our starting point & continues to be our carrying & maintenance point throughout life!
•Rom. 5:1-2—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Only God’s people truly ‘revere’ God, because they personally ‘adore’ Him, & have given their lives to Him.
God’s people who truly exhibit “godliness”—NOT something ‘canned’ or outwardly copied—constantly call attention to the true God of creation, salvation, & life, by the way that they live their lives!
•Ritual & sacrament are a sure means of placating a desire for ‘canned’ & copied “godliness.” If you don’t personally experience “godliness”, then unfortunately, you can cover it & substitute it with ritual & sacrament.
?Does your Christian “faith” reflect “godliness”—a reverence & adoration for Almighty God, in all of His attributes, in all of His work?
*Everything about your Christian “faith” is tempered & strengthened by it’s being furnished with “Godliness.”(:6c)
*?Does Christ-honoring “Godliness” accent/characterize the way you live the life that God has granted to you?
“Godliness/Piety”(See :3, 7)—eusebeia—Noun Fem. - Accusative Sing. Fem.—Lit. = ‘Well-Revered’ or ‘Well-Adored’—1) Reverence, respect; 2) Piety towards God, godliness. Strong—Piety; specially--The gospel scheme. Used 15X.?From—eu—adverbially--Well; neuter of a primary euv(good).—&—sebomai—To revere, i.e. Adore.
:7a—“...to godliness brotherly kindness...”
Another of the “additions”, furnishings, or supplies intended by God for the sake of your “faith”, is “brotherly kindness.”
*So as your “faith” is strengthened thru the “additions” of “virtue”, “knowledge”, “self-control”, “perseverance”, & “godliness”, so your Christian “faith” is still further normalized, fleshed-out, manifested, bolstered, tempered, & strengthened thru & in, “brotherly kindness.”
“Brotherly kindness” speaks to the fact that God’s people are ‘family’, as if they were born from the same womb, as indeed they are!(see definition)
“Brotherly kindness” manifests itself in a ‘fondness’ or ‘affection’ for your brothers & sisters in Christ.
•You appreciate them & enjoy being with them, because you are of the same spiritual ‘family’, having been bought by the blood of Jesus!
“The companion of affection for God, is affection for others.”—John MacArthur
So the affection that you have for God, that is lived out in godliness, will manifest itself in a similar fondness for all those who belong to God.
*Everything about your Christian “faith” is tempered & strengthened by it’s being furnished with “Brotherly Kindness.”(:7a)
*?Does Christ-honoring “Brotherly Kindness” accent/characterize the way you live the life that God has granted to you?
“Brotherly Kindness/Brotherly Affection”2X—filadelfia—Noun Dative Sing. Fem.—1) Love of brothers or sisters, brotherly love; 2) in the NT--The love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren. Strong—Fraternal affection. Used 6X.?From—filov—properly--Dear, i.e. A friend; Fond, i.e. Friendly(an associate, neighbor, etc.).—&—adelfov—A brother(literally or figuratively); From--A(as a connective particle).—&—delfuv—The womb.
:7b—“...and to brotherly kindness love.”
Another of the “additions”, furnishings, & supplies intended by God for the sake of your “faith”, is “love.”
*So in the same manner as the others, a “faith” given to “virtue”, “knowledge”, “self-control”, “perseverance”, “godliness”, & “brotherly kindness”, is even further fleshed-out, manifested, bolstered, tempered, & strengthened thru & in, “love.”
Lest we suppose “brotherly kindness” or “brotherly” affection is the same as “love”, Peter informs us that God’s people must also have agaph “love” as a characteristic part of their Christian “faith.”
•Agaph “love” is the highest expression of love. Agaph “love” is selfless love, which cannot be turned in on itself.
•Agaph “love” is not determined by the whimsical flight of emotion. Agaph “love” is a determination of the will, entered into by the direction of God & by your adherence to God.
