All right, the second epistle,
General of Peter. Now this epistle was written
by Simon Peter in his old age, shortly before his death. We
know that from verse 14, chapter 1, verse 14, 13 and 14. I think it meet as long as I'm
in this body to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing
that shortly I must put off this tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus
Christ has showed me. You remember back in John 21
when our Lord gathered his disciples around him by the fire, Peter
in particular. He told the Apostle Peter how
he would die, that he would be crucified. Legend has it that he refused
to be crucified in the manner in which his Lord was crucified,
but rather to be crucified upside down. I cannot verify that, but
that's what I'm told. And Peter identifies himself
in three ways in this first verse. Simon Peter, a serpent and an
apostle of Jesus Christ. First he identified himself by
his name, Simon. That's the name his mother and
dad gave him. He's called Simon Barjonas, Simon son of Jonas. But the name Peter is the name
our Lord gave him. at his conversion. He said, whom
do you say that I am? And Peter, Simon Bar-Jonah spoke
up and said, Thou art the Christ, Thou art the Son of the living
God. And our Lord said, blessed are you, your name will be Peter,
a stone. And on this rock, not on you,
but on this confession, I'll build my church. Thou art Cephas,
called Cephas or Peter. Our Lord gave him that name,
a stone. And next he identifies himself
by not his name, but his character. He said, I'm a servant. There
are a lot of servants, but not this kind of servant. Just about everybody is a servant
to someone if you work for someone, but not this kind of servant. This servant is a bond servant. Everything in the New Testament has its type in
the Old Testament. And this, our Lord Jesus Christ,
called himself a servant. The book of Mark pictures Christ
the servant. And Paul called himself a servant,
and Peter called himself a servant. But this is a particular kind
of servant, and it's found in Exodus. Chapter 21, Exodus 21. I want you to look at it because
I see something here in this Exodus 21 I haven't seen before. This is the kind of servant that
Peter says he is. Exodus 21, verse 1, these are
judgments which thou shalt set before them. If you buy a Hebrew
servant, six years till he's served. Now he's a servant. He's compelled to be one. He
has to be one. He serves because he owes it.
And he'll serve, but in the seventh year he'll go out free, for nothing. Set him free, the seventh year. If he came in by himself, he'll
go out by himself. If he were married, then his
wife would go out with him. But if his master has given him
a wife, this is a good master, brought him in there a slave,
a servant, owing something, in bondage, gave him a wife, and
she born him sons and daughters. The wife and children belong
to the master. If he goes out free, he goes
out by himself. But what's this? If this servant
shall plainly say, No question, and this is what he feels, this
is what he believes, this is what he is. He plainly said,
sincerely, plainly, I love my master. That was the key word. He didn't come in loving him.
He loves him now because of his goodness to him. I love, I love,
I love my master, I love my wife, I love my children, I love everybody
here in his house. I love the whole household of
my master. Therefore, because I love, I
will not go out. I won't leave. I love and I will. The will is because of the love. He makes you willing in his goodness
and love and mercy. I love and therefore I will.
I will stay with him. I will not go out. I will not
leave. because I love him. Then his master shall bring him
into the judges, he shall bring him to the door, door of the
temple, door of something, to the door post, and bore his ear
through with an awl. And he'll be a servant, but a
different kind, not a temporary servant, forever, forever. His master loves him, he loves
his master, And he will serve him forever. It's the goodness
of the master that won his heart. And he will not go out. And that's
what Peter says, I am. I'm a bond slave of Jesus Christ. I love my master. Therefore I
will. The willingness is born of the
love and grace. And then Peter, let's go back
to our text, 2 Peter 1 verse 1. I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ. These apostles are special men.
The Lord who ascended is the Lord who descended. And he gave
some prophets, some apostles, some missionaries, some pastors
and teachers. He did that. He ordered that
in his kingdom. And these apostles were special
men. Turn to Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3. These apostles.
