A Somber Warning For Professing Christians

Last week, we considered this great and this

glorious promise found in verse 8 of 2 Peter

that says, 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. We saw that there's a promise of

usefulness and fruitfulness in the Christian

life for those who are diligently pursuing and

walking in these qualities that Peter gives us

in verses 5 -7. This week we come to a warning

in the text. Not a promise, but a warning. for

the people of God, for professing Christians.

Now, the Bible is full of warnings. If we read

the Old Testament, especially the prophets, we'll

encounter warning after warning. Exhortation,

turn after exhortation. We'll see it over and

over and over. This is a good reminder that we

need the full counsel of God in our lives. We

need a well -rounded knowledge of the Word and

we need a well -rounded revelation. The Bible

has been given to us as a whole, singular deposit

of truth. And we need all of it for our up -building,

for our strengthening, for our assurance, for

our growth in grace. I think oftentimes our thinking

can get off if it's not regularly adjusted or

course corrected. Sometimes, brothers and sisters,

that adjustment and that correction comes by

way of promise. But other times, That adjustment

and that correction comes by way of warning or

exhortation like we have in the text today. In

God's eternal and good wisdom, he requires us

to hear the promises of God, but also to hear

his warnings. are necessary. Both are required

and both are edifying for our souls, brothers

and sisters. We must hear the promise of last

week of usefulness and fruitfulness. But listen,

Christian. You must also hear the warning of

the text today if you are to be a well -rounded

believer who... grows in godliness and grace

and their love for Christ. We need both. In some

ways, the reality that there are so many warnings

in Scripture, it reminds us of our sin. Everywhere

and all the time, the Bible assumes the sinfulness

of its readers. The fact that we are deceitful

even to ourselves because of the nature of our

hearts. It assumes presumptuous sins in the lives

of its readers. We need promises, but we need

warnings. I know with confidence that there are

people in this room that needed the promise from

last week and benefited from the promise last

week. But listen, brothers and sisters, I know

with confidence that there are people in this

room that need the warning from our text today.

They need to hear it. They need to open up their

ears and embrace the Word of God and to be transformed

and to be delivered from whatever it is that

they're struggling with, whatever it is that

they're facing, whatever sin they're wrestling

with. We need... Promises and we need warnings.

Today, in our text, we come to a time of warning.

So this week we're going to consider this somber

exhortation to professing Christians. Consider

first with me the nature of this somber warning.

When we come to verse 9, you'll notice that there's

a... There's a stark difference in the demeanor

of the verse. Everything in chapter 1 has been

overwhelmingly positive in 2 Peter so far. Do

this, be this, God has given this, God has done

this. But now we come to verse 9, and he says,

For he who lacks these qualities is blind or

short -sighted, having forgotten his purification.

from his former sins. Now, there's certain difficulties

in this text, and primarily because there's a

degree of uncertainty with regards to who Peter

is talking about. Is he talking about Christians

who are blind, short -sighted, and forgetful?

Or is he talking about non -believers who are

blind, short -sighted, and forgetful? Forgetful.

There's a certain ambiguity in the text, and

it seems that Peter leaves it open for either.

Whichever way you go, there's going to be difficulties

in the text. Now, part of this is resolved by

understanding that this is a warning that's hypothetical,

potential, and possible. We'll notice in the

text that, especially in verse 8, in verses 5

through 7 and 8, Peter's using you, you all,

your. But then when he gets to verse 9, he says,

for he who. Almost like this potential possible

situation. It's a warning and an exhortation.

He leaves it open. for Christian or non -Christian,

but they all fall under this category of professing

Christian. Now, in my mind, this is very, very

realistic. Do you know why, in my mind, this

is very realistic, brothers and sisters? Because

when we're dealing with people, things are not

always cut and dry. When we're dealing with people,

things are not always black and things are not

always white. Do you know why? Because people

are intricate. People are complex. And then you

add a sinful nature into that. You get all kinds

of disruptions in thinking. All kinds of disruptions

and desires and longings. People have a mind,

they have a soul, they have emotions, they have

a will, they have a body, they have morality,

a center of morality within them. And when you

add corruption into the midst of that, you get

all sorts of disruptions in that person, and

it becomes very, very complex. It's not just

here and there. And Peter knows this. But this

warning... is relevant for the most complex of

persons. This warning in verse 9 covers and encapsulates

every single type of person in the church. We

do know one thing with certainty about this text.

