The Word God Said - Confirming Our Calling & Election - 2 Peter 1:1-11 pt.1

Good morning, family. Turn to 2 Peter chapter

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

1. This is a doctrine that's going to be talked

about today, the doctrine of imputation. So let

us pray. There is a lot in this three -chapter

letter, a lot of doctrine. A lot to focus on.

We're going to be on this for a little while.

And then by the end of July. So we'll be on this

for two months. And then at the end of July we'll

be starting 1 John chapter 1. Father, I want

1 John 1 · chapter mention

to thank you so much for your goodness. Thank

you, Lord, for your word. Thank you that we can

know by the knowledge of Christ that we are called

and elected. that you have purposed in such a

way through the knowledge of him who has called

us to be sure and confident in our salvation.

Lord, I pray that we would understand the importance

of this, not only the importance of the work

of knowledge, the knowledge of Christ, but also

the imputation that you have imputed to us. your

righteousness, and have taken upon yourself our

sin. And Lord, we do praise you and thank you

for this, and we thank you and praise you for

your goodness. Bless the word to our hearts.

Holy Spirit, guide us in all truth for your glory.

In Jesus' name, amen. 2 Peter chapter 1. We're

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

going to be going through verses 1 through 11.

And then next, on the 21st, I'll pick up on the

12th through. So I'll be on vacation starting

this Friday. And then I'll be back on Thursday.

So pray for some rest. And God has provided a

good preacher for you guys. So come and enjoy.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing

with ours by the righteousness of our God and

Savior Jesus Christ, may grace and peace be multiplied

to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our

Lord. His divine power has granted us all things

that pertain to life and godliness. through the

knowledge of him who called us to his own glory

and excellence, by which he has granted to us

the precious and very great promises, so that

through them you may become partakers of the

divine nature, having escaped from the corruption

that is in the world because of sinful desires.

Very reason make every effort to supplement your

faith, virtue, and virtue knowledge, and knowledge,

self -control, and self -control with steadfastness,

and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness

with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection

with love. For if these qualities are yours and

are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective

and unfruitful in the knowledge. of our Lord

Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities

is nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten

that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore,

brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm

your calling and election, for if you practice

these qualities, you will never fail. For in

this way, there will be richly provided for you

an entrance. Into the eternal kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Do you hear the

key word over and over again? Knowledge. It's

not works. Right? Works is the expression of

the knowledge by which we have been given through

faith. That's why faith without works is dead.

And the reality is you can't do works unless

you know. How much do you know? Are you willing

to know? How much time do you put in so that

you know? And there's two words here for knowledge,

and we're going to see them. One is epignosis,

and the other is gnosis. Specifically, though

they come from the root word gnosis, meaning

to know, epignosis implies something very clear.

And we're going to deal with that. So, first

principle. Through the gift of faith, Christ

has imputed to us his righteousness by which

we now can grow in the knowledge of Christ. He

has imputed to us his righteousness by which

we now can grow in the knowledge of Christ. You

cannot grow in the knowledge of Christ unless

you have been made or born again and the righteousness

of Christ has been applied to you. It's all the

work of salvation. So without salvation, without

the Spirit of God, you cannot know. And we've

been talking about obedience, have we not, for

a while now. But it's one thing to be obedient

to what, is the question. Obedient in the knowledge

of Christ. And we know what wisdom is. It's knowledge

lived. Colossians 1, 9 -10, and so, From the

day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for

you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge

of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every

good work, increasing in the knowledge of God.

There it is again. So we see this, whether we

missed it or not, in 2 Peter 1, verses 1 -2.

2 Peter 1:1–2

First, I want you to know, this is Simon Peter,

a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. A slave.

A servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. And this

word obtained means chosen by divine will. It's

interesting. Because we think that this word

obtained in English is something that we get.

And we, to some degree, do get. But it's really

about those who have been chosen by divine will,

a faith equal, of equal standing and equal value

with ours. By the righteousness of God. This

very reality of our obtaining is not that we

have gone out and obtained anything. It's the

reality that God has chosen by divine will a

faith for you that is equal to that of the apostles.

