A Salvation Supplied and Applied: Part 2

Intro:

The 5 Solas of the reformation is the title given to the 5 latin statements that encapsulate the purpose and confessions of the Protestant Reformation. These phrases are:

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)

Sola Fide (Faith Alone)

Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)

Solus Christus (Christ Alone)

Soli Deo Gloria( Glory of God Alone)

They are commonly called the 5 Solas which is kinda odd because that translates the 5 Alones. But the point that is being communicated throughout the history of the church is that God Alone is responsible for the grace and salvation that we have in him. We come to the knowledge of salvation by the word of God alone…not by tradition, not by the works of creation, not by some mystical experience. We are granted salvation by faith alone and by grace alone…not some merit or work that we produce that appeases the wrath of a holy God. We come to salvation by the work of Christ alone as redeemer and savior of lost souls…not by the co-redeeming effort of the mother Mary, nor the mediatorial role of the church itself. All of these lead us to celebrate that salvation as a work of God alone through Christ, then all the glory and honor is due to this name >>>ALONE!

This is so vitally important in a world which we live that boasts of human achievement. We see kings stand and declare in boastful arrogance like Nebuchadezzar, “look at this kingdom that I have accomplished.” Of course, this pride in self is not just found in kings, presidents, and high ranking officials. All humanity is so depraved of mind that we all corrupted to take great pride in accomplishments that we do not give glory to God for what he has done but we seek the glory ourselves.

1 John 2:16 “16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

Even spiritual blessing is seen through humanity’s prideful lenses so that we think that salvation can come through human strength and achievement. The Bible speaks against this such pride and reminds us that salvation is by the grace of God alone and for His glory.

John 1:12–13 “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

This is the main focus of our passage today as we look at 2 Peter 1:3-4. We come to see and celebrate the work of God alone through His Son Jesus Christ as Giver and Supplier of our Salvation.

Review:

I. A UNIFIED SALVATION (1-2)

II. A GIFTED SALVATION (3-4)

III. AN EXERCISED SALVATION (5-7)

IV. AN EXAMINED SALVATION (8-11)

II. A Gifted Salvation (v 3-4)

A. Only By His Power

2 Peter 1:3–4 “3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,

What can we compare to the power of God displayed in all of history. He raises the dead. He opens wide the sea. He provides for the evil and the good. He sets the universe in perfect alignment and harmony. He creates and sustains life. He leads and directs all of life throughout all of history. God’s power is as immeasurable as every drop of water in the oceans of this world.

His divine power is most beautifully seen when we consider the way in which it provides salvation as a gift for sinners. The word “granted” in v 3 and in v 4 means that which is given or gifted to someone. John 3:16 states for God so loved the world, he “gave” his only son or He “gifted Him” to be the way of salvation for undeserving sinners.

How does that display his power? The greatest display of power is when someone overcome with death is risen from the dead to new life. Just as God displayed His immence power in generating life at creation, he displays it equally in regenerating it back from the dead.

Therefore, the “life” mentioned here is not referencing provisions of the earth like food, clothing, jobs, relationships. The life here means “spiritual life” that is supplied by God. That spiritual life is completely accomplished by Jesus Christ when he completed the work of redemption.

In addition, the spiritual life granted will also lead to a gifted godliness whereby the sinner is made new and also made to reflect the holiness of Christ. Last week, we saw how the righteousness of Christ clothes the follower of Jesus so that in the eyes of God we appear to him as perfect. That is positional holiness. But the power of God also makes us practically holy day by day as we are shedding the old sinful man and putting on the new holy habits of Christ who dwells in us.

To summarize v 3, Bill Mounce writes

A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter The Inexpressible Joy of New Life (1:3–15)

God has given us everything we need for a life of genuine godliness. His provisions for the demands of living in a corrupt world (v. 4) are complete.

Mounce highlights then that this powerful work of salvation gives us the complete and sufficient tools to live holy lives and to stand apart in this evil world as being different. Like I said last week, v 1-4 contain the theological meat while 5-11 calls to feast upon all that has been served so that we may mature in godliness and holiness.

