2 Peter 1:1-2 (Righteous and Growing)

Introduction

What are some people or experiences that are most dangerous to your faith in Christ or to your perseverance in following Christ?

Do you know your own weaknesses?

Do you think you are above or impervious to the temptation to stray from Christ, from diligently following Him, or from patiently waiting for Him?

Are you inclined to believe false gospels?

Do you expect that strong faith and diligent obedience will most definitely produce good health, increasing wealth, and general prosperity in your life?

When your life circumstances take a turn for the worse – you get a bad doctor’s report, you lose your job, your child or grandchild suffers in some unbearable way – do you find yourself blaming God or wallowing in despair or lashing out at others around you.

When someone confronts you in sin or when you’re convicted of some repeated and sinful behavior, do you make excuses and try to comfort yourself by thinking that “grace” means it doesn’t matter how you live?

Just last week the President of the United States said that he hoped his efforts to end the war in Ukraine might get him into heaven. Friends, this is legalism – a works-based righteousness. But the President’s words represent the way a lot of people today think about God and sin and heaven and judgment.

So many people imagine that if their good deeds outweigh their bad, then God will most definitely let them into heaven. But this is a failure to take sin seriously. Friends, you and I haven’t gone three seconds our whole lives without sinning. There is no way possible for our good deeds to outweigh our sin.

Legalism, lawlessness, and laziness… burdens, bullies, and blustering… false gospels, false hopes, and false assurance… all of these are a danger to our souls, and we must do what we can to combat them… by believing and applying biblical truth… and by humbly obeying biblical commands.

We’re beginning Peter’s second general letter to Christians scattered in the ancient Roman world, and his major concern is the perseverance of Christians. He knows that false teachers and scoffers will come, and he wants them to remain faithful despite such opposition and the various temptations to turn aside.

In 2,000 years, human nature has not changed, faithful Christian living has not changed, and the temptations to lose faith or to give up on faithfulness have not changed. In our day, just like Peter’s, there are false teachers and scoffers. There are people and circumstances that would take us off the right road and send us in any other direction.

As we begin our study of this letter this morning, let’s concentrate our focus on Peter’s two-pronged pastoral emphasis – righteous standing and active growing.

May God help us to do both.

Scripture Reading

2 Peter 1:1-2

1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Main Idea:

Christians are those who, by faith, possess the righteousness of Christ, and they enjoy an increase of grace and peace through applied knowledge.

Sermon

1. Servant and Apostle (v1a)

This letter comes from one committed to special service of Christ… and one commissioned by Christ to speak authoritatively on matters of belief and practice.

Remember the context

Second Peter

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved” (2 Pet. 3:1).

General letter

Not to a specific local church (e.g., Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians), but to scattered Christians in ancient Rome.

Purpose

“In both of them [i.e., both letters] I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder… [of] the predictions of the holy prophets [about the day of the Lord] and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles [to persevere and walk faithfully]” (2 Pet. 3:1-2).

Peter is a “servant” and an “apostle” (v1).

Servant

δούλος or “slave” (NLT)

This is a particular status or label for apostles and pastors/elders.

In a sense, all Christians are “servants” or “slaves” of God.

Peter commanded, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Pet. 2:16)

But this status or label is most often used in the NT in reference to Apostles and those who serve Christ as pastors/elders in local churches.

The Apostle Paul:

“Paul, a servant of Christ…” (Rom. 1:1).

Also, Timothy and Epaphras:

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ…” (Phil. 1:1).

“Epaphras… a servant of Christ” (Col. 4:12).

Timothy and (implied) other pastors/elders:

“the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome… able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim. 2:24-25).

The Apostles and local church elders/pastors were labeled “servants” or “slaves” of Christ because of their particular duty to serve in Christ’s house/kingdom.

Friends, how do you know if someone is living and/or speaking as a “servant” or “slave” of Christ?

Is this the sort of role or posture you expect from your church leaders – that they are “slaves” of Christ (not primarily interested in serving the expectations of culture, the desires of church members, or the fear of man)?

It’s also important to note that Peter’s authority as an Apostle does not come from himself – it is his authority only to the degree that he is exercising that authority as a “servant” or “slave” of Christ.

