God's Provisions For Growth

 2 Peter 1:1-4

Subject: Spiritual Growth 

Theme: acknowledge God’s provisions in order to stimulate and pursue real spiritual growth.

Introduction:

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 Saviour Jesus Christ: 2, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4, 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. (2 Peter 1:1–4)

Building a life that reminds God of His darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is no small undertaking. If our estimation of the Lord Jesus is anything near the Bible’s presentation of Him then you understand this is a monumental task! Assuming the responsibility of genuine spiritual development is our obligation, but we must make use of God’s supplies for the task. Well, what has our Heavenly Father given us? Peter, the Lord’s apostle, wrote to inform us that everything we need has been supplied! Our job is to make use of these provisions to build lives that mirror our Lord’s.

Yes, in Christianity, we have what we need for spiritual progress…all of what is needed. Peter demonstrates that being firmly established and abounding in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, involves:

·        Diligence in our personal spiritual growth (2 Pet. 1:1–11; Jude 20, 21)

·        Faithfulness to the apostles testimony concerning the Lord Jesus (2 Pet. 1:12–18)

·        Adherence to Scripture as the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:19–21)

This study will focus on what God has given us to grow. His provisions to us are essential to our spiritual journey! In order to stimulate spiritual growth, acknowledge God’s provisions (2Pet. 1:1-4).

Message:

I. God Provided a Preacher (2 Pet. 1:1)

Notice Who was Writing. “Simon Peter” introduces himself: As “a servant” (bondslave, Matt. 23:11) “and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (see Rom. 1:1; Titus 1:1). Immediately we are struck by his simplicity and humility. Near the close of his life, at the zenith of his apostolic authority, he was Christ’s slave first, and His apostle, one sent with a commission, second.  He was a bondslave by choice; an “apostle” by divine appointment. He uses no pompous titles or symbols of status. He has only a grateful acknowledgment of his obligation to serve the risen Savior.

Notice Why He was Writing. He is both a concerned pastor and a champion of sound theology. His purpose was to call Christians to spiritual growth (chapt. 1) so that they can combat apostasy (chapt. 2) as they look forward to the Lord’s return (chapt. 3). He passionately pleads for Christians to mature and guard against false teachers; he was driven by the fact that His time was short (1:13-15) and that these congregations faced immediate danger (2:1-3).

Notice to Whom He was Writing. “them that have obtained like precious faith”. The recipients of this letter are the same as those who received Peter’s first letter (2Pet. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:1).  It is also written to you and me for our edification! These believers had “obtained,” “received,” or “attained by divine will” their salvation. Peter emphasized how salvation was not attained by personal effort, skill, or worthiness, but came purely from God’s grace. The original churches to whom this Letter was written had obtained the same precious faith as Peter and his colleagues. Have you also received God’s salvation gift in Christ? (Rom. 6:23; John 6:16)

II. God Provided a Process; Notice What We Have (2 Pet. 1:1-4)

The Process Starts with Salvation: We have a precious faith (1:1)

It is the Same Faith. The phrase “like precious” generally was used to designate equal rank, position, honor, standing, price, or value. Peter was emphasizing that Christians have all received the same precious, priceless saving faith. There are no first and second class Christians in spiritual, racial, or gender distinctions (Gal. 3:28). Since Peter was writing to mostly Gentiles, he was emphasizing that they have received the same faith as the Jews (Acts 10:44–48; 11:17, 18). Like precious faith: These Gentile believers had received the same kind of faith as believing Jews, a faith that was in no way deficient. All who are saved by the grace of God enjoy equal acceptance before Him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, male or female, slave or free. The faith given them by God was of equal honor or privilege with that of the apostles’ faith. Here Peter foreshadowed his purpose by stressing that the faith of the apostles was no different from the faith of any believer. Anyone who has faith in Jesus has the same access to God as any other believer.

It is Saving Faith. This is because it involves God’s initiatives.  Peter is speaking of a subjective faith, i.e., the Christian’s power to believe for his salvation. Faith is the capacity to believe (Eph. 2:8, 9). Even though faith and belief express the human side of salvation, God still must awaken that faith. God initiates salvation when the Holy Spirit awakens our soul in response to hearing the Word of God (Acts 11:21; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:2). Further it is because it involves God’s righteousness. “Through the righteousness” tells how believers share the equal gift of salvation because God’s righteousness is imputed to us. This righteousness recognizes no distinction between people except that the sins of some are more heinous than others. So, not only do we have salvation because God gives it to us, we are saved only because God imputes righteousness to us (see Rom. 3:26; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8, 9). It was obtained when we were given the gift of righteousness (justification). The righteousness believers are given is the righteousness of Christ Himself.