B. Only Because of His Calling

through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

For the glory and goodness (excellence) of God to be on the forefront of salvation for sinners, then He is the divine and central giver of spiritual life solely by unmerited grace. The second half of v 3 states that all spiritual life comes through the “true knowledge of Him who called us”

The calling of God is the spiritual work by which sinners are drawn to God through the preaching and hearing of the gospel. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, this is so because God called you. This means that God supernaturally drew you to himself by opening your eyes to see sin and transforming your heart to believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation. V1 already stated that faith is received by believers in Christ. Now we are told that the calling to Christ comes by Christ, much like the disciples in the gospels.

Jesus standing at the edge of the Sea of Galilee looks to Peter and Andrew, James and John and he calls out to them:

Matthew 4:19–22 “19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

This text uses the word KALEO to call and they responded to follow Him as discples. This is a unique and powerful testimony of the gospels because the Rabbi-student initiation was reversed in most cases. Typically the student found the teacher and asked to be their student. Jesus initiates the call to his disciples.

Illustration:

How do you get a meeting the President or Vice President of the United States? Do you walk up to the guard house at the entrance at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and say, “I’d like to speak to the president in his office, please!” No- to sit down with the president, you have to be invited to meet with him. You get a call to go and you go!

In a greater way, our calling to salvation is not by any desire within us but invitation to come and to belong to God in Christ.

Now Paul says in 2 Thessalonians that our calling to the Lord Jesus Christ occurs through the good news:

2 Thessalonians 2:14 “14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The vehicle by which the calling is manifested in your life is when the gospel is preached and you respond. Scripture argues that faith evident at that calling is a gift so that no one will boast in any of their good works. This of gift of faith, which is your calling to salvation, is all part of a great plan of God established before the foudnation of the world, which is your election in God.

Look down to 2 Peter 1:10 “10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;

Here Peter connects election with calling. Before the worlds were created, Scripture repeats abundantly in the doctrine of election that those who will be saved from sin are part of the election by God to salvation before the foundation of the world by unmerited grace and unconditional love.

There cannot a more rich emphasis in all of God’s power than to show that God elects sinners, calls those sinners to salvation, pardons them by the sacrifice of his son, makes them holy in their lifetime and keeps them from falling away until they are united with Him in all eternity.

Who accomplishes these amazing acts of salvation for sinners….God does them fully and God does them alone for His Own Glory!

“By his glory and excellence”(v3)

Now v 3 concludes with the truth that all these saving acts are done BY the glory of the Supplier of Salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. This saving work from the Son, along with Father and the Spirit, direct human hearts to see the glorious attributes of the Godhead manifested in the works of salvation. Salvation by His glory means that we see his glory realized in His acts of grace.

This reality that God allows human eyes to see his glory manifested in salvation leads forgiven sinners to praise and honor of God’s work.

Psalm 118:14–21 “14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. 15 The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 17 I will not die, but live, And tell of the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it. 21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation.”

C. Only Through His Word

4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises,

Look at 2-4 again as a whole

2 Peter 1:2–4 NASB95

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Peter wants us to see that the blessings of salvation that we receive come through the vehicle of the word of God. How can we know about God’s goodness and grace if we did not have the word of God? How could we learn of Jesus, God’s only Son being sent into the world to save sinners. How could we know of our own depravity contrasted with the holiness of God? Only By his word. Therefore, as we discussed last week, the apostle Peter, one of the authors of inspired writings of the Holy Scripture wants us to see and trust in the delivered word of God that has been given by the authority and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to men.

In this knowledge, we can find life because all that was written in the Law and the Prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled and were written about the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore our knowledge of the word of God leads us to a true knowledge of God himself, for Jesus is the incarnate word.

Friends, you and I cannot have a deep relationship with Jesus if we are not rooted in His word. Books about Jesus and His church help us a extra resources but it is the word of God that the Spirit speaks to our hearts. I know there are days that your mind may not focus well as you sit down to read. If you are like me, your brain may be pressed with cares of the day…worries of tomorrow…dreams of the future. It is in that moment, that we must remember the spiritual nutrition of God’s word. It saves and it satisfies us. It instructs us to look to Christ when worry and busyness overtake us.

