Confirm Your Calling and Election
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
As believers in Christ,
We are slaves of the one who redeemed us
We are part of the body of Christ
We are to be building one another up to maturity in Christ
We need to be continually Growing in Christlikeness.
Building on the foundation of faith in Christ, believers are to exhibit Christlikeness by supplying seven qualities that climax in love towards others.
Virtue (“outstanding goodness”)
Knowledge
Self-control
Steadfastness
Godliness
Brotherly affection
Love
Unfortunately, there are many people in church’s today who do not exemplify these qualities like they ought.
Many Christians have even dealt with doubts pertaining to their salvation.
They either don’t know that they are truly saved
Or they don’t want to fully believe that they have complete forgiveness in Christ.
We can be sure of our salvation and maturity in Christ by examining our lives.
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
What Paul asserts as a test to see if we are in the faith is made clear by Peter in these verses of 2 Peter.
Read 2 Peter 1:5-11
POSSESS AND GROW IN THE QUALITIES: EFFECTIVE AND FRUITFUL
POSSESS AND GROW IN THE QUALITIES: EFFECTIVE AND FRUITFUL
2 Peter 1:8, 10-11
The Apostle Peter promises two things for those who diligently work in their Christianity:
Consistency in living in righteousness (v. 8)
A triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom (v. 11)
Consistency In Living In Righteousness
Consistency In Living In Righteousness
verse 8
It is true that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
It is also true that we have a sin nature that we are at war with everyday.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
This reality is the very reason that the Apostle Paul urges believers to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might and to put on the whole armor of God, (Ephesians 6:10-11).
The Christian life is not to be lived passively, as though we are meandering through life without a thought towards what is happening around us
Rather, we must realize that to live faithfully to the Lord is the calling on our lives
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
It is abundantly clear in Scripture that we are to live holy lives with a holy purpose.
As Peter has already expounded for us in verses 5-7, we must be seeking to add to our faith
It is never acceptable in the eyes of the Lord for someone to make a profession of faith and then to continue to live like the Devil.
That is referred to as “cheap grace”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - The Cost Of Discipleship
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance… it is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him… it is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.
It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.
It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.
Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.
Following Jesus is going to cost us dearly, but it is a cost worth paying.
It may cost us our family
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.
It may cost our freedom
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
It may cost us our life
Then they cast [Stephen] out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
When Peter tells his readers in 2 Peter 1:10 to be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, he is telling them to be intentional about the life they lead.
They need to be practicing these qualities that he has laid out for them in verses 5-7.
Matthew Henry
It is the duty of believers to make their election sure, to clear it up to themselves that they are the chosen of God.
A Triumphant Entrance Into The Eternal Kingdom
A Triumphant Entrance Into The Eternal Kingdom
verse 11
The cherry on top for the believer who is living out Christlikeness is that they will have their entrance into the eternal kingdom richly provided to them.
This literally means they will receive a rich welcome… a truly victorious welcome into the eternal kingdom.
There is no richer welcome than well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. (Matthew 25:23).
It is important for believers to remain confident in Christ!
Read Hebrews 10:32-39
Because we know that Jesus Christ is going to return, let’s live with confidence in our obedience to His Word.
Let’s diligently and confidently seek to add those seven qualities to our faith.
Charles Spurgeon
Every commandment of Christ bears today’s date.
DON’T POSSESS THE QUALITIES: BLIND AND FORGETFUL
DON’T POSSESS THE QUALITIES: BLIND AND FORGETFUL
2 Peter 1:9
The professing Christian who does not exhibit these qualities has forgotten the benefit they have from being in Christ.
They are near-sighted, thinking only of their salvation and not their sanctification.
Unfortunately many Christians know the Lord in salvation but lack the “fruit” of the Spirit and are not advancing spiritually.
They remain infants in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1), still in need of spiritual milk (Heb. 5:12–13)
It may even bear out that these people are not really saved because they are not possessing and increasing in the qualities that Peter has laid out.
Read Hebrews 10:26-31
This describes eternal judgment on those who are not believers.
No sinner should expect deliverance when they are guilty of trifling with the living God.
The way the Amplified words these verses brings out the strong warning:
For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God].
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
God holds people accountable for what they choose to do with what He has given to them.
And God has given to us His Word to know Him, to know Christ, and to live obediently to Him.
We need to Grow In Christlikeness by adding to our faith the seven qualities laid out by Peter, which culminates in true sacrificial (ἀγάπη) love of God and others.
As we live out Christlikeness in our lives, we Confirm Our Calling and Election, and we anticipate a rich welcome into the heavenly kingdom.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
You have made abundantly clear to us today that we must examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
Lord, you have put to us through the Apostle Peter measuring marks to see if we are indeed living lives that reflect true salvation.
I pray for each one now to take a moment and consider their own lives. May their genuine prayer be like the Psalmist: search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
[Pause]
Lord Jesus, for anyone here today who does not know You and the salvation that You offer through Your Word, may they long to know and to call on You for salvation.
And for those who know You, but maybe are stagnant in their walk with You, I pray that you would give them a renewed vigor to live for Your glory… obedient to Your commands.
Father, conform us to the image of Your Son.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
