2 Peter 1.1-11
Do you remember the Hitler diaries which appeared a few years ago? Or what about those films of Bigfoot? Crop circles? The Da Vinci Code? All pretending to be something they are not. They are fakes masquerading as the genuine article. Peter in his second letter deals with fakes – in his case it is false teachers who claim knowledge of God but whose lifestyles betray them. You see for Peter, and the rest of the NT writers, there was no division between an internalised private faith and the outward public obedience of that faith. Faith was not a private matter to them and it should not be to us either. In this letter, written by the apostle Peter around 63-68AD, Peter directly addresses the consequences of knowing God. In fact on 11 occasions he speaks of ‘knowledge’ in relation to the Christian believer and God.
Verse 1 this is a normal opening to a letter of the first century. You have the author (Peter), his role (a servant and apostle of Christ) and the recipients (various believers). There is obviously an established relationship with these churches as can be seen in 3.1 where Peter writes about a previous letter he has sent to them, which may or may not have been 1 Peter. In verses 13-14 of chapter 1 and verses 1-3 of chapter 2 we can see that the reasons for this letter were that time was short, Peter knows his death is not far off and he wishes to remind the Christian believers of the basics of the faith and to warn them of the dangers of the false teachers who will tempt them to abandon the true gospel for a morally lax one which makes a division between belief and lifestyle practice. In chapter 2 we will examine more closely the false teaching and the consequences of that in the life of the false teachers and the believers if they embrace such a false gospel.
Verse 2 Peter’s concern for them is now expressed in this verse. He wants them to know and experience the continuing grace of God in their lives and the objective reality of peace which comes from such knowledge. Hence he writes both of ‘grace’ (connected with the unfailing love of God) and ‘peace’ be upon them – these two speak of the new covenant relationship with God in Christ. Peter wants them to have knowledge of God and Jesus – this knowledge is not just an intellectual knowledge but also a knowledge which they experience daily in their lives. For Peter, and the rest of the NT, there is not (and there should not be) a division between what the head knows of God and what the heart experiences of God. Knowledge of God is revealed in His Word and rooted in personal faith – both are important in NT Christianity – and therefore should be important in our lives also.
Verses 1-2 have brought greetings and salutations to the believers as well as introducing the purpose of the letter.
Verses 3-11 we have here a summary of Peter’s gospel – no doubt these 8 verses are really a summary of his teaching amongst the believers – if you look at the verses they form a series of headings for sermons. Peter is coming to the end of his life and these are the things he wants the Christians to remember (God’s grace, how to live for Jesus, the eternal kingdom that awaits us all), when he is gone. Peter tells them four things:
1 Christ has provided everything for salvation and life.
2 Christ has made precious promises to us
3 The Christian must know how to respond
4 Christ promises the Christian a rich welcome and inheritance
Verse 3 – Peter reminds the believers that they did not save themselves but that God in Christ called them by his divine power into a relationship with him. Jesus called them to himself and supplied (and continues to supply) everything necessary for the Christian life. He supplies all that is needed for life and godliness – which is the effectual calling of his people. This salvation and continuing grace has been given (note ‘given’) to them (and us) through the knowledge of Christ (both intellectual and experiential) and this calling came through the ‘glory and goodness’ of Christ. It is Christ who calls us into a new covenant relationship with God and it is Christ who sustains us in that relationship. This verse makes it clear to the believers, and to us, that it is all of grace – from calling, to knowledge to perseverance – it is all of Christ’s working in their lives and in ours.
Verse 4 Peter now tells them that ‘through these’ (Christ’s glory and goodness) the believers have received ‘precious promises from God.’ These precious promises have practical implications in their lives – namely purification from sin and a conversion from old ways of life to godliness. Hence at the end of this verse Peter speaks of sharing in the divine nature and of escaping from the evil desires of this world. Peter understands the battle that goes on in the daily life of a believer not to be corrupted by the evil/sinful desires of this world in which we live. Hence he reassures the believers that in Christ Jesus they have received all they need to remain faithful to Christ and to live lives that reflect their new standing before God. Maybe this morning we need that reassurance also.
Having written to them of what Christ has done, is doing and will do for them he now turns his attention in verses 5-9 to the response of the believer to the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Verses 5-7 hence he begins ‘For this very reason, make every effort…’ The believer is not excused from making an effort to live a life which is productive and effective for Christ. The new birth in Christ does not rule out human activity or effort. Peter calls for progressive growth in the Christian life to be obvious and to be seen. Peter now lists 8 virtues which he sees as being the responsibility of the Christian believer to make every effort to add (or nurture to growth) in their lives if they desire lives which are effective and productive for God.
Goodness – from verse 3 we know this to be an attribute of Christ. Peter wants them to become more Christlike in their lives. Their goodness should set them apart from the pagan world in which they were presently living. The same should be true of us as followers of Christ. E.g. the Amish community and forgiveness recently.
Knowledge – Peter wants them to develop a discerning mind and to deepen their understanding of God. Their knowledge should have the effect of enabling them to discern what is good and God-honouring and therefore to be done in their lives. Sadly this was lacking amongst the false teachers – their moral lives reflected their false teaching. You see for Peter how you lived reflected what you believed and what you believed dictated how you lived. Is that true?