That thing is that he's speaking of professing

Christians. We know this because at the end of

verse 9, Peter says this, having forgotten his

purification from his former sins. Now why is

that important? Why is that significant, brothers

and sisters? Because it shows that he's dealing

with individuals who have claimed to have been

pardoned. He's dealing with individuals that

claim to be forgiven of their sins. He's dealing

with individuals who say that they've been washed

by the blood of Christ. He's dealing with individuals

who have made a profession of faith at some point

in time, verbally, but also, brothers and sisters,

most likely through baptism and identifying publicly

with Christ. He's talking about people who are

in the Christian community. He's talking about

people who know things about Christ. He's talking

about people who are around the church, who are

a part of the church. We're dealing with professing

Christians. Now the thing about that term is

this. It doesn't just refer to false. hypocritical

Christians who make a profession yet don't actually

possess Christ, it's actually dealing with genuine

Christians as well. Because everybody in the

church ought to be a professing Christian. Everybody

in the church are professors. Meaning, if you

are part of the church, you are professing to

know the Lord Jesus. You are professing to believe

certain realities and certain truths. But false

Christians who don't genuinely and truly know

the Lord Jesus Christ do the same thing. Even

if they're doing it maliciously or if they're

doing it under deceit, they're doing the same

thing. Everybody in the Christian church ought

to be professors. But listen, that does not mean

that everybody in the church actually possesses

Jesus Christ by faith. There's a big difference.

And everybody here knows that. The difference

is between heaven and hell. The difference is

between salvation. and damnation, brothers and

sisters. That's a chasm. Do you actually have

Christ by faith? Have you been born again and

transformed? Are you living a godly life unto

the glory of God? Do you know Him truly and genuinely?

Do you love Him? And do you know that He loves

you? That's the genuine Christian who professes

to know Jesus Christ. Or there can be the professing

Christian who knows the language and the lingo,

who's been around church, who knows the traditions,

who knows the right answers, can talk about theology

or doctrine, can talk about the confession, can

talk about church practices, can talk about morality

and ethics and how we ought to live and how we

ought not to live. But all the while, they don't

actually know Jesus Christ by... Even though

they profess to know Jesus Christ by faith. I

think this helps us understand some of the ambiguity

in the text. Some of the difficulties in the

text. Peter's giving a warning to this group,

this category of professing Christian. Now, we

must also consider what prompted Peter to give

this warning. What prompted him to give such

strong words? What prompted him to say, for he

who lacks these qualities is blind or short -sighted,

having forgotten his purification from his former

sins? It's the reality that he's been talking

about the importance of the abiding presence

and growth of these realities in verses 5 through

7. These qualities spoken of in 5 through 7.

Try to recall them in your mind as we've talked

about them, as we've reviewed them, as we've

looked at them over the last several weeks. These

qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self

-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly

kindness, and love. Or, as we've referred to

them, the realities of godliness. In verse 5,

Peter gives the encouragement, applying all diligence

in your faith, supply. He's encouraging his readers

to activity, work, and labor, and diligence in

the pursuit of a godly life. He's exhorting them

to ensure that these characteristics and these

traits are a settled, permanent part of their

characters and their lives. He's showing them

the significance of these traits. And he gives

this glorious promise of usefulness and fruitfulness

in the Christian life. He wants them to know

the significance, the importance of these qualities

and these traits. And he says that he now must

show them that it's just as important, that it's

just as significant, if you are a professing

believer and these characteristics and these

traits are absent. There is a neglect in the

pursuit of holiness. There is a neglect in going

after godliness in these traits. There is a neglect

in seeking Knowledge and moral excellence in

the Christian life. It's not there. You don't

want it and you don't care and you don't desire

it. There is a neglect in the diligent pursuit

of brotherly kindness and godliness and perseverance

and love. Peter is saying, if you're a professing

believer, these things are important to have.

But listen, it's also a big deal if they're not

there. It's significant. It's meaningful if those

things are absent in your life. And he says that

if they're absent, there's actually great cause

for concern in your life. There's great cause.

There's great reason to be worried about the

condition of your soul. Listen, brothers and

sisters. Holiness of life. is a big deal for

the professing Christian. But for the professing

Christian, the absence of a holy life is a big

deal also. For one who claims Jesus Christ, for

one who claims the cross of Calvary and the blood

of the Lord Jesus Christ, for one who claims

the righteousness of Jesus Christ in justification

by faith. For one who claims the resurrection

and the power and the newness of life that comes

with union with Christ in His death and in His

resurrection, for one who claims that, yet to

lack and to have an absence of holiness in their

life, that's a frightful thing. That's an important

thing. That's a big thing for one who professes

to be indwelt by the divine. Holy Spirit of God,

yet not to seek out perseverance, knowledge,

moral excellence, greater faith, brotherly kindness,

and love? Brothers and sisters, that's cause

for great concern. That's cause to take inventory

of our hearts, of our minds, of our lives. We

should be alarmed. If there's that inconsistency

in our lives. We should be concerned and worried

about our souls if there's that inconsistency.