Apostle

Acts chapter 1 is where the Bible defines capital “A” Apostles.

They had to have been with Jesus from the time of His “baptism [by] John until the day when he was taken up from us” (Acts 1:21-22).

They had to be a “witness” of Jesus’s “resurrection” from the dead (Acts 1:22).

And they had to be “chosen” and commissioned by the risen Christ (Acts 1:24-26).

Apostles were those who spoke and wrote with the authority of Christ Himself, and genuine miracles during the apostolic period confirmed their credibility and their message.

As I said at the beginning of our study of 1 Peter, we are not expecting new Apostles to speak the word of Christ today.

What we are doing is aiming to know and to believe and to obey the apostolic word we already have.

Both – “servant” and an “apostle” – are relevant to Peter’s concerns.

Peter is concerned about “false teachers” and/or “scoffers” who might lead Christians astray from the apostolic message and instruction.

“there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… and many will follow their sensuality… and… their greed” (2 Pet. 2:1-3).

“scoffers will come… with scoffing, following their own sinful desires,” denying the coming day of the Lord and giving opportunity and comfort to those who want to live unholy and ungodly lives (2 Pet. 3:3, 11).

Friends, in every generation, there are those who will claim the name of Christ and yet teach, speak, and act in ways that contradict that claim. Beware! Stick with the apostolic word! Follow those who live as slaves of Christ!

2. Standing in Faith (v1b)

This letter is for those who share the same faith or belief as the author.

Peter writes, “To those who have obtained [“received” (NASB, NIV84)] a faith of equal standing with [“equal in honor” or “the same kind as” (NASB) or “as precious as” (NIV84)] ours…” (v1).

Both Apostles and everyday Christians share the same “faith” (v1).

While Peter (as an Apostle) does have a valid claim to a higher office in the church than the everyday Christian, Peter does not have any claim to a higher faith or standing before God than any other Christian.

Friends, this is a vital point for us to remember today.

Some want to obliterate the distinctions of authority and responsibility in the church.

“We are all equal before the Lord” does not mean that we all have the same authority and responsibilities in the local church (or the home or out in the world).

God has created men and women distinctly.

God has designed the home with a particular structure and order.

Christ has also instituted the church with a particular structure and order –

Apostles are not the same as pastors,

pastors are not the same as deacons,

and deacons are not the same as every other church member.

Friends, how might you aim to submit to good (God-ordained) authority in the church, in your home, and in the world outside?

Just as some want to obliterate the distinctions, some want to overemphasize authority and responsibility.

Pastors/elders have no higher standing before God than any other Christian.

You don’t need a pastor or church leader to forgive your sins.

Every church member is responsible to teach and exhort one another.

We all can (and should) bear witness to Christ in the world.

Even the Apostles had to trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.

This is the meaning of Peter’s affirmation here.

The Christian hope and way of life is only for those who stand in faith.

The Christian hope and way of life is for all who stand in faith.

The promises of Christian hope are not just for super-Christians.

The teaching of Christian doctrine is not just for heady-Christians.

The instructions for Christian living are not just for those Christians who are espeically eager or mature.

All who share or stand in the same faith (in the Lord Jesus Christ) may grab hold of the promises, ought to consider the teaching, and should apply the instructions in this letter.

But Peter wrote this letter exclusively to Christians who are believing or faithing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is much hope and assurance in this letter.

There is much teaching and instruction in this letter.

But the first thing we must do in order to hear these words as addressed to us is believe in the same Savior as the Apostle Peter.

Friends, you can enjoy many benefits from living as a Christian even if you are not one, but the best you can hope for is fleeting temporal goods. If you want to be a partaker in the kind of hope and benefits Peter describes for Christians in this letter, then you must look to Christ and set your belief or faith on Him.

3. Possessing Righteousness (v1b)

All Christians possess the righteousness of Christ by faith.

Peter says, “To those who have obtained [“received” (NASB, NIV84)] a faith of equal standing with [“equal in honor” or “the same kind as” (NASB)] ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v1).

At least two big doctrines here – the person and the work of Christ.

The person of “our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v1).

Jesus is both God and Savior – He is THE CHRIST.

