Confirmed in the Promises of God

Introduction

Good morning, my name is Jeremy Gonzales. I am the student and family pastor here at Faith Evangelical Free Church. Many of you know that because I frequently say that when I am up here on Sundays. I even have my name on an office door and on the website. But how do you know that I am the student and family pastor? Does me merely standing up here and saying “Hi, I’m the student and family pastor!” make me a pastor here? Suppose I went to another church down the road, walked up on stage, grabbed a microphone, and introduced myself as the new student and family pastor. The people at that church would know that I am most certainly not one of their pastors, and would promptly escort me off the premises. What makes me a pastor here at this church is that the leadership at this church asked me to come here to do pastoral work in this particular area, and I have ever since been doing that work. It is in my doing the work of a pastor that you know I am a pastor here.

I’m also a husband. I have a ring on my finger that is a traditional and cultural indicator that I am married. I have a marriage certificate filed away at home, and I even share a life and home with a woman who is kind enough to say that I am her husband (praise the Lord!). However, this ring does not make me a husband. A marriage certificate does not make me a husband. This kind woman I share my life and home with telling everyone else that I am her husband is not what makes me her husband. What makes me her husband is the evidence of my commitment to love her for the rest of my life. There is an intentional action on my part to honor my marriage vows to her. To intentionally love her till the day I die, right?

I’m also a father. I have four little tax write-offs that consume all of the food I buy and live in the house I’m paying for. They’re kind enough to call me “dad” or “daddy,” but again this isn’t what makes me a father to them. Certainly I am their biological guardian and caregiver, but being those things don’t make me a father. What makes me a father to them is what I do with and for them. Investing in their lives, spending time to read them books, pushing them on the swing, throwing the ball, hugging them when they’re having a hard day, correcting them when they’ve done wrong, coaching them so they do what’s right. These are things that make me a father.

I am many things, and you certainly did not come here this morning to learn about the many things that I am. My point is this: We can hold many titles in our lives, but those titles do not make us who we say we are. We can have many signs and symbols of what we claim to be, but they do no provide the ultimate evidence of who we truly are - especially for those who claim to be in Christ. The ultimate evidence and proof for those who claim to be forgiven; who claim to possess God’s grace; who claim to lay hold of heaven are those whose lives reflect it. They are those who live out what they are. The evidence is not a book or a church; no, the evidence is much deeper than that. It is the evidence of having been transformed by the person and work of Jesus Christ!

This is what the Apostle Paul

This is what the point of where we are going to be today, which the Apostle Peter makes abundantly clear that we are to be “diligent in confirming our calling and election,” (v.7). That word translated “diligent” literally means “eager” or “zealous.” It is an intense desire to show to the world of what Christ has done for us.

Now here in the front end I want to make 2 things abundantly clear that are important to how we understand our text this morning:

Calling

The word calling in Scripture is used to describe the specific and intentional communication of God to people. That is, God communicates first and foremost with us, never in the reverse. You will see often in Scripture where people do cry out to God and worship God, but it is always in response to God’s call to people. God is always the initiator in His relationship with humankind. Always, without exception.

Election

By definition the word “election” means choosing, and every time the Bible speaks of election it is of God choosing to save people. Combining both calling and election, we can synthesize an understanding of how salvation works. God calls to salvation those whom He has chosen. Salvation, from beginning to end, is a work of God and not of man.

This will naturally create some discomfort in our seats because of the implications of what I just said: If God chooses to save some, why doesn’t he choose to save others? Doesn’t it seem unfair that God would let people go to hell if He has the choice to save them?

Before answering that question, I want to point out a glaring contradiction in how we often think about this issue. You see, we always want to assert that we should have a choice of choosing God, but then we want to turn around and tell God that He shouldn’t have a choice when it comes to choosing us. We put ourselves above God and assert that our freedom to choose is far more important and superior than His.

Here’s what Scripture says about this:

In verses 6-13, the Apostle Paul makes the argument that belonging to God is not an act of human will, whether it’s the family we are born to or the choices that we make. In verse 14, Paul anticipates our objection of this reality in verses 14-23.

Election generates diligence

Because we have been chosen and called by God, it should generate what Peter calls “diligence” in confirming this as a reality in our lives. Again, we ought to have this intense eargerness to confirm that God has chosen and called us.

Now, you cannot simply command eagerness, right? When you tell your children that they have to go with you to the store for a routine grocery trip and they moan and grumble about how boring it will be or how long it’s going to take, you don’t pull the mini-van over and sternly command your children: “Be eager to not complain because you will have food!” Children generally don’t grasp the concept of not having food. But I bet if your kids were hungry and there wasn’t anything in the refrigerator or pantry, I bet they’d be eager to get to the grocery store without complaining. There is a motivation to their eagerness now that is not completely divorced from a command but is enlivened by what they will posses.

In order for us to get to the “eagerness” of confirming God’s salvation in our lives, I want us to be enlivened by what should motivate us to this kind of living. So, let’s look at what Peter says should cause eagerness in our lives to confirm what God has done, starting in verses 3-4:

1) THE GLORY OF GOD’S PROMISES (v.3-4)

1) The source of the promise (v.3):

The source of the promise begins with God. It is by God’s power that we have everything that Peter says that we have. This is massive because of the implications it carries. Think of this with me, very slowly: God’s power has granted you:

ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS

This means that you don’t lack a single thing for what you will encounter in this life, and you don’t lack a single thing for what you need in the next. God’s power has it all covered!