The prophets, God spake to our fathers with the prophets, and
the prophets wrote the Old Testament scriptures. Holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Well, these apostles were
special, holy men chosen by Christ, and the Lord Jesus used them
to write the New Testament. And in Mark chapter 3, he says
in verse 14 and 15, and he ordained 12. that they should be with him,
that he might send them forth to preach, and have power to
heal sicknesses and cast out devils, and Simon he surnamed
Peter. And then the next three verses
tell you who those twelve apostles were. Now turn to Hebrews chapter
2. These were special men, they
were given special power and special understanding, special
unction to write the scriptures. And we had to listen to them.
So Peter, he's a humble man, he said, I'm Simon, son of Jonah,
but the Lord gave me a name Peter. And I'm just a servant, I'm a
servant of his, but I'm also an apostle. I have authority. And to give weight to what he's
saying, he's saying, I am one of the apostles. There were only
12. Chapter 2 of Hebrews, verse 3. How shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken
by the Lord? He's the preacher of the gospel. He's that prophet. But it was
confirmed unto us by them that heard him, these apostles, God
also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and different
miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his will. And the scriptures were written
by these men. So Peter, go back to my text,
2 Peter 1, Simon Peter, that's my name. And I'm a servant, just
like all of you, in the kingdom of God and the household of faith,
but I'm an apostle. So you listen. Holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And all scripture
is God-breathed and is profitable. On television last night, Larry
King Live, there was some conversations with religious leaders. John
MacArthur gave a good testimony. But they said, it's according
to the Bible. And Larry King says, whose Bible? And the answer came well, well
spoken. The Bible written by Moses, and
Isaiah, and David, and the apostles. That's the Bible. That's the
Bible. The Word of God. And all the
rest of them are not Bibles. He gave prophets and apostles
to write the scriptures, and all scriptures God breathed,
and it's profitable, and only the scriptures. The question
was asked also, do you believe that only those who believe in
Jesus Christ will go to heaven? And like Arthur said, that's
what the Bible says. That's what God says, and you
can bank on it. All right, let's go on. Peter
identifies not only himself, but he identifies the persons
to whom he writes. He says, "...to them that have
obtained like precious faith with us." You know, the word
of God, words are meaningful in the word of God. Each word
is significant, and I see something in each of these words. I'm writing
to those who have obtained like precious faith. Our faith is
the same faith of the apostles, like faith with us. There's only
one faith, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father,
one faith, and Paul called it in his letter to Titus, the common
faith. because it's the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and it's the faith of all his people. It's
not the same in degree. This faith is not the same in
degree. We grow from faith to faith, from faith to faith, growth
in faith. The disciples said, Lord, increase
our faith. So there are degrees of faith.
The scripture talks about great faith and little faith. Our smile
is our faith. How great is thy faith, so forth.
That talks about that. But the faith is the same. It's
like faith with us. It's the same in three things.
These are the most important. It's the same in regard to its
source. It's the gift of God. Your faith,
Abraham's faith, Moses' faith, the faith that God's given me
is the gift of God. By grace are you saved through
faith, and doubt not of yourself, it's the gift of God. So it's
the same day, it's the gift of God. Secondly, it's the same
as to its object. This is the record. God has given
us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. And he that hath
the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath
not life. Faith is the same, it's like
faith as to its source. It's God-given as to its object. Look into Christ. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life. The wrath of God abideth on him.
So it's the same as to its source, it's the same as to its object,
and it's the same as to its results. As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish, but have eternal life. It's like faith. So when
people talk about we don't have the same faith, yes, if we're
saved we do. I'm writing to those who have
obtained like faith, and it's precious. He says it's more,
look down at chapter 1, verse 7, listen to this. It's more
precious than gold. This is your greatest treasure,
possession. Chapter 1, verse 7, that's a
trial of your faith, being more precious than gold that perishes. There's not a whole lot of things
called precious in the Bible. He's precious. Under you that
believe, he's precious. Faith is precious. Faith is more
precious than gold and perishable. The promises of God are precious.