It is the Same Savior. Yes, Peter is identifying Jesus Christ as both Savior and God. “God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Is. 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 60:16; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8). This title of Jesus reflects Peter’s great confession in John 6:69: “Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” The title our God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of many in the NT which indicate the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus. If He is not God, then these words have no meaning.

The Process Continues with Strength: We have grace and peace (1:2)

This blessing of grace and peace is more than a mere formula of greeting. These virtues come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The apostle’s lofty prayer for these believers is that grace and peace might be multiplied to them through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Knowledge (1:2) is a strengthened form of “knowledge” implying a larger, more thorough, and intimate knowledge. The Christian’s precious faith is built on knowing the truth about God (1:3). Christianity is not a mystical religion, but is based in objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord, the more “grace and peace” are multiplied in the believers life. God wants us to have this knowledge by His sustaining, empowering grace in our everyday lives (2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 40:29-31). He wants our hearts to be guarded by the peace of God that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7; Rom. 15:13). But this is not to be given in small doses! He desires these blessings to be multiplied in volume, not added in small segments.

How can these blessings be multiplied? It is in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Again the better we know God, the more we experience grace and peace. We do better by dwelling in the secret place of the Most High than by making occasional visits there. Those who live in the sanctuary rather than in the suburbs find the  secret of God’s grace and peace. (MacDonald)

I urge you to take advantage of the “full knowledge” available to us through Christ Jesus. In this way we can grow in spiritual strength to combat false teachers who claim to have special knowledge but who openly practiced immorality.

The Process Continues with Sanctification: We have everything necessary (1:3)       
The Source of the Process; “His divine power” refers to Jesus Christ (1:3). Christ’s power is the source of the believer’s sufficiency and perseverance (Matt. 24:30; Mark 5:30; Luke 4:14; 5:17; Rom. 1:4; 2 Cor. 12:9). The genuine Christian is eternally secure in his salvation and can persevere and grow because he has received everything necessary to sustain eternal life through Christ’s power. We are assured that Christ has made full provision for us to have a life of holiness. Christ’s divine power has provided everything believers need for life and godliness as an evidence of His power.

The Significance of the Process.  We, every Christian, should have (1:3) immense interest in spiritual maturity because it will keep us from falling in this life and assure us of a triumphal entry into the next (2 Pet. 1:10, 11; Jude 24; Heb. 12:15).

The Substance of the Process. “All things that pertain unto life and godliness”; Peter clearly states that God has given us every resource and empowerment necessary to live this kind of life. Notice the words “hath given” (1Pet. 1:3). The genuine believer ought not to ask God for something more to become godly (as if something necessary to sustain his growth, strength, and perseverance was missing). Because we already have every spiritual resource to manifest, sustain, and mature in godly living. Every believer is a divine repository of spiritual affluence! Yes, you are rich in spiritual assets.

The all things that pertain unto life and godliness include the high priestly work of Christ (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:24-25), the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2Cor. 3:17-18), the activity of angelic agencies on our behalf (Heb. 1:13-14), the new life we receive at conversion (1Jn. 5:10-13), and the instruction of the Word of God (2Tim. 3:14-17). Just like a healthy, newborn baby has all of its parts and everything it needs for a full life at the time of its birth, Christians are given the “god-life in miniature” at our spiritual birth. Every new Christian is given a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), a new nature (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10), the “seed” of the life of God which is opposed to sin (1 John 3:9), and spiritual eyesight to see the things of the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Life and godliness (1:3) refers to “the godly life.” It denotes a reverent and worshipful lifestyle which is fully sensitive to God’s will and obedient to His moral standards.  Living to please God as opposed to yourself or mere people is the focus here.

The Supply Line (Channel) of the Process. All that believers need for spiritual vitality (life) and godly living (2Pet. 1:6; 3:11) is attainable through the knowledge of Christ. Just as His divine power is the source of holiness, so the knowledge of Him is the channel of holiness. To know Him is eternal life (John 17:3) and progress in knowing Him is progress in holiness (Jn. 15:1-8). The better we get to know Him, the more we become like Him. An intimate “full knowledge” of Christ is the supply line of spiritual power and growth (see Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9-10; 2:2-3). Thus salvation must precede growth; we must know Him before we can grow in Him! It really is WHO you know that matters for salvation; then WHO you know WELL for sanctification! The knowledge of Christ emphasized here is not a superficial knowledge, or a mere surface awareness of the facts about Christ, but a genuine, personal sharing of life with Christ, based on repentance from sin and personal faith in Him (Matt. 7:21).