Do you get that? Now that one word changes quite

a bit when you deal with the reality of the two

schools of thought when it comes to free will

and when it comes to election. Trust me, this

is full of election. This entire chapter is full

of election. So this word obtained is very clear

in the Greek. To those who have been chosen by

divine will and given a faith is the idea of

equal standing, equal value with God. by the

righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The very imputation of righteousness that's given

to the apostles has been given to you. Look what

it says, verse 2. May grace and peace be multiplied

to you in the knowledge, in the epignosis, The

precise and correct knowledge of God and of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Do you hear that? There is

a truth that's only truth. There is a knowledge

that is only true knowledge. And this precise

and correct knowledge is specifically of God

and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We

are to increase, be multiplied in grace and peace

by or in the knowledge, in the precise and correct

knowledge of God. You want to grow? You've got

to spend time in the Word. You want to grow?

You need to learn the precise and correct knowledge

of God. And this is important. Because there

are a lot of denominations teaching not. The

precise and correct knowledge of God. And people

are going to say, well, who are you to say you're

the only one that has it? I'm not the only one

that has it. But there is a precise and correct

knowledge of God. And we must understand that.

Man does not interpret the word because it's

his interpretation of the word. God could care

less whether I interpret it my way and you interpret

it your way. The only interpretation that matters

is his. Period. And that comes through the epignosis

of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, this

word, again, by the knowledge of Christ's second

principle, we are given all we need to live holy

and obedient through his great and precious promises.

How are you to know? what his great and precious

promises are, unless you know the knowledge of

God. 2 Corinthians 2, 20 -22 For all the promises

of God find their yes in him. That is why it

is through him that we utter our amen to God

for his glory. And it is God who establishes

us. with you in Christ, and has anointed us,

and who has also put his seal on us and given

us his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. And

there it is. The reality of our knowing is the

spirit of God brings us knowingness of Christ.

I love this opening, well, not really opening

statement, but this verse here. Oh, this is so

beautiful. You just want to read it over and

over and over again because it sounds so good.

And it's actually a song. So if you ever heard

of the Christian acapella group called Acapella,

please listen to this song. I'm not going to

do it. I am tempted. But I will not do it because

I don't do it justice as well as they do. 2 Peter

1, 3 -4. His divine power has granted to us all

things that pertain to life and godliness through

the knowledge of him who called us to his own

glory and excellence. Do you hear that? His divine

power. His divine... Dynamos or dunamos is the

word. Okay? And the word divine is divine. There

is no other word. It is from heaven, from him,

by his power, given to us all. This word granted

as if he sits not engaged and he declares from

his throne, I grant them this. No. That's not

what the word here is. The word is given. He

is particularly involved in giving and bestowing

upon you everything you need by his divine power

for life and godliness. And all that you need

comes through dia. meaning the means of or by

the means of, the epignosis of Christ. The reality

of your success in Christian living and your

ability to discern that which is good and evil

and put into practice by the wisdom of God, what

you learn concerning the knowledge of Christ

comes from him. All. All things. Pas. Everything

you need for life and godliness. Everything.

Why do we live defeated all the time? Why do

we live questioning God all the time? Not that

you can't question God, but what do we question

God over? Like, why didn't you answer my prayer?

We know what the answer to that is. If we obey

him and keep his commands, we show that we love

him. And if we are doing that and we please him,

he hears our prayers. We can ask him anything

and he will give it to us according to his will

and his word because we are being obedient. We've

read that in 1 Peter, had we not? So let us be

mindful. Well, it's actually 1 John. That's Wednesdays.

So I'm getting the two mixed up. It's okay. His

divine power has granted us, has given to us

all for life and godliness through, by the means

of, epignosis of Christ. Why? For the very glory,

for his own glory and for his excellence because

of his goodness is the word there. The word excellence

means me. Actually means goodness. By which he

has granted, again, given to us his precious

and very great promises. Not granted. It's not

like he's giving us permission. He's actually

given them to you. Why? So that you can live

godly and a godly life. Everything you need is

through him. So that, Through them you may become

partakers. The word partakers is a participant

of the divine nature. Here's what it means. Born

as a participant or a citizen of eternal life

or born as a heavenly being. That's what that

word partakers of the divine nature means. And

the reality of our knowledge, of the saving power

of Christ comes by the Holy Spirit, by which

he gives us faith as a gift. And because of that

very reality, we can know that according to Romans

Romans 10:8

chapter 10, verse 8, the word is near us, it

is in our heart and in our mouth. The very knowledge

of God is present in us, in the person of Jesus

Christ, or in the person of the Holy Spirit,

the Spirit of Christ. So, if I am born as a participant,

born as a citizen, born as a heavenly being,

then I have escaped or I have been freed from

the corruption that is in the world because of

sinful desires or sinful lusts. Do you understand

that? The reality of your freedom is in Jesus.