Therefore, we must understand that v 3 teaches us to see the sufficiency of God’s word over all else in the world. We talk a lot about this as a church that focuses on biblical counseling because there are so much extra and unnecessary noise in the space of counseling. Biblical counseling needs to prioritize the satisfying and healing effect of God’s word on the soul while acknowledging that most of our issues that need counseling are spiritual in nature. Not all issues are spiritual as some are simply biological in nature. But most are and the word of God is our remedy because it leads us to LIFE and GODLINESS.

Recently Evangelicals leaders came together and wrote a statement on the Sufficiency of Scripture called the “Sufficiency Statement” which I am happy to affirm and would encourage you to read yourself.

On the article of Sufficiency it reads,

As one of the four perfections of Scripture, the doctrine of biblical sufficiency teaches that Christians require no additional revelation to understand how to please God in any area of life. It is a bedrock theological foundation of the biblical counseling movement.

A.  As this doctrine is applied to counseling, it means that Christians require no special knowledge or methodology drawn from outside Scripture to construct a system of counseling care. Scripture explicitly claims to address our entire spiritual life, including the challenges faced in a fallen world which are the same challenges we face in counseling conversations.

B. Counseling ministry does not stand in need of any insights from secular psychology, which views people, their problems, and the corresponding counseling methods primarily according to philosophies and practices that are opposed to the Bible.

C. The sufficiency of Scripture does not mean the Bible is a detailed and exhaustive catalog of all knowledge. It does mean that what is given to us in God’s Word provides all the truth we need to address our spiritual needs. The Bible’s rich treasure of wisdom and knowledge provides comprehensive information that applies explicitly or implicitly to every counseling issue in ways that are pleasing to God and good for people.

D. Any approach to counseling that attempts to supplement Scripture with secular resources is in error and will harm those it means to help. Such attempts constitute an implicit denial of Scripture’s authority and sufficiency. Accordingly, such practices exist outside the stream of faithful biblical counseling and discipleship.

I find this very helpful as our church seeks to practice and train others in the responsibility to counsel the soul of others in a biblical way. All of this is to highlight that God’s word is a gift from God to lead us to a life of godliness. This means the word of God intructs your marriage, your parenting, your work ethic, your role in your community, your fight against sin, your love for the nations and your worship of the Lord. These are just a few of the comprehensive nature of God’s word applying to all of life.

D. Only In Our Fellowship (Union)

so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

It is through the Scripture, in the knowledge and relationship with God that we become “partakers of the divine nature,” Peter does not teach here that we become divine beings for he carefully uses the term “nature.” This might be where Mormons get their doctrine that in the eternal life we become gods. Instead, Kistemaker makes a careful observation.

“Peter has chosen the term nature because it indicates growth, development and character. The expression being by contrast points to essence and substance. We can never participate in God’s essence, for we are and remain human beings who have been created by God.”

Kistemaker NTC 2 Peter

Peter then is highlighting the quality of godliness that we can achieve becasue of the supernatural gift of salvation that has been given to us. This means there is no lost cause, no stain of sin that cannot erased or cleansed. Humanity has hope in a salvation in Christ because he positionally makes us righteous at salvation and he shares the divine moral excellence with us so that we can live holy throughout our lives.

Romans 8:29 “29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

2 Corinthians 3:18 “18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 “16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

Let us then not to lose hope for all that God has accomplished in us. If you are a true follower of Christ, then you are more like Christ today than you were yesterday. Your trials and your joys produce this in you! Your fellowship with the Bride of Christ produces this in you! You steadfastness in the word of God produces this in you!

Be encouraged and give praise for the work of Christ. He is your Savior and He is your Sanctifier by His Spirit. His work in you has already been completed and yet it is also still at work daily, making you ready as a Bride who will one day meet her groom in heaven, ready for the Marriage feast.

Philippians 1:6 “6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

To conclude, lets go back to Reformation as I started this sermon. Martin Luther, one of the main intiators of such a work in the church understood the great work of Christ in his salvation and godliness. He wrote,

Luther’s Commentary on Galatians Chapter Two

Now, when I have thus apprehended Christ by faith, and through him am dead to the law, justified from sin, delivered from death, the devil and hell, then I do good works, I love God, I give thanks to him, I exercise charity towards my neighbour. But this charity or works following, do neither form nor adorn my faith, but my faith formeth and adorneth charity