*Thus agaph “love” overwhelms & covers all sins(Prov. 10:12). Agaph “love” is the very “love” of God, that is compelled in & thru God’s people by His Holy Spirit.
Jn. 13:34-35—““A new commandment I give to you, that you love[agapaw-verb] one another; as I have loved[agapaw] you, that you also love[agapaw] one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love[agaph-noun] for one another.””
1Cor. 13:2—“And though I have the gift of prophecy, & understand all mysteries & all knowledge, & though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love[agaph-noun], I am nothing.”
*Everything about your Christian “faith” is tempered & strengthened by it’s being furnished with agaph “love.”(:7b)
*?Does Christ-honoring agaph “Love” accent/characterize the way you live the life that God has granted to you?
“Love/Charity”—agaph—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast. R.H. Mounce—Agaph is selfless love, which cannot be turned in on itself. J. MacArthur—‘...one of the rarest words in Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament.’
Argumentation:
*1Cor. 15:58—“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
*Heb. 3:14—“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,”
*Col. 1:21-23—“And you, who once were alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, & blameless, & above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast, & are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
*2Chron. 15:7-8—the Holy Spirit thru Azariah, the son of Oded the prophet, to king Asa of Judah,—“But you, be strong & do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” And when Asa heard these words & the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, & removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah & Benjamin & from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; & he restored the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD.”
*James 1:21-25—“Therefore lay aside all filthiness & overflow of wickedness, & receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word & not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, & immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty & continues in it, & is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
*1Jn. 3:18-23—“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed & in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, & shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, & knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments & do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ & love one another, as He gave us commandment.”
Mat. 25:34-40—““Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me food; I was thirsty & you gave Me drink; I was a stranger & you took Me in; ‘I was naked & you clothed Me; I was sick & you visited Me; I was in prison & you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry & feed You, or thirsty & give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger & take You in, or naked & clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, & come to You?’ “And the King will answer & say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
2Cor. 7:1—“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Ps. 55:22—“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
1Thes. 4:1-2—“Finally then, brethren, we urge & exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more & more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk & to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.”
2Thes. 1:3-5—“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, & the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience & faith in all your persecutions & tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;”
Jude 1:20-21—“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Illustration:
*Edging the driveway with Roundup, is vastly better, than constantly pulling up weeds by the roots! Once you commit to using Roundup, life without weeds is easier, neater, & longer lasting DUE DILIGENCE DONE
In order to attract & have healthy hummingbirds, there is some work that must be done. Hummingbird feeder—Needs constant attention. Clean out the bird feeder. Make food by heating water to near-boiling or boiling. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to room-temperature. Fill feeder. Hang feeder. DUE DILIGENCE DONE.
Shower. Hard water. The bane of using ‘hard water’ is the residue left behind! If you do not take care of the residue on a regular basis, it will accumulate so much so, that you will have to work extra hard to remove it. We’ve found that making a daily effort to squeegee the shower after each use, is a lot more rewarding over time, because you won’t have to work hard to cover your tracks! DUE DILIGENCE DONE
Application:
?Is YOUR ‘DUE DILIGENCE DONE’ born of FURTHERING YOUR FAITH in Christ?
?Are YOU in fact, FURTHERING YOUR Christian FAITH?
*?Does Christ-honoring “FAITH” accent/characterize the way you live the life that God has granted to you?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
•A ‘basic’ career is a platform, to which necessities are added, so that the intended use/future might be well met.
•Your Christian saving faith, is a ‘basic’ platform, to which Christ-honoring necessities must be added, so that God’s people might be equipped to produce a beneficial Christ-honoring outcome.
Action:
Furthering Your Faith involves...
1. DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Part 3--:6b-7]
1. DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Part 1--:5a-d]
1. DUE DILIGENCE DONE(:5-7)[Part 2--:5e-6a]
Pt#1-(1:5-7)[Part 3--:6b-7] only! presented 08/18/2024am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Road
Bennettsville, SC 29512