If it's present. How much greater concern for

those who are not simply lacking these qualities

yet, still living a moral life. But how much

greater concern for those who are professing

Christians, yet living in open, willing transgression

of God's law. Those people who profess to know

Christ, yet they willingly partake of that which

Christ died for. Those people... who transgressed

God's holy law freely while professing to love

Christ with their mouths. I'm reminded of Hebrews

10 .31. It is a terrifying thing to fall into

the hands of the living God. Brothers and sisters,

this is what prompted Peter's warning. Love for

the souls of those that he is writing to. He

cares about their eternal, never -dying, immortal

soul. He cares about the condition of their heart,

the condition of their lives, and he knows that

it's no small thing to profess Christ and to

neglect a godly life. Let's move on to another

consideration. The content of this warning. The

text reads, he who lacks these qualities is blind

or short -sighted, having forgotten his purification

from his former sins. Essentially, Peter is saying

this. If these qualities, these traits aren't

true of you. then here is what's true of you.

If these aren't true of you, then these are true

of you. He says that those who lack such qualities

are blind or nearsighted. He's most likely, when

he's doing this, when he says blind or nearsighted,

when he says nearsighted, he's saying this is

the kind of blindness you have. He's saying you're

blind and here's the kind of blindness you have.

You're nearsighted. It's actually where we get

the word myopic. The inability to see far away.

I know it's a disease. I don't know too much

about it. But it's also used in a metaphorical

sense for lack of discernment, lack of foresight,

lack of forward thinking, far off thinking. Peter's

saying that those who lack godliness in their

life yet profess to know Christ only see what's

directly in front of them. He's saying they're

ignorant of what comes after their sight. He's

saying that they're constrained, they're limited

in their sight to what's right here. To that

which is immediately affecting them. They don't

look beyond that. They can't see through that.

This word always, always has negative connotations.

Always. It has to do with ignorance, unbelief,

and slowness to understand and comprehend or

to grasp something. Professing Christians who

do not diligently seek after godliness, Peter

is saying that they are consumed with what is

right in front of them. They only focus on the

things which immediately concern them, worldly,

carnal, earthly, temporal, physical, material

realities, the things of this world that have

to do with them. I think Peter would agree with

me saying this. They're ultimately pragmatic

people. They have to deal with what they have

to do in life. They have to deal with the stuff

of life, with their lives and being successful,

and the things that really matter. Their focus

is on immediate circumstances, pleasures, indulgences,

and needs. If you look at 2 Peter 2, I think

Peter gives you a great example of what it looks

like to be nearsighted. Those people who enjoy

the things of the flesh with no thought to the

consequences of those actions. Things which are

only bound to this world. Consider what Paul

says. In 2 Corinthians 4, 17 -18, in contrast

to what Peter is saying, he says in 17 -18, For

momentary light affliction is producing for us

an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison,

while we look not at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen. For the

things which are seen are temporal, but the things

which are not seen are eternal. Paul proclaims

loud and clear that he looks at far off, distant

realities, eternal, invisible, spiritual, promised

realities that are yet to come. He's not looking

at the things of this world, the earthly realities.

He's looking at far -off realities, distant realities.

Christians are called to be like those saints

of old in Hebrews chapter 11. Do you remember

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

the saints in Hebrews chapter 11? One of my favorite

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapters in the whole Bible, brothers and sisters.

These great and mighty examples of faith. These

men and women who suffered. These men and women

who were aliens in this world. They were pilgrims

in this world. But all the while, because of

their faith, they found approval and they were

pleasing to God. And they were looking to a reward

that was outside of this world. What were they

looking at? Where was their gaze? What were their

eyes set upon? Was it set upon earthly kingdoms?

Was it set upon earthly wealth? Was it set upon

earthly power? Was it set upon the things of

this world? No, brothers and sisters, it was

set on the promises of God. It was set upon far

off, distant, far away things. Christians are

those who make it clear that they are seeking

a country of their own that is a heavenly one.