Not in your works. Your works don't keep you

free. The reality of the truth of Christ and

his work in you is what has kept you free and

keeps you free now. Now that you have been given

an eternal nature by the knowledge of him who

has called us, add to your faith with all diligence

the virtues of Christ. How should you live now

that you have the knowledge of God present in

you? And how should you live as you are building

your knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus?

As you're learning more and as you are living

life and godliness because he's given you everything

you need. In Colossians 3 .16, let the word of

Christ dwell in you richly. Teaching and admonishing

one another in all wisdom. The knowledge of God

lived. Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual

songs with thankfulness in our hearts to God.

The expression of our knowledge of God and our

growth in Him and our... practice of what he

has given us is expressed in how we love and

sing and are thankful to God and for each other.

2 Peter 1, 5 -7. For this very reason. What very

reason? Do you remember what we talked about

at the end? Because he has freed you. Because

he has made you a partaker of the divine nature.

For this very reason. Because you are heavenly

beings, make every effort, supply with all diligence

to furnish your faith with virtue. Are you making

every effort to furnish your faith with virtue?

This word virtue means uprightness. Why is this

important? What's unique about uprightness? It

is a commitment and a diligence to live rightly.

Are we purposing to live rightly? It's interesting

when I just got done watching again The Great

Awakening. And what you find about Benjamin Franklin

in the film is that he thinks that he can build

virtue without Jesus. And George Whitefield rebukes

him for it. That the only, the greatest virtue,

the greatest knowledge that any man can have

is that Christ God came in the flesh, died on

the cross, was buried and rose again on the third

day. It's the greatest knowledge. There is no

greater knowledge on the planet. It does not

matter how much he gives us here. The greatest

knowledge. The greatest fruit, the greatest statement

is the reality that God put on flesh and he died

for his creation and rose again on the third

day. There is nothing greater. And that is one

of the reasons why the world hates it. Because,

remember, he makes the wise fools and he makes

the strong weak. God's foolishness is wiser than

the wisest of men. And God's weakness is stronger

than the strongest of men. And that's exactly

what he's implying here. Virtue without the knowledge

of Christ is not virtue at all. You cannot live

uprightly without knowing him. And the more you

know him, the more you live uprightly. The more

you know Christ, the more he conforms you into

the image of his son. Why? Because the word is

living and active, sharper than a two -edged

sword, divides bone and marrow, soul and spirit,

and judges the deepest thoughts and intentions

of the heart. There is nothing greater that God

has given to man than his word. But out of the

greatest things in his word, Christ crucified

and resurrected. There is nothing greater. Now

concerning this word knowledge, it means gnosis.

And this word gnosis literally just means the

wisdom of God. The knowledge of God lived. That

is wisdom. So virtue with the wisdom of God.

The wisdom of God with self -control, with mastering

desires and passions. Do you see the link? You

cannot be upright without the knowledge of God.

You cannot master your desires and passions without

the understanding or the living of the knowledge

of God. to the mastering of your desires and

passions, steadfastness, endurance in the faith.

You cannot master the passions without endurance

because it is a struggle to win over the flesh,

is it not? You must endure in the faith, endure

in the truth and the knowledge of Jesus, and

to steadfastness, the endurance in the faith,

Godliness, reverential devotion. I cannot endure

in the faith without having full, honorable,

respectful, glorifying devotion to Jesus. Do

you get the point? Life and godliness. Do you

remember that statement he said in the beginning?

His divine power has granted us everything we

need for life and godliness. This is the answer

right here. Life and godliness is right here.

And if I have reverential devotion, how should

I be reflecting that devotion to God? Loving

you. Brotherly affection. Philadelphia. Brotherly

love. That is the word here. Brotherly affection.