The divinity or Godness of Jesus is affirmed throughout the NT.

The Apostle Paul also said Jesus is “our great God and Savior… who gave himself for us to redeem us from all [sin] and to purify for himself a people for his own possession” (Titus 2:13-14).

Jesus speaks with divine authority.

“You have heard that it was said… ‘You shall not murder…’ But I say to you…” (Matt. 5:21-22).

Jesus forgives sin.

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But [so] that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins – he said to the paralytic – I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home” (Mk. 2:9-11).

Jesus commands creation.

He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm…. And [His disciples] were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mk. 4:39-41).

And Jesus worthily receives worship.

God commands the “angels” to “worship him” (Heb. 1:6).

And all of heaven erupts in worship for both the Father and Jesus when they sing, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13-14).

The author of Hebrews teaches us that it is precisely because Jesus is both truly God and truly man that He is able to “make purification for sins” and “bring many sons to glory” by “becoming a merciful and faithful high priest… [who made] propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 1:1-4, 2:10, 2:17).

Friends, Jesus is THE CHRIST because He is both God and Savior.

The work of “our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v1).

Friends, how is it that anyone can “obtain” or “receive” a “faith of equal standing” with Peter and the rest of the Apostles?

It is only “by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v1).

This speaks to the work of Christ… in two respects.

First, it speaks to the taking away of sin (expiation).

We are sinners, like all children of Adam; thus, we need someone to take away our sin and guilt.

Praise God! He has done it in Christ!

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith” (Col. 1:21-23).

God “canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14).

Friends, in Christ, God has taken away our sin and guilt and delivered justice in full.

Second, the work of Christ refers to the giving of righteousness (imputation).

We are not only sinners, but we are also devoid of righteousness; thus, we need someone to give us a righteousness that is both foreign and real.

Praise God! He has done it in Christ!

Righteousness is “counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses [i.e., sins] and raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:22-25).

When Christ was raised from the dead, He was vindicated as one who is truly righteous (though He was counted guilty and sinful in our place).

The righteousness of Christ, then, is counted or credited to those who believe or trust Him for it.

Friends, Christians are those who, by faith, possess the righteousness of Christ. When we simply believe or trust in the person of Christ (who is both God and man) and in the work of Christ (who both takes away our guilt and gives us His righteousness), then we (by faith) are welcomed into all the blessings and privileges that God has promised to those He loves.

4. Growing in Knowledge (v2)

Christians enjoy an increase of grace and peace through applied knowledge.

As a “servant” (or “slave”) of Christ and as an “apostle” of Christ, Peter affirmed that all believers possess the “righteousness” of Christ by sharing the same “faith” in the person and work of Christ – a “faith of equal standing” with those who were specially commissioned by Christ to be His Apostles (v1).

There is a sense in which the Christian standing before God is something that comes from a passive reception of the person and work of Christ.

But this does not mean that the Christian life is entirely passive!

See how Peter concludes his opening greeting with a prayer of blessing and of pastoral concern. He said, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in [εν or “through” (NIV84, KJV)] the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (v2).

This prayer is a counter hope and request and exhortation to Peter’s pastoral concerns for Christians scattered about in the world. Christians will encounter false teachers, and they will endure the ridicule of scoffers. So, Peter prays that those who read his letter will not be dissuaded from faith and faithfulness, but that they will grow in grace and peace “in” or “through” applied “knowledge” (v2).

Peter’s hope, request, and exhortation.

Peter is hopeful that his reader will grow in the “knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” and that by so doing they will experience an increase of “grace and peace” (v2).

This is not to say that “grace and peace” are like pixy dust that can be sprinkled heavier or lighter on the heads of Christians.

But it is to say that “grace and peace” can become greater or lesser experiences in the lives of Christians.

Any older Christian can tell you that their awareness of God’s grace and their sense of peace with God ebbs and flows (rises and falls) throughout the Christian experience.

Peter requests (or prays) that God will do it – that God will multiply or increase or fill up their sense of “grace and peace” as they grow “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (v2).

Like Christian conversion, growth in the Christian maturity is a spiritual matter (and not just a rational or circumstantial one).

