Alright, turn with me to 2 Peter
1. I want to read for you 2 Peter 1 verses
10 and 11. Wherefore, the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you
do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall
be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Now, in this verse,
he's not saying here, if you're virtuous enough. You remember,
we went through all those graces, the fruits of the Spirit. He tells us to be virtuous, and
I told you what that meant. And he tells us all these different
things that your faith should have these, this fruit should
accompany your faith. If it don't accompany your faith,
it could be all you have is just assent to dead letter doctrine.
And that's not going to save anybody. But what he's not saying
here is if you're virtuous enough or know enough, or temperate
enough, or patient enough, or godly enough, so an entrance
shall be granted to you. He's saying here, by faith, true
saving faith, which is accompanied by these fruits, an entrance
is going to be made for you. This is the gift of God, and
it's sure to all the seed, and it's effectual to the saving
of the soul. And then he says, so an entrant
shall be ministered unto you abundantly. Now, the first thing
I notice here is that this is a present work of which Peter's
speaking. This is a present work. I notice
when men and women, I try to pay attention when people talk
to me, and I notice that most men and women, especially religious
men and women who don't know the gospel, they always speak
of faith in the past tense. They always want to go back 20
years or back 15 years or back 30 years when they talk about
faith. They very seldom talk about a
present work. And faith is a continual present
work. If it's not present, then it
never had a beginning. This faith of God's elect is
a present work. Peter said in his first epistle
that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed at the last time. And I don't know how else
to say this. I've said it in many ways to
you. But faith's not a one and done work. It's not that kind of work. It's
true that when a man's born of God and given faith, that that
faith is real. that that faith is effectual
and that that faith comes in power and in the Holy Ghost and
with much assurance. And it's also true that that
work can never be done over. When faith is given, that regeneration
of God is not going to be done again and again and again. Now,
I've heard people talk about the new birth and then leaving
and, what do they call it, backsliding and then coming back and being
born again and then backsliding and coming back. We're not born
again and again and again. You're just born again. And then
that work is factual. Listen to this. Here's what Paul
said over in the book of Hebrews. He said, it's impossible for
those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly
gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted
the good word of God and the powers of the world to come,
if they should fall away, if that were possible, that they
should fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing
they would crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God. and put him to an open shame.
So this work is effectual. And when we're talking about
faith, and that faith comes to a man, and that faith comes to
a woman, and it's real saving faith. That faith is effectual
to the saving of the soul. That faith is going to be an
active principle in their heart and it's going to reign all through
life by the grace of God and through the work of Christ. And
so an entrance is going to be granted them at that last day
into His kingdom. Now I want you to think about
something. He tells us over here in Hebrews 10 verse 39, we're
not of them who draw back unto perdition. Yes, men do draw back. Men profess faith. And after
professing faith, they draw back to perdition. But we're not of
them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. And here's what I want you to
think about. That divine gift of faith is not given to make
an attempt to save, but to save to the uttermost those who come
unto Him. It's not an attempt of God to
save a man. It's the means that God has ordained
to save him. Faith is not given to just anyone. It's given by God's decree and
according to His eternal purpose of grace. This faith is given. God does nothing by accident.
That's the first thing Henry Mahan learned under old Ralph
Barnard. He said, oh, Ralph, like the
blue back doors off the hinges. He screamed out, purpose. God
saves men on purpose. And everything God does is on
purpose. And his purpose is effectual.
He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. We obtain
our inheritance, listen to this, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. And in doing so, we're to the
praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. But faith doesn't end at the
beginning. It's an active principle of grace
which reigns unto life eternal. Paul said, it makes men followers.
That's what he looked. He said, I know your election
of God because you've become followers of us and the Lord.
My gospel came unto you not in word only, but it came in power.
It came in the Holy Ghost. And you become followers of us
and the Lord. It makes men examples unto all
who believe. It causes men to sound out the
gospel and support the preaching of the gospel. It causes men
to turn to God from their idols. And it gives men a patient expectation
for the return of Christ. It allows us to walk in the light.
to walk with the Lord and to grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God. Faith is that which God establishes in the heart that
enables its objects to enter into that blessed rest of Christ. And the whole reason, he said,
why those rebels, why their carcasses were cursed and their carcasses
fell in the wilderness and they couldn't enter into that rest
of Christ is because what they believed What they heard was
not mixed with faith in them that heard it. Being active,
growing within us, true faith brings us into submission to
Christ our Lord and causes us to desire to be like Him. Wouldn't
you like to be like the Lord? Huh? To think no evil. Nothing else on your mind. except
to give yourself to the ministry, to give yourself to the service
of God. Just to do the will of God. Nothing
else. Not a thought, not a vain thought. Wouldn't you like to be like
him? Heart filled with praises. Here's
all these men came to Christ. Think about this. Here they all
came to Christ and they didn't believe and they did this and
they did that. Boy, I'd just walk away disappointed.