Philadelphia. And with Philadelphia, agape. Active

love of God. You cannot say, I agape my brother,

and then watch him suffer. And this is talking

about the family. Why do I say that? because

there are more brothers and sisters suffering

in the church, then in reality, we give more

to those who don't know Christ, in the sense

of meeting needs, than we do taking care of the

family. And if you can't take care of the family,

if you cannot be actively loving the people of

God, how can you actively love those outside?

What's the scripture say? That's exactly what

the Pharisees would say, right? They're hypocrites.

That's a hypocrite. Look what it says next. The

next principle. To not walk in the knowledge

of Christ is to live as a blind man wandering

aimlessly. To not walk in the knowledge of Christ

is to live as a blind man wandering aimlessly.

Matthew 15, 16. Let them alone. Jesus says, concerning

the Pharisees, they are blind guides, and if

the blind lead the blind, both fall into a pit.

2 Peter 1, 8 -9. For if these qualities, remember

that list of qualities, virtue, knowledge, godliness,

etc. I haven't memorized the virtues in order,

so please forgive me. I should just go back and

read it. But these qualities are yours. Now what's

interesting is this term, are yours, in the original

Greek means already yours. You don't have to

acquire them. Oh, that sounds so pretty. That's

fine, no problem. At least it's a bird. Usually

I hear Star Wars. That's so funny. That's good.

For if these qualities are yours, already yours,

they're already yours and are increasing. Why?

How can something already be present and increasing

being abundant in me? Because he lives in you.

The Spirit of Christ lives in you. He is present

in you. They're already yours. And they are abundantly

yours. Remember that little statement Jesus says

when it comes to us living on this earth? He

has abundantly blessed us. It's not abundantly

blessing us with junk. God could care less about

a car. He cares about your character. He gives

you a car because he wants to bless you. He's

a good father, after all. It's an example. You

guys understand why I say that? Let's look at

a couple preachers. Now look, if these qualities

are already yours and are abundant, they, those

qualities, keep you from being ineffective, unprofitable,

and hollow. or unfruitful, unproductive, barren,

or useless toward the knowledge, epignosis of

our Lord Jesus Christ. If these are already yours

and are abundant, they will keep you from being

ineffective. They will keep you from being unprofitable.

They will keep you from being unproductive and

useless. And the reality is that truth of those

things are Toward the knowledge, toward the precise

and correct knowledge of Jesus. That's the understanding

here. You want to know how to live? They're yours

already. Matter of fact, they're so plentiful

that you grow in the knowledge of God, it continues

to be abundant for you. Why do we live so many

defeated lives? For whoever lacks. This word

forever lacks means not to have. Whoever doesn't

have these qualities is nearsighted. What's interesting

about this term nearsighted means so close to

the eyes. You ever get something so close that

it gets blurry? Right? I know some people that

when they go to read, they're like, I'm like,

how can you see that? Right now, I can't see

anything. But that's the idea. Try it one day.

Just grab your Bible and bring it right up to

your face and try to read it and let me know

if you can read it. No, you can't. But that's

what it means. They only see what they want to

see. So much so that he is blind. Blindness is

not the issue of not being able to see at all.

It's the issue that everything in front of you

is so blurred that you don't know what's in front

of you. It's so distorted. That's what he means

here. Not dark. So when he talks about the Pharisees

being blind, they wander around with blurred

vision to the point that they don't even realize

there's a hole in front of them and they fall

into it. And everybody who walks with them and

agrees with them, they all fall in the same pit.

Having forgotten this term. So, if these qualities

are lacking, they are nearsighted. So much so

that he's blind. He has willfully forgotten.

That's what this word having forgotten means.

It's a willful rejection of the truth, of the

knowledge that has cleansed them. freed them

from guilt, from their former sins. How many

people do you know who have tasted and seen that

the Lord is good to walk away, willfully reject

and forget of the blood that has bought them

and cleansed them from their sin? They just have...

They have totally rejected and forgotten the

reality of the guilt that they have been freed

from. So many. So many. Last principle. Oh, actually,

yeah, last principle. By the knowledge of Christ.