If we know Christ Jesus more fully, we can know more of His sufficient power and grace in our experience.  If we do not believe He is enough for every challenge, and that we have real access to His sufficiency, we are vulnerable to being led astray—away from Christ and away from the maturity to which Christ calls us (Col. 2:8-10). But, if we have a deepening understanding of Christ and all He has provided for us and all that He makes available to us, we have a solid foundation on which to grow in every area of our lives. A foundation established on the eternal principles of God’s Word must be our focus to have a meaningful, satisfying, Christ-centered, and victorious life.

The Process Continues with Scripture: We have precious promises (1:4)

A Baby Needs Food to Grow.  A baby will not grow automatically even though every life process is in place for it to do so. A new baby needs to have its new life nurtured. It must receive love. It must be kept clean. It must be fed, and fed, and fed! If this nurturing does not take place properly, at best, the child will be stunted and weak. In the worst case scenario, it will grow weak and die.

Spiritual Growth is Not Automatic Either.  In the same way, as Christians we do not automatically grow just because we are alive. We Christians must also nurture the perfect and wonderful new spiritual life. Not only has God provided the new life and power, like a good parent; He also has given the food and the love-nurture needed for our growth! His Word cleanses, heals, and grows the spiritual life of His children. His Spirit in us and His presence in the church provide the environment of fellowship and love which fosters optimum growth (John 14:16–18; Acts 2:38–42).  Casual association with just any congregation will only hinder growth—commit to a solid Bible-believing New Testament Church who is obedient to Christ’s Great Commission!

The Bible Is No Ordinary Book!  The next time you are in a bookstore, wander over to the self-help section. Browse through the titles, and you will be amazed at the large number of books offering guidance for living a better life. Do you need a crash course in how to be more productive? There is a book a two for that. Need to learn how to cope with daily stresses? There are multiple books for this as well. Or, maybe you would like to know how you can improve your family relationships. You will probably find an entire section devoted to that subject (Wiersbe, MacDonald & MacArthur)! Yet, despite all these guides for improving certain aspects of life, only one book gives us guidance for every aspect of our lives—the Bible. God knew that we would require help getting along in this crazy and sometimes frustrating world. That is why He moved men to record His inspired principles, advice, and directives in the Bible. This is why He has guarded and preserved His Word through the centuries.

While skeptics attempt to lump the Bible alongside other religious books, a brief overview of the Bible quickly reveals its uniqueness. The Bible was written over a period of sixteen hundred years, by forty authors from various walks of life, and in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic). Although the majority of the Bible’s writers never met, they present a unified picture of God, a central message of Jesus Christ as God coming to earth as man, and they address some of the most controversial topics of their time (and ours!) without contradicting one another (Wiersbe, MacDonald, & MacArthur). Amazing? It certainly is. God has given us this special book to communicate His personal message in a way we can easily understand. In the pages of the Bible you will discover who God is, how you can get to know Him personally, and how you will benefit from living your life according to His wonderful principles.

God’s Word is the Standard of Truth.  The Bible also provides an objective, trustworthy standard of truth—not society’s perception of truth, but God's absolute truth. In a world that can't make up its mind about right and wrong, the Bible stands as a perfect measuring stick against which every thought, word, and deed can be evaluated.

God’s Promises will Help Us Grow.  Thus, included among the “all things” (1:4) which God’s power has given to promote a life of holiness are His exceeding great and precious promises in the Word. It is estimated that there are at least 30,000 promises in the Bible. John Bunyan once said, “The pathway of life is strewn so thickly with the promises of God that it is impossible to take one step without treading upon one of them.” Think of some of the promises that relate to the life of holiness. (1) Freedom from sin’s dominion (Rom. 6:14). (2) Grace that is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). (3) Power to obey His commands (Phil. 4:13). (4) Victory over the devil (Jas. 4:7). (5) Escape when tempted (1 Cor. 10:13). (6) Forgiveness when we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9)—and forgetfulness too (Jer. 31:34). (7) Response when we call (Ps. 50:15) (MacDonald). The Bible states that all promises given to us are “Yea” in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), for He invites us to participate in His life and all the benefits and blessings which flow from it. What does 2 Corinthians 3:18 promise as we come to know Him more intimately?

Like building a new house requires definite consideration of what can be done with the available funds, we Christians must build our lives fully cognizant of what we have in Christ Jesus. Be assured our heavenly Father has richly provided everything we need to become truly godly individuals. The materials with which we build are spiritual and significant; therefore, we should build with confidence in God’s supply and provisions. As in building a house it matter what materials we use! (MacDonald & Wiersbe) 

As genuine Christians, we cannot afford ignorance of God's supplies for spiritual development. In order to live with spiritual integrity from day to day, we must put to use God resources. Peter warns that it is dangerous to build our lives rather haphazardly. He shows that being firmly established and abounding in the knowledge of Jesus Christ is essential.