If you would, please be turning
to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. That doesn't sound right. Let
me look. It may be 2 Peter. No, let's go to 2 Peter 1. Just as Joe was saying, now we
have Peter the Apostle here who's going to talk to us about something.
It's something that he knew and something that he experienced.
So let's see what Peter is going to tell us here. Simon Peter, a servant and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious
faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus
Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. According as his divine power
hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." And he says here, great and precious promises. Based
on what Jesus Christ has done for us, there are at least four
great and precious promises that I wanna mention. Walter, in his
message on the Cana of Galilee miracles, the second one, gave
us these to us, and there are more, but these are the ones
that we had then. Redemption from the curse of
the law, the promise of the spirit and our blessing by faith, our
predestination to adoption, and made the righteousness of God
in him. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
or by him, these promises come to us. So now in verse five,
and beside this. I want to point out that if we
notice it says beside this and not besides this. Now there may
not be much difference there, but to me there is. This is something
that comes right alongside of what he has just said or talked
about. Basically, salvation by God. I think it was Earl that
had a message, or someone did, and I could be wrong. It may
have not been Earl, it may have been someone else, but it said, those
things that accompany salvation. Not salvation itself, but the
fruit that comes from salvation, the effects of salvation, or
cause and effect, however you want to say it. What does he
go on to say? And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to
knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to
patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly
kindness, charity. For if these things be in you
and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he
that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off,
and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore,
the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election
sure, for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. Never fall, Peter? Peter, are
you telling us we will never fall if we do these things? What
is he telling us to do? All the previous things he mentioned
all come from God, because he says, if these things abound
in you, there is only one thing that can do that, or give that,
and that is God. They are given by God, but how
are they given? They are given in regeneration.
But let's go back and give some high points on some of these
verses. Peter first sends his greetings to those who have obtained
like precious faith. That is faith that is equally
honored and equally precious. Even though being an apostle
of Jesus Christ, and I like how he adds, with us, the faith is
exactly the same. This same Peter, who we know
from scripture, denied our Lord three times. You wanna know a
preacher getting up and knowing what he's talking about? He experienced
this, he knew this. And yet his faith failed not.
This apostle who did not believe at first when Christ rose from
the dead, he was made to confess by our Lord. Lord, you know all
things. You know that I love you. This
same one we read that had to be withstood to the face by Paul
because of dissimulation that took place when he removed himself
from the Gentiles to go to the Jews. With pork chops on his
breath, as Tim James used to say in Galatians 2.11. But how does this apostle tell
us we have obtained this righteousness? Through the righteousness of
God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Who is the righteousness of God?
The one that is the righteousness of God is our Savior. Through
the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, it says. That is where
it begins, and it is also increased in that same manner. Then it
goes on to tell us the results of this. It is first His power
that does this, but He has given us all things that pertaineth
to life and godliness. This is all through the knowledge
of Him which He gives us. He has called us unto something,
glory and virtue. That is glory, honor, praise,
worship, and virtue, or pureness. So we are called unto worship
and pureness. Now it says whereby, or you can
say by which are given unto us exceeding and precious promises. that by these, these great and
precious promises, we might be partakers of the divine nature. So as already mentioned, by those
great and precious promises, we might be partakers, that is,
sharer or companion in this. So by at least these promises,
and I know there's more promises in God's word than these, but
these four promises, redemption from the curse of the law, the
promise of the spirit and our blessing by faith, our predestination
to adoption, may the righteousness of God in him. We are made to
be partakers of the divine nature. It is what we are called unto
by God, and because of this, we are given these great and
precious promises. Now there are things that come
along beside this. We read them, add to your faith
virtue, and so on. Peter sums it up in our last
verse in our text. Make your calling and election
sure. So making your calling and election
sure is accomplished by adding all these things, is what it
says. Now let me be clear, this is something we are actively
involved in, but none of this will be done on your own. We
are without power apart from the Spirit of God. But we do
obey the truth, that by his power. But we are to do these things.