In his gospel, he has called us and made our

election sure through his work of salvation,

guaranteeing our inheritance into his eternal

kingdom. 2 Timothy 1, 9 -10. God, who saved us

and called us to a holy calling, not because

of our works, but because of his own purpose

and grace, which he has... which He gave us in

Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which

now has been manifest through the appearing of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who abolished death and

brought life and immortality to light through

the gospel. In 2 Peter 1, 10 and 11, Therefore,

because of all this, brothers, Be all the more

diligent. Be more eager to confirm, to make sure,

to establish your calling. Now this word calling

is interesting. Because this word calling implies

that you have been found. Not that you found

anything. From which you were found. Do you know

those little stories that Jesus talks about?

Right? The parables of the lost coin, the lost

sheep. That's not that you found God. That's

not what Jesus is saying. The kingdom of God

is like this. A woman who has lost her coin.

And she inquires about it. And she tears the

house apart. And she finds the coin. And when

she finds the coin, she spends the coin on throwing

a party. You're the coin. Jesus is not the coin.

You're the coin. You're the lost coin. Then he

also talks about the sheep. And he has a shepherd,

and the shepherd has sheep, and one sheep decides

it's going to wander wherever it wants to. It's

no longer with the rest. And so the shepherd

leaves the 99 to go find the one. Jesus is not

the sheep. You're the sheep. So, this was what

makes our purpose to confirm. Be more eager to

confirm and establish to make sure. That you

have been found. That God has found you. That

you're not lost anymore. Do you remind yourself

that I'm not lost anymore? Do you know why people

struggle with the reality of their conversion

and wonder, can I really be saved? Do I really

love God? How come I don't feel like I love God?

Because we're sheep. God is the one who does

the finding. He found you. He called you. And

election. Oh, this word. So not only does he

find us, this word election means God's act of

choosing out. Oh, you know what word I'm going

to use, Sue? Erechomai. God calls us. Out. He

chooses us out from being objects of wrath. So

I want you to understand this. Every human being

ever born, because of the nature that they are

born with, are children of wrath. Y 'all, they're

usually like, well, how can little babies be

little children of wrath? I know a couple two

-year -olds that are wrathful. But that's not

what, doesn't mean. But the reality is they're

little sinners. Innocence does not determine

righteousness. Innocence never determines righteousness.

What do we know about God? He is merciful and

full of grace. And when that child comes to age

to understand that that child was born in sin,

Oh boy. So the reality is that God has chosen

us out from his wrath. For if you practice these,

make these virtues, qualities, if you purpose

to live these out, you will never, this word

will means once, You will never not, no not.

It's a double negative. In other words, you can't

get anything better than no not. They don't have

a word never in the Greek. So you read the word

and you go, oh, no not. It's sort of like the

word ain't. You will no not fall. You will never

fall. If you live. These qualities. These virtues.

Make these virtues always know not fall. Now

this word fall means to become wretched or fall

into misery. It's a wonderful statement that

the reality of God's act of choosing and finding

us when we were lost. Through the knowledge of

him who has called us, if we live out the virtues

of Christ, we will never fall. We will never

become wretched. Verse 11, for in this way, In

this manner, there will be richly, generously,

abundantly provided, supplied, or furnished for

you an entrance, an admission, and a reception

into the kingdom, into the eternal kingdom of

our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is not

a ticket. It's a rite of passage. Who is the

rite of passage? The Spirit of God. And the reality

of the Spirit of God present is the knowledge

of Christ in you. Do you see how it's all connected?

I cannot say I'm a believer and not have the

knowledge of Christ and then not live the knowledge

of Christ and then not give away the knowledge

of Christ. And then continue to grow in the knowledge

of Christ so that I become more like him and

say, I'm a believer if I don't believe any of

that. Or if I say that all my entrance in is

based upon what I do. Justification is by faith

alone, not by faith and works. Faith alone. My

expression of the faith is seen in my virtues

lived. That's what that means. And so, I pray

that you hold on to the knowledge of God and

that you are eager to grow in the knowledge so

that you can absolutely know and be certain that

your faith is true. That you confirm You're calling

an election to be sure because of Christ and

knowing him. That's the reality of 1 Peter 1,

1 -11. Father, I want to thank you so much for

your goodness and faithfulness. To you be honor

and glory forever. Bless your word, and Lord,

I pray that we would live it in such a way that

you are honored and glorified in how we express

these virtues. and honor you in all things. In

Jesus' name, amen.