Through the Word in 2020 #139 - Oct. 23 / Living for Eternity

I appreciate people who have a clear sense of what they are about. Who know who they are, what they are here for and where they are going. But to be truthful, there aren’t a lot of them. And even among them, it seems those realities are only conceived of in terms of the here and now. Not with an eye on eternity. And life without reference to eternity is exceedingly short sighted. Though it inevitably leads to Hell.

The Apostle Peter used to be that way. It’s what made him so impetuous. A slave to his passionate responses to the moment. But he changed. After Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - his focus completely changed.

Today we have 4 passages before us: Luke 23:50–24:12; Psalm 126 and Jeremiah 32–34. But it is the redirected passion of Peter that calls for my attention today in 2 Peter 1:3–21.

I’m Reid Ferguson. And you are listening to Through the Word in 2020.

Living life now with a clear eye on eternity is the only way to live the Christian life. Peter captures it well when considering what he is writing to the saints in this letter. He is aware that he will not live much longer. And so he commits himself to reminding them of the Gospel truths upon which they are already established. And, he intends to make them easy to remember after he is gone.

It begs the question - if you knew you were going to die soon, what would you strive to make memorable to those you love?

For Peter, that is summed up in 11 things in this passage - which can then be distilled into just a few.

It is a master class in practical theology.

1. (1) Every Christian has A FAITH of Equal Standing with the Apostles

No apostle has a faith of higher standing than any saint, and no saint a faith of lower standing than any apostle.

That’s because Christ is all of our righteousness.

2. (2) Multiplying Grace & Peace is only found in the (increasing) knowledge of the person and work of Jesus

A. Who Christ is.

B. What He has done.

C. What He is doing now.

D. Why he does what He does.

3. (3) We possess Divinely Granted Promises sufficient for life and godliness - thru the knowledge of Christ

4. (3) We are Called to His own Glory & Excellence

5. (4) Thru these promises we are partakers of the divine nature

6. (5-7) Because these first 5 things are true, we are to be Supplementing our Faith - building on it, not stagnating

7. (8) Increasing in these prevents us from being Ineffective & Unfruitful in the faith

8. (9) We need warned lest we have a Forgetful Lack of these essentials

9. (10) We must be engaged in Diligent Pursuit of confirming our election - not just resting upon it

10. (11) This is all preparatory to fully Entering The Kingdom

11. (16) There are no Myths what we’ve been taught in the Bible. It is breathed out by God and holds all authority for us

All of which we could summarize in this, that Peter was exercised on these points:

Know God.

Know Christ Jesus.

Know who you are in Christ Jesus.

Grow in it.

In these, you too will be able to live a life now, aimed at the known eternity of the fulfilled promises of Jesus Christ.

Now that’s a life worth living.

God willing, we’ll be back Monday.