Faith without works is dead, we're told in James. But Peter
goes on to tell us how this is done. So I have two points that
I want to go through today. What are those things we do not
want to do? Or those things that will not
add to your faith? And then what are we to do? Peter begins to tell them that
what the apostles have been telling them were not cunningly devised
fable, if you go on through the passage, but it was from the
first-hand experience or them eyewitnessing the glory of Jesus
Christ. So what do we not want to do?
If you would, turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians
15. 15 in verse 33 and 34. 15, 33, and 34. Be not deceived. Evil communications
corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness and sin
not. For some have not the knowledge
of God. I speak this to your shame. This
is talking about having a depraved companionship that shrivel or
waste useful habits. That is what the meaning of these
words mean. Do not surround yourself with
those who mock God's word and distort and lie about God's word. Here, it is talking about those
who do not believe in the raising of the dead, but it's not just
limited to that. If you are constantly around
those who laugh in the face of God for what he instructs us
to do in his word, you will shrivel useful habits. This will eventually
leave you with no useful habits to where you are doing exactly
what they are doing. Now turn with me to Ephesians
4. Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4 verses 29 and 30.
And this kind of sounds familiar to what we just read. Let no
corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which
is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto
the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let
no rotten or worthless topic come out of your mouth, but that
which is used for building up, so that it may give benefit unto
those who hear it. It says in 31, it says, let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking
be put away from you with all malice. Do not be around those
who are bitter against God and bitter against God's people.
The same goes for all these things. If you do these things, you are
not going to have any useful habits that build up the hearers
who hear it. That building up being, building
up being up in Jesus Christ the Lord. We are not talking about
building each other up on how good we are. We are talking about
that one who is the building, who is that one landmark walker.
This is what builds up the child of God. Now if you would, turn
back to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. If you want to follow along.
Verses 14 through 16. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light
with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the
living God. As God hath said, I will dwell
in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. What it first says in verse 14,
it says, unequally yoked. This is talking about intercourse.
That's what the word means. That is being intimately involved
with someone. It certainly is not saying for
a believer never to have any communication with an unbeliever.
Paul says in another passage that if you had to do that, you
would have to go out of the world. This is saying, first of all,
believers do not marry unbelievers. It will not go well. And I can
give you firsthand account of that and testify to that. But this is saying, do not get
into any tying or binding relationship with unbelievers, those who do
not believe Jesus Christ. not because you or I are better
than them, but because we still have this old Adamic nature,
as you always have had, and they always have. When this flesh
is given a little bit, we'll keep crying for more. It's just
as I think someone told, was talking to Henry one time, the
lady said, my son's hanging around with the wrong crowd. And Henry
told him, your son is the wrong crowd. That's us. We cannot prevent it. We are
not strong enough. God may keep us from it, but
we are not to presume on God. It will ruin you. Let him who
thinketh he stands take heed, lest he fall. The scripture tells
us in 2 Corinthians 6, 17, it says, wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing, and I will receive you. What kind of things
will happen to us if we do not heed this warning? Well, back
in 2 Peter chapter two, or text, 2 Peter chapter two, I gotta
find it again now. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 7. And it says, and delivered just
Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. Lot was vexed
with the filthy way of life of those around him. It wore him
down. The evils afflicted him and gave
him nothing but trouble. You will not have useful habits
What you do will not be to the edification of yourself or anyone
around you. Those who only have these are
like those with a lot. They are those who hate Christ.
I'm not talking about the name Jesus Christ. There may be some
who use his name all the time, just like that, Jesus Christ.
But they are not talking about the Jesus Christ of God, the
righteousness of God that we read about. They do not in fact
believe he is God or that he has done what he has said. They
are about doing what they want, as long as it makes them feel
good about themselves. God destroyed this city of Sodom
and Gomorrah, you can read it right there, and every one that
was in it except for three people. This was done by God as an example,
an example. This is an example God gave to
those who would do the same thing, and that is live ungodly. Those who are looking for things
to just go their way, you can mark it down, God will destroy
you. These are they that have lust
among cleanness, whatever it might be. They despise government,
they are presumptuous, thinking I will be all right, God has
to save me because he said he would. I will do whatever I want,
presumptuous. I will even go so far as to say
this, if you hear me or anyone else that says this same thing
and you don't care what they are saying, if you don't want
that, I will believe what I want, it is presumption. What I am
saying is what God is saying. God does not owe you or I anything. If this is how you think and
God is not correcting you, then God did not say this to you.
