Practical Discipleship: Believe Jesus and Turn from Sin

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,

2 Peter 1:3a (ESV)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…

2 Peter 1:3b (ESV)

…through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Keywords from 1:3

Knowledge: The full comprehension of a matter.

“knowledge of Him” - The full comprehension of who Jesus truly is.

Called: To summon by name.

“who called us” - Jesus called us personally by name.

Glory and Excellence: The state of splendor, excellence, and immense worth.

“to His own glory and excellence” - The movement towards Jesus’ splendor, excellence, and immense worth that you originally did not have access to

Keywords from 1:3

Knowledge: The full comprehension of a matter.

“knowledge of Him” - The full comprehension of who Jesus truly is.

Son of God, Fully God, Lamb of God, Propitiation of God

Called: To summon by name.

“who called us” - Jesus called us personally by name.

My sheep know my voice.. Thats what Jesus said.

Glory and Excellence: The state of splendor, excellence, and immense worth.

“to His own glory and excellence” - The movement towards Jesus’ splendor, excellence, and immense worth that you originally did not have access to

Jesus is worthy of complete devotion, worship, and obedience.

His glory and excellence were not accessible by us. How great the chasm that lay between us. How high the mountain I could not climb! Jesus had to bridge that gap first, come to us, call our name, and then provide the means by which we move towards his glory and excellence

The statement that we are called “to His…” really sets up what we are about to learn regarding our hope for holiness. What I’m trying to say is that when you were summoned by Jesus personally “to His own glory and excellence”, as Paul says, “not that I have already made it my own [now] but I press on towards the upward call of God”

Jesus’s Spirit was with you when you responded to the summons, and that Spirit has now awakened you to Christ’s glory and excellence and now you are magnetized to it, like a moth to light, and you WILL be transformed to reflect it the closer and closer you get to it.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Look at how our new life is caused by our faith and repentance.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

…that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

#2 Daily Practice

Ephesians 4:17–21 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

Daily Practice

Put Off & Put On

Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV

22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:25 ESV

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Put Off Lying & Put On Honesty

Ephesians 4:26 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:27 ESV

27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Put Off Anger & Put On Peace

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Put Off Stealing & Put On Hard Work with Generosity

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Put Off Foul Speaking & Put On Speech That Builds Others Up

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:31 ESV

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Put Off Bitterness, Rage, Slander, and Divisiveness & Put on Kindness, Compassion, and Forgiveness

Reflection

This will be private - 10 minutes??

What are things that I need to put off?

Why are these things a struggle for me?

After 10 minutes - Encourage Prayer Here

Put Off Put On

10 minutes with gender groups - Maybe split into groups of 3?

Ask people to be humble enough to ask for suggestions!

Write the “put off” item from above on the left and then write a “put on” item that can replace it. This will become a prayer point for you over the next two weeks. Share this with your GROW GIRLS or GROW GUYS so that they can pray for you and help you.

Action Plan

List 2-3 action steps to help with putting off the old and putting on the new for each item above.