That's the foundation of our faith. The blood of Christ is
precious. And faith assures us of the only
death. that can possibly be precious. Precious in the sight of the
Lord are those who die in Christ, His elect. Their death is precious. No other death is. So Peter says,
I'm writing to folks who have obtained like faith with us,
precious, precious faith, God-given. precious faith that leads to
precious death, very precious. Close your eyes here and open
them in glory. To die is gain, but only in the
Lord. And then it's faith that we obtained. We have obtained this precious
faith. We obtained it. To them that
have obtained it, we didn't earn it. We didn't merit it. It's not by works. It's not by
chance. It's God-given. Paul says, I
obtained faith. I obtained it. By the wise and
good and powerful grace of God, I obtained faith. Because he
obtained salvation for me. Turn to Hebrews 9. I want to
show you something here in Hebrews 9. I obtained faith. because he obtained that salvation
and that righteousness. Now listen, Hebrews 9, verse
11. But Christ being come, I preached
of good things to come. Oh, the good things to come.
By a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Not that one in the
wilderness, not that temple. That is to say, not made with
hand, not this building. But his body, that's the tabernacle
we're talking about, neither by the blood of goats and cows,
but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained, having purchased, having accomplished eternal redemption
for us. He obtained it for us. And I
obtained it through him and his righteousness. I'm going to show
you something here that I want us to get a hold of. I've tried
to preach this for years, and I believe this verse right here,
this first verse of 2 Peter 1, makes this as clear as any scripture
I've ever read. Simon Peter, a serpent, an apostle
with authority of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained received,
been given, like precious faith with the apostles, with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, through the righteousness of God and of our
Lord Jesus Christ. We didn't obtain the righteousness
of God by our faith. We obtained our faith by the
righteousness of God. You see, we didn't obtain this
righteousness by faith. We obtained our faith, that like
precious faith, through the righteousness of God. Now let me make good
on that. Turn to 2 Corinthians 5. And
you stay with me now and listen carefully. This is not deep,
it's just so. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. For he hath made him to be sin
for us, he imputed our sins to Christ, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. To be made the
righteousness of God is to be made perfect, holy, unblameable,
faultless, unreprovable in God's sight. And this is ours, not
by faith, but by the obedience of Christ. For he made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God, not by faith, but in him." In him, by his obedience, by
his blood. This perfect state of righteousness
is imputed to us in Christ. Our sins were charged to him,
his righteousness to us. Our sins were laid on him, his
righteousness put on us. Our sins imputed to him, his
righteousness imputed to us. So faith comes, faith in Christ,
believing in Christ, comes with and through this righteousness
in Christ. When by the gospel, the Spirit
of God reveals Christ to a lost sinner, when he sees Christ,
when by the preaching of the word God reveals to that sinner
the person and work of Christ Jesus, faith is born in him. The faith didn't precede the
sight, the faith is the result of the sight. When he sees who
Christ is, the perfect Son of God, holy and righteous, yet
a man. When he sees what Christ did
in his life, in his death, in his obedience, in his blood,
secured for us, provided for us a perfect holiness. When he
sees why Christ did it, that God may be just and justify me,
when he sees this, and when he sees where he is now, raised
from the grave, accepted of God, and seated as our forerunner
at the right hand of God, when he sees this, when it dawns on
him, he believes. You see what I'm saying? He believes. The righteousness of God is revealed
to him, and he believes it. God at the same time that he
shows him Christ, gives him faith. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians 1 verse 13. In whom
you trusted. When did you trust him? After
you heard the word of truth. Well, who's the truth? Christ
is. What is the truth? What he did, why he did it, where
he is now. And you believed after you heard
that. In whom you believed, in whom
you trusted, after you heard the word of truth, after you
heard the gospel, after you heard the good news, the gospel of
your salvation, in whom also you believed. And you were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of purpose. Romans 10, let's look at this.
Romans 10, verse 10 through 12. Listen to this. Romans 10, verse
10. Verse 13. Romans 10, verse 13. Now, whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved, righteous before God,
accepted. Now, how are they going to call
on him whom they do not believe? And how do they believe in him
with whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach except to be sent? Now
read that backwards. God sends a preacher. And he
preaches the gospel. Gospel of whom? Concerning his
son. Who he is. What he did. The righteousness
of Christ. The atonement of Christ. The
blood of Christ. And you hear it. That's when
you believe. That's when faith comes. Faith
is through the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, not before,
it's through it, it's with it. Faith has no causal effect or
influence on the righteousness of God. That perfect righteousness
of God in Jesus Christ, that perfect holiness, that perfect
atonement, my faith has no causal effect or influence on that at
all. But that perfect righteousness has a whole lot of power and
influence and causal effect on my faith. That's why I believe.