That is, he did not tell you he would save you. God does not
save the proud. He abases those for whom he saves
so that they are of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
And what else? They are self-willed. They will
do what they want. They will say what they want.
They will believe what they want. But they will not bow down to
God's word. They will speak of evil of anything
that is worthy of praise, and you can see that in verse 10
of chapter two. But chiefly, them that walk after
the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government, presumptuous
are they, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak
evil of dignities. They have covetous practice.
They have forsaken the right way, they have gone astray, following
the way of Balaam in verse 14 of chapter two. Having eyes full
of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable
souls, in heart they have exercised with covetous practices, cursed
children. If it be the will of God, he
will correct you. I do not mean just that He will
correct you and He might not. I mean to say if He is pleased
to do something for you in grace because of Jesus Christ, that
is, He chose you from before the foundation of the world in
Christ and sending His Son to die for you, if He is willing
to come to you in grace, then He will correct you. If not,
at the very least, He has not brought you to know Him yet with
those precious promises spoken of in our passage. But God will
correct you. We read that in Hebrews 12 and
verses 11. It says, now note, this is after
it says that, let's just turn to Hebrews 12. Let's just turn
to Hebrews 12 because I'll not get that right. Hebrews 12. Verse six, for whom the Lord
loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. And then in verse 11 we read,
now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. Now, there is no doubt we will
be corrected because we are all partakers of that if we be legitimate
sons. And there is no doubt we need
correcting. But we are not to be presumptuous.
So what are we to do then? 2 Peter verses 1 and 10. Go back to that. 2 Peter 1 verse 10. Wherefore the rather brethren
give diligence to make sure make your calling and election sure
For if you do these things you shall never fall So give diligence
Give diligence to make your calling and election sure We can do that
That's what Peter says right here in God's Word. I Although
we know these things, we should remind one another of them. In
verse 12. Wherefore, I will not be negligent
to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know
them, and be established in the present truth. Peter tells us all these other
things that happened as he spoke of Lot. Then he tells us how
he saw a great sight. But then he tells us this, take
heed to this, that God's word is a more sure word of prophecy,
more than seeing a sign from God. What God says that is in
his word is a more sure word of prophecy to us. So again,
I ask, what are we to do? We are to read God's word. We
are to talk about God's word. We are to listen to God's word. We are to hear God's word. Paula
and I have spoken about this before, but when we or you and
other individuals are gathered together as believers, make it
a point to talk about God's word. I mean, Paul and I discussed
this a little bit anyway, but whether we should plan, you know,
if we're going to get together, should we make a plan to talk
about God's Word? Most of the time it does not
have to be planned out to talk about God's Word with His people.
They gravitate to it, you might say. But it's okay to make a point
to talk about God's Word. We do it every Sunday when we
come here, don't we? Now when you are around believers or talking
to an unbeliever, you must take care that you do not cast your
pearls before swine, if you're among unbelievers. But with God's
people, it is not so. Here's what we are told in God's
word, Hebrews 5 and verses 11. You can turn if you want to,
but I know I'm turning to a lot of passages, but Hebrews 5, Hebrews 5. in verses 11 through 14. Of whom we have many things to
say and hard to be misunderstood. This is talking about, he was
talking about, this is Paul. Of whom we have many things to
say and hard to be uttered, seeing your dole of hearing. For when,
for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you
again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every
one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness,
for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to
them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So those
who use strong meat constantly, you might say, are exercised
thereby. This verse says, those by means
of use, making it a habit to hear God's Word in some form
or fashion, it will then train your judgment or perception to
discern between beautiful and depraved, light and darkness,
life and death. This all being done by the power
of His Spirit, we should be actively involved in searching out the
scriptures to see if these things are so. We should engage in discussions
or reasonings from scripture as often as we can. Praising
God in our daily lives and not just when we come here on Sunday.