Self-control – we could preach a sermon on this alone. You know in the NT this is one of distinguishing characteristics of a Christian believer – compared to the world around them they had self-control in their lives and over their desires. Chapters 2 and 3 will address the lack of self-control in the lives of the false teachers. If there is one attribute missing today in the lives of most Christians it must be this one – and remember what Peter has prefaced this with – without this (self-control) you will not lead a productive or effective life for Christ. Self-control opens your life to Christian growth and joy, a right use of time and a life that brings glory to God. Without self-control the individual is driven by his or her desires and not by the knowledge of God. So what about you?
Perseverance – Peter knows the danger and the persecution they are facing. He calls them to persevere in the face of difficult times and in withstanding the temptations in the world around them. Can you see if you do not make every effort to have self-control in your life you will not persevere? Peter tells them that as Christians they are not quitters – they stay with the Lord in the difficult as well as the good times. How many believers give up when difficulty arises in their lives – not so Peter.
Godliness – this is an all embracing virtue – it includes the three we have just mentioned and the four to follow.
Brotherly kindness – Peter is not a head in the clouds person. He had had his disagreements with other disciples and on one occasion had a massive row with Paul and yet he remembers the words of Christ that they were not to be lording it over one another but were to be a people marked by brotherly kindness towards one another. Why? Because brotherly kindness in action is one of the most attractive things about a truly Christian community. People are attracted by and to such kindness towards one another. This is not to say it is easy and nor is it an easy acceptance of all that people do or say – the rest of this letter will reflect this tough love in action.
Love – Peter ends his list with this Christian virtue which Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 even survives death. Peter uses the word ‘agape’ here for love – a love which speaks of self-sacrifice and not the self-centred exploitation of the false teachers which he is going to expose.
Verse 8 Peter tells them that adding such virtues to their faith will prevent them being ineffective and unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. You see there truly is no place for lazy Christians according to Peter. You see their knowledge of Jesus is not irrelevant book learning but encourages them, urges them, drives them to make every effort, to strain every muscle, to add these virtues to their faith. Each of these virtues can only be added by actually living them out – they are useless and ineffective if they remain only in the head and are not lived out each day. Let me ask you – Do you want to live a productive and effective life for Christ? According to Peter these 8 virtues are the means for doing so.
Verse 9 what a contrast Peter now paints. Here is a man who cannot see where he is going, does not know what lies ahead and has forgotten what has gone before. You know this is a terrible description if applied to a Christian believer. Forgotten that their sins are forgiven and the cost of that forgiveness on Calvary’s hilltop. So short sighted that his gaze is never lifted beyond the here and now – always focused on the temporal and the material and never lifted to the spiritual or the eternal. A man so short sighted that he is in fact walking around blind, spiritually blind. Unaware of where he is going. Unable to see the road ahead and the great danger that he is in because he is blind. A person who is blind, short-sighted and suffers from amnesia is truly lost and in danger of being eternally lost. Friends, let us be honest, this is the picture of a lot within this building this morning. Even amongst those of you who claim to be followers of Christ. You have forgotten the cost of your forgiveness and the fact that you were bought with the blood of Christ. You cannot, have not lifted, lift your eyes off the here and now. At this present moment you are lost in a fog and have no idea at all about the will of God for you life because verses 5-7 you have given up adding to your life a long time ago and it all seems somewhere in the distant past and you are believing the lie of satan that it cannot be regained and it is not really relevant. Waken up this morning.
Verse 10 heed the warning of this verse and these words this morning. Read verse 10. You want to be assured that your salvation is real and that your election is secure – then live it out daily. Strive to grow these virtues in your life today, tomorrow, next week and so on. Please listen to me here – Peter is not saying you will live a perfect life if you obey these words – that would be to set his words against the rest of the NT. He is saying that you will not fall away from salvation if you strive to live according to your election and calling in Christ. Friends it is like marriage – if you do not work at it, daily, then eventually the marriage dies – it may remain in name and on the face of it but it has actually died – the same is true of our relationship with God. Hence Christ’s parable of the Sower – 3 out of the 4 grounds do not bear fruit – even though they received the seed, even though in two of them the seed took root and grew – it is only the one which perseveres to the end (the harvest) that truly received the seed. Peter says the same here – you want to be sure you are saved – then live in the knowledge that you are – don’t give up and don’t give in.
Verse 11 The result – eternal life – a rich welcome and inheritance awaits you in Christ Jesus. You see the false teachers lived as if this life was all that there was and that the pleasures of this world were all that mattered. Unfortunately some of the believers were starting to live the same way. Unfortunately some of the church is doing the same today. Peter says don’t be so short-sighted – this world is reserved for judgement (chapter 3) and then what awaits you? For the believer who perseveres there is a rich inheritance and welcome in Christ Jesus.
Application.
Challenge – head knowledge must be seen in life – there can be no division between what I believe and how I live – if there is then I don’t actually believe what I say I believe.
I must remember that I am a new creation in Christ and that this changes my life and how I live. The 8 virtues should be seen in my life daily and they should be growing as I grow in my knowledge of Christ.
Am I blind, short sighted and suffering form amnesia? If I am what am I going to do about it? Do I really care about living an effective and productive life for Christ Jesus? Amen.
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