but not Christ. Christ bowed His head. He said,
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you hid these things from the wise and prudent. His heart was
filled with praise to the Father in every situation. Wouldn't
you like to be like that? Get rid of all these vain notions
and all these things that cloud our minds. And while I believe and preach
all five points, of the Calvinistic doctrine, and I insist on them
in the gospel I preach and in the gospel that others preach
here, I know that faith is more than just giving assent to that
doctrine. It's a life-changing work. In
Romans chapter 6, verse 17, Paul said, but God be thanked. You
were the servants of sin. That's what you were. But ye
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered
you. Being then made free from sin,
you become the servants of righteousness. Does that sound like an inward
work to you? It does to me. Oh, preacher, I'm saved. I had
a fellow out here in the parking lot. I hope he comes. He said
he would. He's affiliated with the Calvary Baptist Church down
here. And he took our schedule of the meetings coming up and
said that they were going to come and visit. I hope he does.
But he told me out there, he said, I'm saved. I hope so. I hope you are. But rather, why
don't you do this? Here's what Peter said. Why don't
you make your calling and election sure? Why don't you make your
calling and election sure? Why do you want to let something
like that dangle out here like an unpaid bill? or something
that's just not important to you. Don't make your calling
an election sure. If you do, he said, you'll never
fall. And an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly.
All right, here's the second thing I see in this verse. It
says here that this faith is ministered to us. Isn't that
what that says there? Ministered to us. How's faith
ministered to us? With a minister. That make sense? It's ministered to us. How is
it ministered? Well, it's ministered by divine
providence, first of all. You think it was just chance
that you heard the gospel? Is that what you think? You think
that was just something happened that you heard the gospel? Or
you think God ordered his providence to make it possible for you to
hear? You see what I'm saying? This thing of faith is ministered,
and it's a divine ministry. God orders His providence that
this thing be ministered to you. How are they going to preach?
You can go down here and build a seminary, and you can crank
out preachers just one right after the other. But how are
they going to preach if they haven't been sent? Isn't that
what? That's what the Lord said. How
shall they preach except they be sent? It's ministered to us by divine
providence. Our Lord said to His disciples,
I tell you this, He said, that many prophets and kings have
desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them,
and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them.
The gospel comes to God's elect on purpose It's directed by a
favored providence. And our Lord said, I must need
to go through Samaria. Why? There was other directions. That was kind of out of His way
a little bit, going through Samaria. There was other ways to go. Why
did He have to go through Samaria? Because one of His elect was
in Samaria. The Holy Ghost said to the church,
I've heard thee in a time accepted. And in the day of salvation have
I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation."
Does that sound like a day that God speaks to you? Well, sure
it is. God ministers this faith by a
favored providence. And then secondly, He ministers
this faith by the Word of God. So many people talk about faith
and they talk about feelings. I'm glad you had feelings. I'm
glad I had feelings. I'd hate to think that I'm so
cold and hard-hearted that I read these things and do these things
and believe these things and had no feelings whatsoever. I'm
glad we had feelings. But this faith's not ministered
by feelings. This faith is ministered by the
Word of God. Because you can feel up one day
and you can feel down the next day. And you can be all excited
one day and be totally depressed the next day. Our moods change,
our feelings change, but his word doesn't change. His word's
the same. It's the same. He ministers his
faith by the word. And I hope you young children
here are filled with, I know that you are, you're filled with
confusion. And the older you get, the more
confused you're going to get because of what your relatives
and friends have to say about what you believe and because
of natural reasoning. And because of the overwhelming
influence of worldly religion, they'll have you so turned upside
down, you won't know what you believe. But his word doesn't
change. And Paul said, let God be true
and every man a liar. Paul said to Timothy, he said,
preach the word. Well, what if it offends folks?
Preach the word. What if half my congregation
goes out the door to preach the word? Preach the word. Based, built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. So this faith is ministered to
us. It's ministered by a divine providence. It's ministered by
the word of God. And thirdly, it's ministered
by the preaching of the gospel. which is the testimony of God
concerning his son, which is what the word of God is all about.
Now, I'm telling you, we had Bibles. I had this Bible, this
exact same Bible, when I was a kid growing up. The preacher
had one. He read from it. He taught from
it. Their whole religion was built
on it. They talked about it from one end to the other, but there
was no gospel in it. And if there's no gospel in it,
you've misunderstood the word of God. Because that's what it's
for. That's what it is. To him, give
all the prophets witness. That's what the prophets were
all about. The gospel of Christ is the power
of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. And to them that
are perishing, Paul said, I know it's foolishness. But unto us
which are being saved, it is the power and wisdom of God.
