Sermon Tone Analysis

Before we continue in 2 Peter, I would like to look at Jude’s first two verses.

As you already know there is close correlation between these two letters though we will leave Jude behind for a few weeks after today as we continue to look at 2 Peter 1.

Jude 1-2

We have already looked at the relationship of Jude to Jesus in being His brother and also His slave.

So we continue in the second part of verse 1 and into verse 2. I want us to grasp some important things said here.

Jude sent this letter to those who are called, sanctified and preserved as it says in the NKJV.​

In the NIV and other translations we find it says: called, loved and kept.

Called, loved and kept.

Called by the Spirit, loved by the Father, kept for the Son.

In fact we see the Triune God at work in all three of these areas.

Jude made special mention of these three words for a reason and he wanted us to grasp it.

Called

God’s people are God’s because He called them.

God initiated this in eternity past setting in motion a plan of salvation.

So, then we have heard the Gospel through a meeting or through a friend or even on the door, and we who have responded are the true Christians who have heard the voice of God.

We have heard the Holy Spirit calling away from the world and the world’s empty promises.

We have felt Him convicting us of sin and egocentricity.

The Holy Spirit revealed the love of Jesus.

We have felt drawn to the power of the cross where we understood that He died for us, in our place.

Jesus became the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world and more specifically our own.

We have heard God say follow Jesus and hear Him and live to serve Him and have responded ‘yes’ to Him.

This is what makes us a Christian.

But, maybe I have been presumptuous, perhaps there is someone here who has heard the call of God on their life but has not yet come to Jesus, who has not said ‘yes’ to following Him wholeheartedly, who has not put their faith and trust in Him to save them from their sin.

If this is you, then as it says elsewhere in Scripture: Today, now, is the day of Salvation.

Do not harden your heart to Him and His call.

But receive Him into your heart.

When it was not possible for us to do anything about our plight God sent Jesus Christ and by Him drew us to Him and we responded because He called.

He called you by name.

Loved

Is this not the centre of the Gospel?

God the Father loved us.

We are told this in many places but the key verses are

So, plainly God loves everybody.

So, how is this different for the Christian?

For those who have not come to Christ there is also anger.

In one place God says I am angry with the wicked everyday.

He would rather them come to faith in Christ.

His love is such that He does not rejoice in their death.

But they have spurned His love, rejected it even though it is freely given and available.

But for us as Christians His love is not mixed with anger for we have been reconciled to Him through Jesus whom we received.

We have passed from death to life, from condemnation to freedom.

He loves us with an eternal, unboundedunshakeable and unconditional love.

Kept

Once we have come to faith in Christ and therefore reconciled to God He will not let us go.

This is a promise we can hold onto and it is Jesus who does the work of keeping us.

We have Peter as the great example.

Satan had to ask for permission to test Peter but it was Jesus who prayed for him.

Though he messed up Peter was not let go for Jesus had prayed for him.

And this is what Jesus does even for us now:

It is Christ who keep us until He returns to take us home as indeed we find at the end of this letter:

We find the theme of being called, loved and kept in Isaiah:

As a result of being called, loved and kept our hearts rise in worship towards God and we shine in the world.

Continuing today in

2 Peter 1:

Verse 4 recap

DIVINE NATURE

Two week’s ago we saw that we have been given the power of God to live for God and not for ourselves or the flesh, we have been given His promises, of which we have seen in Jude means that we have been called, loved and kept.

Now, we are also partakers in the Divine Nature meaning the old is gone and the new is come.

To be a partaker of the Divine Nature is to have the image of God restored in us.

Verse 5

Intro

As this is the case, Peter says, there are things for us now to do.

Let’s recap why we are to do what Peter says we should do:

There are seven things that was God’s part in our salvation mentioned by Peter in the first four verses:

faith

and righteousness (v. 1).

grace

and peace (v.

2).

life

and godliness and all things that pertain to life and godliness (v.

3).

the divine nature or new man (v.

4).

As a response to this salvation we are now to do seven things, which we find in verses 5-7.

But before we get to these things it is necessary to show the importance of these things.

We have been given everything we need to achieve it in verses 1-4 and now it requires some exertion, that is, we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

We are required to put some effort in, we are required to give all diligence to the things contained in this passage - it is not to be passed over lightly but it is for us to put into practice.

The word diligence that we find here in verse 5 means literally 'speed'.

We would think it means to be slow but no, here it means that we are to get on and do these things quickly, urgently, to pull up our socks!

These things are so important that Peter’s stress upon them is quite incredible.

If this is so then that means these verses are some of the most important in all of Scripture for us to take note of and need to be returned to again and again.

Whilst we will come to these verses soon let us hear Peter’s rehearsal about all this:

⇒ Note v. 12: Peter says that he is going to always preach these things despite the fact that the believer already knows them.

But this is not all.

⇒ Note v. 13: Peter says that as long as he is living, he is going to stir up the believers by reminding them of these things.

But this is not all.

⇒ Note vv.

14–15: Peter says that these things are so important that he is going to see to it that the believers are reminded of them even after his death.

The whole purpose of these particular verses is not going to surprise you for it is the whole purpose of Peter’s letter - it is so that we can know Jesus.

We are to put our efforts into what follows, so let us concentrate and in order to do this because we have to grow and be fruitful disciples.

Doctor Bonar once remarked that he could tell when a Christian was growing.

In proportion to his growth in grace he would elevate his Master, talk less of what he was doing, and become smaller and smaller in his own esteem, until, like the morning star, he faded away before the rising sun.

So, we are going to slow right down in here in 2 Peter whilst we look at the verses to the end of verse 15 but especially verses 5-7.

If Peter thinks it is important to iterate and reiterate and reiterate then we need to give due care and diligence to what is said here: So, let us hear these verses again:

What are we to do?

To add.

It is like a mathematical term.

We are not to subtract but to add.

And we are to add these seven things together.

It is these things that Peter lays so much on the line for.

We are to do this with all the power that Christ gives us and to do so with all our might.

We are to supplement our faith.