They are those looking for the city which has

whose architect and builder is God. Brothers

and sisters, believers are those called to look

by faith at things not yet realized. Things which

are promised and not yet culminated. Things which

are to come at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The exhortation in this is to open our eyes,

isn't it? To peel off the scales and to look

at what we need to be looking, to set our gaze

on the things which we ought to be gazing. It's

the essence of short -sightedness and ignorance

to profess To have all these glorious gospel

promises. And to never look at them. To have

all these glorious promises by Christ. Every

spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in

Christ. Everything that we have in Christ. And

everything that is coming for the Christian.

And the new heavens and the new earth. A resurrected

body. And yet, all we do is look at the things

of this world. Sliding those eternal, invisible,

spiritual, and glorious realities. It's such

people. It's because of this that people do not

care for godliness. Because their focus and priority

is not eternal. Their focus and priority is here

and now, what's directly in front of me. Peter

says that this is true of you, professing Christian,

if you do not possess these qualities. He says

that this is true of you, professing Christian,

If you are not diligently pursuing, seeking,

and walking in these realities he's put forth

in verses 5 -7. He says that those who lack such

qualities are forgetful, not just blind or short

-sighted. They are not mindful or conscious of

the gospel and what Christ has done for them.

They don't see their need for repentance. They

don't see their need for forgiveness of sins.

They don't see their need for the blood of Christ

anymore. They're content with being mindful of

their own lives, their own circumstances, their

own needs, their own situations. The work of

Jesus Christ and the implications of his completed

work on the cross. It has no deep root in their

heart or in their mind. And do you know why?

Because there's no room. It's so full of weeds.

It's so full of everything that involves in this

life. It's so full of the things of this world

that there's no room for the things of Christ.

It's pushed out. These truths about Christ have

no room to blossom in their hearts because it's

always suffocated by the mindfulness of everything

else in their life. Peter says that this is true

of those individuals who don't walk and live

in godliness. We can start to get a picture and

get a sense of the portrait that Peter is painting,

can't we? The type of individual that he's painting.

A professing Christian who lacks these vital

qualities of holiness and godliness and heart

in life. And it demonstrates what they prioritize

and ultimately... value the most. Worldly things,

earthly things, not eternal, spiritual things,

not godliness. They care more for their well

-being and their present life, their income and

their status, their needs, their pleasure, their

standing with men. Then they do, they're never

dying eternal soul. Consider that. Think about

that. Never dying eternal soul, brothers and

sisters, or the things of this world. Which ought

we to value more? Which ought we to care more

about? Which ought to consume our minds and our

thoughts and our hearts? What ought to motivate

and drive and compel us? Which one? You can't

tell me that that's not messed up thinking. If

you value a home which is made of wood, that

can burn down and will never go into eternity,

more than your never dying immortal soul that

must stand before Jesus Christ and give an account.

If you care more about the pleasures of this

life than you do about pleasing Christ, is that

not messed up? Is that not backwards? That's

what sin does. It messes up our hearts. It messes

up our desires. It messes up our longings. It

makes us... Blind and nearsighted and forgetful,

brothers and sisters. Peter's writing to wake

up his readers. He's writing to shake them out

of the slumber that they are in. He knows it's

a dangerous game to play. And we ought to never

play games with our souls. God doesn't. He won't.

He never has and he never will, and you ought

not either. We ought to take these things serious.

This kind of person manifests their blindness,

and it works itself out in shallow, superficial,

ineffective, useless, unfruitful Christianity

that has no vital power, Or life. Peter says.

That if you are not. Diligently seeking. Desiring.

Pursuing. And walking in. These qualities. That

this is true. Of you. Professing Christian. Hear

the warning. Listen to what Peter is saying.

Consider your life. Consider your soul. Now,

why did Peter write this warning? Why is he giving

this warning to the people of God? Well, we've

already seen that it's because he loves them.

And we recognize that and we know that. So we

must conclude that this is a gracious, a merciful,

and a loving act on Peter's part. He warns them

because he loves them. It's gracious of God to

warn us of our sin and its consequences. This

is meant to bring men and women, professing Christians,

to a place of examination and repentance in their

lives. As we noted, and this is important, this

is a warning for the professing Christian. Who

is neglecting godliness or it's absent in their

life. It's not a settled, permanent, and growing

part of their character and of their life. Peter's

warning his beloved Christians, his beloved people,

because he knows and he understands that there

is an unbreakable bond. There is an unbreakable

connection and link between the work of Christ

on the cross and the possession and experience

of vital godliness in one's life. This is why

he brings up purification at the end of the verse.