And then Paul said this, in due time, in due time, he said, God
hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching. You
want to know what the Word of God says? Find yourself a preacher
called of God, and He'll tell you. He'll tell you. I don't mean that you should
throw your Bible away and just listen to the man, but prove
all things and hold fast that which is good. Man opens this
book and shows you clearly, shows you a doctrine. You better believe
it. You better believe it. It'll
be one day, it'll be a witness against you at the judgment.
You better believe it if it's according to his word. And then
he further tells us over in Ephesians 4 that pastors and evangelists
are his ascension gifts to the church. Why did he give them? For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and
for the overall edifying of the body of Christ until we all come
into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.
It's ministry. That's what Peter's telling us.
Faith is ministered to God's elect. Well, you're just saying that
man, you're giving that man way too much power. Oh, no. That
man doesn't have any power. I've got no power to save you.
I don't have any. I can't raise the dead. I can't
cleanse lepers. I don't have any power. I could
buttonhole you back by the door if I had them old suspenders,
could put my thumbs in there, and I could talk and talk and
talk and talk and talk. It wouldn't make one iota of
difference. unless the Holy Spirit of God
took that word and convinced you of sin and righteousness
and judgment. And that's what Paul said, our
sufficiency is of God. That's our sufficiency. I don't
have any other sufficiency. All right, here's the third thing.
Now watch this. Back here in 2 Peter 1, verse
11. What is ministered? Well, he says, an entrance into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, this is not talking about
a man being born again. I suppose you could make an application
of it, a man being born again and entering into God's kingdom.
But this is talking about specifically, he's talking about that day of
the Lord when His saints shall rise up meet Him in the air. He's talking about that day,
the end of days, when He puts one foot on the land and one
on the sea and says, time shall be no more. He's talking about
entering in with Him, body and soul, into eternal glory. And there's not a man or a woman
here today, including this preacher, who knows the true glory of what
Peter's talking about here. I just can't even imagine. I
can't even imagine. All we've ever known has been
obscured by sin and doubt and unbelief. But in that day, all
the obscurity is going to be removed. All obscurity is going
to be taken away. We'll be like him, for John said,
we'll see him as he is. And every trace of the old serpent's
slime is going to be gone forever. Every earthly care, every pain,
every torment is going to be gone forever. And with perfect
vision, we'll see our Savior and Lord and worship Him with
perfect worship, without hindrance. And it'll be that way forever
and ever. And the Scripture said, God Himself
shall wipe away all tears. I tell you, when I think about
the glory of it, the purity of it, the eternality of it, I just
can't help but think of my own unworthiness. And I know people
look, and you can just read the look sometimes that people give
you. Do you really believe God chose you from eternity, Russell
Sanders? Do you really believe that, Caleb
Pines, that God chose you? Of all the endless, numberless
people in Adam's race, that he saw you, Winston Warwick, and
said, I'm going to choose him? I'm going to choose Caleb. I'm
going to choose Russell. Do you really believe that? You really believe that God back
in eternity said, I'm going to bless them with every blessing
of heaven? I'm going to bless them. I'm
going to put them in my son. I'm going to send my son to die
in their stead. And I'm going to preserve them,
give them faith, and keep them to the grave. And after that,
they're going to be with me forever. You really believe that? Huh? With every ounce of being I have,
I believe that. I can't explain it. No way I
can explain it. I can't justify it except to
say by His grace. God has sent forth the very Spirit
of God to minister in your heart and mind and create in you the
hope of glory. He as a sovereign Lord preserves
you and keeps you and one day will raise you sinless from that
grave. And according to this text, This
divinely ministered hope shall be sufficient that an entrance,
now listen to how Peter describes this entrance, an abundant entrance,
shall be ministered unto us into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Faith's going to persevere unto
death and after that, no longer going to need faith. For the
Lord himself is going to take you by the hand. Huh? Oh, my soul. No wonder Paul said, I'm in a
strait betwixt the two. I've never gotten there. I wish
I could. I wish I could. But I've not gotten there yet.
Paul said, I'm in a strait betwixt the two, having a desire to depart
and be with Christ, which is far better. or understanding my need to be
here in this moment to minister to you. Believers, mature, established
believers have a desire to depart and be with Him. Be with Him. They do not dread
death. Now, having said that, we do
dread the circumstances of it. I don't want to suffer for years
and years. I don't want to do that. I don't
want to be a hindrance to my children or to my wife. So we
dread the circumstance of it, the pain of it, the trouble it
brings on our loved ones, but not death itself. Death itself
is graduation day. Paul said for me to live is Christ
and to die is gain. And he said, we know these things. We know these things and rejoice
in these things that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God not made with hands eternal
in the heavens. We now derive pleasure from all
sorts of things in this world, but none can give you any comfort
of having an entrance into this kingdom. but faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that's what Peter's preaching
to these people. That's what he's telling these
people in this second letter. He said, you make your calling
and election sure. And if you do this, an entrance,
an abundant entrance, going to be granted unto you in that day
into the kingdom of God. We have a sure hope and a good
hope by grace. Thank you.