It is food for our souls and we need it every day. I know
most of us don't just eat meals on Sunday, right? I'm talking
about food we eat like cheeseburgers and so on. And by looking at
some here, I'm pretty sure we eat probably more than we need
on every day. I'm talking about myself, not
anybody else. Why should we do this when it
comes to God's word? I tell you this from experience.
It leaves you empty. That is when God will close up
the skies to you as if it were brass, to force you to him and
his word. That's not a very comfortable
place to be. What we do here is okay to do
everywhere else or every other time. Sing praises to God in
hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. Pray to God, read the
scripture, and study them. Now when I say study, I don't
just mean that you have to get concordance out in commentaries
or anything like that. Although if you want and can
do that, that's fine. I mean read a passage of scripture
or a verse of scripture and ponder over it. Think about it and mull
over it again, as Tim James used to say, mull over that passage
for weeks. Listen to the messages that those
proclaiming the truth of God. There's nothing else to watch
on TV anyway. But what better thing to do?
I don't want anybody to think here that I don't watch TV. I
do, and probably far too much. But bring up messages, listen
to them over and over again. God does bless us through his
word. But we should immerse ourselves in God's word as it will exercise
us in the way of righteousness. That is Jesus Christ our Lord
because his word is about Jesus Christ from cover to cover. But
if we do not do this, and especially if we don't do this and we involve
ourselves in filthy way of living, we are going to be, at the very
least, vexed, but maybe carried away. Do not give this flesh
an inch. Mortify your members. It is for the good of our soul
that we be around the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
If by God's grace He enables you to do this, You will neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
is what it says. It is all about knowing Jesus
Christ. It is not about knowing more
than someone else. You know, when we gather together,
someone might say, I don't know what to say, or I'm not very
talkative, or I just don't know how to conduct a conversation,
or I just don't know much. start a subject, or just sit
and listen to others talk. I'm not a very talkative person.
Well, sometimes. But I like to listen to others
talk about our Lord. It is okay to listen. You don't
have to speak, necessarily. But in doing this, words will
come. There will be those times where maybe you can just say,
amen, or yes, or so be it. God is not going to just reveal
himself to you in a vision. He will do it through His word.
If there is anyone around you who does not like it, tough. I want you to understand, I know
this could and most times it does cause problems, but so be
it. God's people are about the business
of serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave us great
and precious promises through His dying on that tree. If someone
does not like it, they can go do something else or stay home.
This life is but a vapor, and if God enables me, if God enables
you, we ought to be where we can be around the gospel and
God's people, I might add. God will make a way for you.
If you ask, you will receive. If you are not asking that you
will consume it upon your lust, it will be given to you. God
promises it in His Word. He inspired the writer to write
it in His Word. If it is your desire to worship
and honor the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, He will grant
it. The glory of Jesus Christ is
paramount. If you have this desire, God
has given it to you as we have read in our passage. All these
things come from God. Salvation and those things that
accompany salvation. When you seek and desire to serve
Him, to honor Him, to worship Him, it will give you peace. Because having Him and knowing
Him is peace. He is peace, therefore He not
only made peace, but He gives peace. Stop fighting against
Him and serve Him. I'm not going to lie again. Things
will probably be hard for you. because if you are surrounded
by those who do not believe, they are going to give you problems.
But that trouble, God will bring you to see that it's just a moment
in time and it will pass very quickly because this life is
but a vapor. Submit to God and what he says
is good for you. You might find that trouble that
you thought would come, maybe it does not come at all. But
you may also find that even though trouble comes, you will still
find peace and joy through Him. So those things which accompany
salvation with God's power and His might, make your calling
and election sure. For if these things be in you
and abound, you will never fall. Do you believe that? Amen. Dear Lord, sovereign, almighty
God, what a comfort and a blessing
to know that all power comes from you. Dear Lord, we can count
on you and what you've said, because you do everything right.
You tell the truth all the time. Dear Lord, God, help us, keep
us in your word. Nevertheless, your will be done.
All these things we ask in Christ's name. Amen.