The Blessedness of Knowing Jesus Christ

Intro

Text - 2 Peter 1.1-9

2 Peter 1:1–9 NKJV

1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Title - The Blessedness of Knowing Jesus

Introduction to the series

Series title - The Call to Grow in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ

Peter’s theme in this epistle is “knowledge of Jesus Christ”

he commends the saints in their knowledge of Christ

he warns the saints of the danger of giving up their knowledge of Christ

he encourages the saints to grow in their knowledge of Christ

Background

Peter was writing to people who have obtained “like precious faith”

saved, born again, saints

Peter was writing to a people who “know Jesus Christ”

knowledge - grk. EPIGNOSIS

personal recognition or acquaintance

indicates spiritual understanding

to have the knowledge of Christ means one is “personally acquainted with Christ, having encountered Him intimately and spiritually.”

Knowing Jesus means -

knowing His saving work

knowing His Person - who He is

knowing the benefits of His work on the Cross

knowing the Truth

Knowing Jesus is “life”

John 17.3

1 John 5.20

Knowing Jesus is being obedient to His commands

1 John 2.3-4

The Main Point

Having known Jesus Christ, we should be diligent to grow in our faith so that we become useful and fruitful in the kingdom of God.

Sermon Points

How is a Christian blessed in knowing Jesus?

Knowledge of Christ should result in increasing grace and peace.

2 Peter 1:2 NKJV

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

multiplied - increase in amount, become greater

Knowledge of Christ provides us with all things we need in life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3 NKJV

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Divine power - the Holy Spirit

Knowledge of Christ gives us exceedingly great and precious promises, making us partakers of His divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4 NKJV

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

we have come to realize that we are beneficiaries of God’s promises in the Scriptures

these promises are intended to make us partakers of the divine nature

we are not just recepients of good things in this life, we are also beneficiaries of things beyond this natural life!

How should a Christian respond to these manifold blessedness?

Knowledge of Christ should give us diligence in growing our faith.

2 Peter 1:5–7 NKJV

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

diligience - eagerness; excitement in doing something

in showing oneself approve to God - 2 Tim 2.15

in entering the rest - Hebrews 4.11

in securing one’s calling and election - 2 Peter 1.10

we SHOULD be excited to grow our faith!

we SHOULD be excited to experience more than just believing!

2 Peter 1:8 NKJV

8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When these things are yours and abound -

you become useful

barren - useless

you become fruitful

unfruitful - unproductive

2 Peter 1:9 NKJV

9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

When you lack any of these, you become shortsighted -

seeing only the things that are near

shortsightedness can lead to

blindness and

forgetfulness

of cleansing of their sins

of the words of God taught to them

Conclusion

Knowledge of Christ is not MERELY INFORMED

It is having personal recognition of who He is and what He has done and is doing!

Knowledge of Christ should make the Christian excited to GROW!

NOT ALL who have known Christ continue to the end. Some

2 Peter 2.20

2 Peter 3.17-18

beware lest you fall away

grow in grace and knowledge

diligence - added to emphasize effort, it is not easy