Friends, we need God to grow us, we need God to multiply or increase our sense of His “grace and peace,” and we need God to open our eyes to the “knowledge” of Him and to grant us wisdom to apply that knowledge well… in every aspect of our lives.

Peter also implies an exhortation here – he not only prays for God’s help, but he wants his readers to take action.

We can know this because of what Peter says in v3-15.

It is God, Peter says, who “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” (v3).

But then Peter says (in v5), “make every effort…”

And those efforts, Peter says (in v8), will “keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v8).

“Therefore,” Peter says (in v10), “be all the more diligent… [and] practice these qualities” (v10).

Friends, not all of us are going to be professors of theology, and not all of us are going to be exemplary giants of Christian virtue, but all of us should aim to be growing “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (v2).

Growing in knowledge

This word translated “knowledge” here in v2 is more than merely knowing information about God and/or Christ.

The Apostle Paul said that sinners naturally do not “acknowledge” [same word] God (Rom. 1:28).

This signifies a refusal to admit and live according to what can be plainly known about God.

When Paul wrote of Christian maturity and growing into the “fullness of Christ,” he spoke of “attaining” a “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13).

This is what Peter is talking about here in our passage this morning – a kind of “knowledge” about Christ practically applied in the lives of those who become more like Christ.

Paul prayed similarly for the church in Colossae, that they would “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

Again, we see the NT combination of both head and heart, of belief and behavior, of understanding and the application of it in everyday life.

Friends, how are you growing “in the knowledge” of God and Christ?

What are some ways that you are learning more about who God is, who Christ is, and what it means that Christ is both our God and Savior?

Are you regularly reading your Bible?

Are you regularly talking about Bible stuff with friends or family?

Are you reading good Christian books to give you greater insight to what the Bible teaches?

What are some ways that you are applying your understanding about God and Christ to your everyday life?

Are you thinking through life decisions with your Bible open and trying to apply biblical principles to your vocation, your budget, your hobbies, your family, or your ambitions?

Are you looking for ways to change your behavior, your speech, or your routine… based on some deeper understanding you’ve come to know of what Christ requires of you?

Are you talking with fellow church members about how to evaluate your present spiritual growth… and about how you might strive for greater spiritual maturity as a husband or wife, as a dad or mom, as an employee or employer, or as a neighbor or friend?

Friends, the Bible warns us that there is a way to “always learn” and yet “never… arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).

The remedy for this is not to avoid learning, but to be sure to go on from step one to step two – from learning to application.

Conclusion

I said, at the outset, that Peter has a two-pronged pastoral emphasis in this letter, and we’ve seen them both in these first two verses – righteous standing and active growing.

Righteous standing:

Brothers and sisters, Christians are those who, by faith, possess the righteousness of Christ.

As we will sing in just a moment, “‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

Our standing before God is all of grace. By faith alone in the person and work of Christ alone, we may stand without fear in the presence of God because we are no longer under His curse but under His blessing and favor. God has graciously taught us to fear Him (because we are sinners), and He has relieved our fears of suffering His wrath (because our guilt has been taken away, and we now possess the righteousness of Christ).

Active growing:

And now that we (Christians) are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we may enjoy an increasing awareness of grace and peace as we strive to apply the knowledge of God and Christ to all of life.

J.C. Ryle was a 19th-century English pastor, and he wrote of several marks of growing in grace. He said one mark is that of increased spirituality of taste and mind. He went on, “The [Christian] whose soul is growing, takes more interest in spiritual things every year. He does not neglect his duty in the world. He discharges faithfully, diligently, and conscientiously — every relation of life, whether at home or abroad.

But the things he loves best are spiritual things.

The amusements and recreations of the world, have a continually decreasing place in his heart. He does not condemn them as downright sinful, nor say that those who have anything to do with them are going to Hell. He only feels that they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections — and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes.

Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, [and] spiritual conversation — [these] are of ever-increasing value to him.”

Then Ryle asked, “Would anyone know if he is growing in grace? Then let him look within for increasing spirituality of taste.”

May God help us all to rest more and more in the finished work of Christ on our behalf… and may God grant us all increasing grace and peace as we grow in the applied knowledge of God and Christ.