Or we could say the forgiveness of sins. He's

bringing in the objective, completed work of

Christ and connecting it to vital godliness or

the absence thereof. Why is he doing that? Because

he's saying there's something much more deep.

There's something much deeper. There's something

much more serious that's going on beneath the

surface. This could point to, this could show

something much more significant. He knows that

there's this unbreakable link. Sin creates a

two -fold need in our lives, brothers and sisters,

with regards to redemption and salvation. The

first is the need for deliverance, forgiveness,

freedom from the guilt of sin. That's dealt with

on the cross. That's dealt with in the death

of Jesus Christ, in justification, and God declaring

us righteous in his sight. It's objective, it's

completed, it's done. It's outside and separate

from our experience. But there's another need

that's created because of sin. And that is for

cleansing from sin in us. That work is completed

in the sinner's life. That work is a gradual,

progressive, experiential work of renewal and

sanctification. Where we progressively are made

more like the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason I

say these two things is because Peter wants us

to understand this link, this bond between the

objective and completed work of Christ, the forgiveness

of sins, and vital godliness or the lack thereof.

It's important to understand, brothers and sisters,

that the work of Christ on the cross cannot be

disconnected from sanctification. The very reason

that Christ died on the cross was that we might

be sanctified and that we might be delivered

in the coming day. The work of Christ is made

effective in the life of the believer, in the

life of the sinner, when it's applied to them

in calling, regeneration, and Sanctification.

So the work of Christ that he's accomplished

in redemption is applied to the individual's

life in this capacity, in this way. The two can't

be torn apart. They can't be separated. It's

out of sanctification and calling and conversion

that godliness works itself out. It comes from,

it results from, it blossoms as a result of that

renewal, that sanctification, that transformation

that the Spirit of God works into us. So, it's

this. If Christ has forgiven you, Christ will

sanctify you. If Christ has justified you by

His righteousness, you will be taught to walk.

in practical righteousness in this life. If Christ

has died for you, you will be cleansed and purified

of sin, not wholly and not completely. Don't

hear me saying that. We will have a remnant of

sin in our lives all the days of our life until

our death. But you can't remove the subjective.

work of sanctification from the objective, completed

work of Christ on the cross and the forgiveness

of sins. So, why do I go down this road, brothers

and sisters? To show you that if you don't have

vital godliness in your life, it brings into

question the validity of your forgiveness of

sins. If you don't have vital godliness in your

life, it brings into question whether a true

work of grace has actually really taken place

in your soul. Because godliness is the fruit

and the result and the outcome of sanctification.

And sanctification is bound to Christ's work

on the cross. That's why this is so important.

Because there are eternal souls at stake and

Peter knows it. Peter knows that the presence

or absence of these qualities is evidence of

a work of grace or concern that no such work

has ever taken place. The warning is meant to

show man one of two things. This is for the professing

Christian. It's meant to show them either They

are a professing Christian who is backslidden

in the faith and in desperate need of repentance.

And if that is you today, listen, brother, listen,

sister, return to Christ. Give up the sin. Forsake

the pleasure. Forsake the bitterness. Forsake

the hatred and the envy. Give up the hardness

of heart. Give up the frustration. Give up the

pleasure and the love of self and return to your

Heavenly Father who still loves you with the

same love that He has for Jesus Christ. Give

up the things of this world and your affections

being set upon them and return to the Lord Jesus

Christ in repentance and faith. Plead with Him

for strength and life. and preservation, and

diligence, and power to walk in godliness and

holiness, to honor His name. That's one option.

What's the other option? What's the other potential

outcome for the professing believer who lacks

these qualities and has no vital godliness in

their life? That they are professing Christian

who is hypocritical. A false believer that has

never known the grace of God. If this is the

case, this individual is still in their sins

and under the wrath of the living God. They are

waiting for judgment and they ought to expect

a harsher judgment. Greater, more severe judgment.

Do you know why? Because of the knowledge of

the gospel that they possess and they have and

they have professed to known. You're either a

professing Christian and you're backslidden or

you're a professing Christian and you're no Christian

at all if you have no godliness in your life.

If you are a professing believer. and you're

sitting in the pew as a hypocrite, and you have

no desire, no longing, no interest in the things

of God, in the things of Christ, and these glorious

realities that He's described, that righteous

life in Matthew 5 -7, then listen. Run to the

Lord Jesus Christ. Flee from the wrath to come.

Turn from your sin now and look to the Lord Jesus

for life and power and godliness.