That's why I believe. Because of who he is, because
of what he did, because of where he is, because of why he did
it, because God sent him. That is the foundation of my
faith. You see what I'm trying to say?
We don't get the righteousness of God because we believe. We
believe because he gave us his righteousness. With that comes
faith. That's a faith you can't shake.
That's a faith that I've seen the Lord. He that seeth the Son and believe on him. You can't
believe on him until you see him. And when you see him, you
see who he is, you see what he did, you see why he did it, you
see where he is now, you see all his righteousness and perfect
atonement. You see the Son, and that's when
you believe. And that's the reason so many
people do not have saving faith, is the preachers are preaching
who he is. They're preaching what you do, not what he did.
I've got to find out what he did before I can do anything.
I've got to find out, God's got to show me the object of faith,
and the reason for faith, and the promises of faith, and the
blessings of faith. And when I see it, I believe. And you can't ever shake me off
that rock, because I've seen him. He that seeth the sun. and believes
on him as everlasting life. But you don't believe on him
and then see him. You don't believe on him and then have righteousness.
You don't believe on him and then accept it of God. He made
you accept it. He made you righteous. And you
see what he did for you, and you love him for it, and you
believe on him. I hope that's clear, but that's
what Peter is saying here. Look at it and read it carefully
now, slowly. and a servant, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained like precious faith
with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. You don't get that righteousness
through faith, you get faith through that righteousness. And that's the reason we must
preach Christ and him crucified, because folks are not going in one whom they do not know.
Now look at verse 2. Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. We already have righteousness
and grace and mercy and peace. We have it in Christ. And that
righteousness knows no degrees. It's perfect. The thief on the
cross was taken straight to glory. I've lived since God saved me
51 years. I didn't go straight to glory
when I believed. I could have, if God had killed
me, taken me on to glory, because I fit for glory in Christ's righteousness. But I've been put down here for
a purpose and for a reason, and this faith grows, and this grace
grows, and this peace is multiplied. How? Through the knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's how it grows. It says,
"...desire that sends him well, for the world that ye may grow."
Grow in grace in the knowledge of Christ. We've been given pastors
and teachers that we might grow up, he said, and be no longer
children in understanding. So faith is through the righteousness
of Christ. Growth in grace is through the
knowledge of Christ. Coming to me, he said, and I'll
give you rest. Learn of me, and you'll find
more rest. Verse 3. To appreciate the great lesson
in verse 3, I've got to preach it just phrase by phrase. Listen. According as his divine
power hath given unto us all things. It's his power. Our Lord
Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God. He said, all
power is given unto thee in heaven and earth. Don't fall in line
with this poor little Jesus boy. He's Lord. He's sovereign king. When he was going to the cross,
people followed him and the women were weeping and lamenting and
he turned and said, don't wait for me. But don't weep over the cure,
weep over the disease, weep for yourselves and for your children. He is almighty, he is all power
in heaven and earth. God has given him all power over
all flesh. He is declared to be the Son
of God with power. Now watch it. And he through
his divine power has given unto us all things, all things that
pertain to life, eternal life. spiritual life, kingdom of God,
and godliness. Now how do we have all these
things? Through the knowledge of Him that called us to glory
and to virtue. He knows us and we know Him.
And that's how we have this growth in grace and that's how we have
all things that pertain to life and virtue and glory. There is
one verse, and I'll close it. Isaiah 53, verse 10 and 11. It
pleased the Lord to bruise him he had put into And I shall make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
And he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied
by his knowledge." His knowledge? He said, I know the Father, and
the Father knows me. And I know my sheep, and they
know me. And this is the knowledge. Father
knows the Son and gave him as our surety and redeemer. The
Son knows the Father and is obedient to every command and every assignment and task. And the
Son knows his sheep. I know my sheep. I lay down my
life for them and they know me. And by his knowledge of the Father
and the Father of him and of his sheep, My righteous servant
shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Grace and peace, verse 2, be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, the living
God, the true God, in Jesus Christ whom he sent, according as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to
life, eternal godliness through the knowledge of him that hath
taught us to glow in virtue.