GRANTED TO US HIS PRECIOUS AND VERY GREAT PROMISES

The promises that God has made for those whom He loves has been granted to you.

T

2) The extent of the promise (v.3,4):

a. Everything needed for this life and the next

Every precious and very great promise

b. Every precious and very great promise

3) The substance of the promise:

a. His own glory and excellence

b. Partakers of the divine nature

c. Escape from worldly corruption

d. Made Himself known to us

4) The access to the promise:

Knowing God

a. Knowing God requires the Spirit of God

1. Our minds are darkened

(ESV)

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

2. The Spirit brings light

(ESV)

2 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.

(ESV)

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

b. Knowing God requires the Word of God

2 Peter 1:16-21

c. Knowing God requires the Son of God

(ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

2) THE EVIDENCE OF GOD’S PROMISES (v.5-7)

The evidence of God’s promises is demonstrated through qualities endowed to those who are genuinely in Christ. Peter tells us that we are to supplement each quality with another, so that we are continually growing in our knowledge of God and making Him visible in our lives. The word here for supplement literally means “add to,” and he begins with the foundational quality a Christian ought to possess:

1) Faith with virtue

Faith is the root from with all of the other qualities will arise. You can have virtue, knowledge, self-control, and on and on… none of it will make a difference if you do not have personal trust in God. Faith ought to be supplemented or “added to” with virtue. Virtue here is defined as “moral excellence,” having integrity and demonstrating a goodness that extends beyond what others can see and into those areas that no one else knows about.

When virtue is added to our faith, we demonstrate our faith by how we act.

2) Virtue with knowledge

Our “virtue” or “moral excellence” is to be supplemented with knowledge. As we’ve said earlier, God cares a lot about what you and I know about him. When virtue is supplemented with knowledge, moral excellence is guided by what we know of God rather than what we want from man.

3) Knowledge with self-control

Knowledge is to be supplemented with self-control. Self-control is literally having control of one’s self. It is exercising restraint and having the ability to establish and maintain discipline. Knowledge of God is supplemented with self-control when we know more about Him.

4) Self-control with steadfastness

Self-control is to be supplemented with steadfastness, or rather endurance. Many have learned discipline and self-control, but they have not been successful in maintaining such qualities. Supplementing self-control with steadfastness (or endurance) is learning self-control for the long-haul. It’s not for a quick fix, but rather establishing discipline for a lifetime of knowing God and living for him.

5) Steadfastness with godliness

Steadfastness is to be supplemented with godliness. As we noted in verse 3, God has already given us everything needed for life and godliness. Godliness is something we already have, and yet here the Apostle Peter tells us it’s something to be pursued and added to our endurance. Why? Because godliness is god-likeness, and if we are to reflect who God is in our lives, then it is imperative that we seek endurance in Christ-likeness. Peter wants us to grow more and more like Christ as we endure for him in this life.

6) Godliness with brotherly affection

Godliness is to be supplemented with brotherly affection. Brotherly-affection is from the familiar word philadelphia, meaning quite literally “brotherly-love.” Our godliness is added-to when we express love for other brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Christ-likeness is increased when we love His people, those whom he saved. Indeed, if we are the body of Christ, we grow in our love for Christ when we love one another.

7) Brotherly affection with love

Brotherly affection is to be supplemented with love, which is the supreme quality of a Christian. This is love that is not limited to brothers and sisters in Christ but to all people. It is the love of Christ for others. It is the end of the chain that we see here, and we can be certain that whoever posses love will have the previous qualities that Peter has mentioned.

The nature of these qualities

The nature of these qualities is not to give us a standard to attain or measure ourselves to, but to rather give us a means of examining ourselves for the assurance of God’s promises.

3) THE ASSURANCE OF GOD’S PROMISES (v.8-10)

Possessing (v.8a)

The first means of assurance of God’s promises is that we have these qualities. Do you have these qualities. Notice he doesn’t quantify how much of it you have, but simply that you have it.

We always think in terms of not having enough faith, or love, or knowledge, and on and on. But that’s not how Peter thinks of it. He states that the first means of assurance that we are in the promises of God is that we have these qualities. You may not think you have enough faith, but do you have faith? You may not think you have enough knowledge, but do you know the God who saved you?

We are right in believing that these qualities shouldn’t be stagnate, which is why Peter goes on to say that it is both possessing these qualities and growing in these qualities.

Growing (v.8b)

We are right in believing that these qualities shouldn’t be stagnate, which is why Peter goes on to say that it is both possessing these qualities and growing in these qualities.

Let me ask you, are you the same person that you were 5 years ago? Of course not! Why? Because we as humans all possess the quality of growth and development. We grow physically and mentally because that’s how life works.

The same is true for the qualities a person possesses.

Guarding (v.8c)

If you possess these qualities and are growing in these qualities, Peter says that they will “keep you from being unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Warning (v.9)

You can’t become what you don’t behold.

Confirming (v.10)

4) THE REWARD OF GOD’S PROMISES (v.11)

The path to the entrance of God’s Kingdom is not in earning God’s promises, it’s proving God’s promises in your life.

Grace always precedes command in Scripture.