Untitled Sermon
Add to salvation, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love
The Great Things of the Believer’s Life, 1:5–15
INTRODUCTION:
Anyone who has driven a car knows that you must add certain things to keep it operating. If you do not add things like gas and oil for the engine and air for the tires when needed, the car will be useless. All of this makes sense, and yet every day someone …
• runs out of gas
• forgets to put oil in the engine
• neglects to keep the necessary amount of air in the tires
Common sense tells us that whether the car is brand new from the showroom or a rattletrap held together with bailing wire, these things must be added on a regular basis. This same principle holds true for the Christian believer. You can be a brand new convert or a saint who has walked with Christ for many years—the need remains the same. Every Christian needs to add “these things” that Peter will be discussing. If you neglect to add these things, you will find yourself doing what the neglected car does: running out of gas, blowing off steam, and breaking down—far away from the One who can help you!
This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture for the believer, a passage that must be studied and heeded time and again. It covers the great things (qualities and virtues) which are to be in the life of the believer. The great importance of “these things” is seen in three facts that are forcefully stressed by Peter.
First, a person is to give all diligence, to add “these things” to his faith and life. As Scripture says, the believer “is to work out his own salvation” (Ph. 2:12).
Second, the great power of “these things” stresses their importance. These things work within the life of the believer to meet five desperate needs of man, five things for which the soul of the believer aches and longs. Glancing at the five points of verses 8–11 in the outline of the Scripture will again show the great importance of these things in the believer’s life.
Third, Peter’s heavy stress upon the importance of “these things” is phenomenal.
⇒ 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 v. 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.
What more could Peter say?
1. THE CHARGE TO ADD “THESE THINGS” (v. 5–7)
To “add” here means in addition to God’s great salvation—right along side of what God has done—add these things. And give all diligence to adding them. Hasten, jump, act now to add them; don’t wait. Be energetic and earnest; strenuously work to add these things to your faith and salvation.
1. Add “virtue”: moral excellence and goodness of character; moral strength and moral courage. It means manliness; being an excellent person in life, a real man or a real woman in life; living life just like one should, in the most excellent way. It means always choosing the excellent way.
“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence [evil passion], even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Th. 4:1–7).
2. Add “knowledge”: practical intelligence, practical knowledge, practical insight. It means knowing what to do in every situation and doing it; it is practical, day to day knowledge that sees situations and knows how to handle them. It is seeing the trials and temptations of life and knowing what to do with them and doing it.
Remember the charge: we must add knowledge to our faith. We must give diligent attention to the situations of life and figure out how to conquer them.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (Jn. 8:31).
3. Add “temperance”: to master and control the body or the flesh with all of its lusts. It means self-control, the master of desire, appetite and passion, especially sensual urges and cravings. It means to be strong and controlled and restrained. It means to stand against the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:15–16).
⇒ The believer is to know that self-control is of God, a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22–23).
⇒ The believer is to proclaim self-control to the lost.
“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25).
⇒ The believer is to control his sexual desires.
“But if they cannot contain [control], let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn” (1 Cor. 7:9).
⇒ The believer is to strenuously exercise self-control, just as an athlete controls himself.
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Cor. 9:25).
⇒ The believer is to grow in self-control.
“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness” (2 Pt. 1:6).
⇒ The aged believer is especially to be on guard to control himself.
“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience” (Tit. 2:2).
4. Add “patience”: endurance, fortitude, stedfastness, constancy, perseverance. The word is not passive; it is active. It is not the spirit that just sits back and puts up with the trials of life, taking whatever may come. Rather it is the spirit that stands up and faces life’s trials, that actively goes about conquering and overcoming them. When trials confront a man who is truly justified, he is stirred to arise and face the trials head on. He immediately sets out to conquer and overcome them. He knows that God is allowing the trials in order to teach him more and more patience (endurance).
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Heb. 10:36).
5. Add “godliness”: see 2 Pt. 1:3 for discussion.
6. Add “brotherly kindness”: the very special love that exists between brothers and sisters within a loving family, brothers and sisters who truly cherish one another. It is the kind of love …
• that binds people together as a family, as a brotherly clan.
• that binds people in an unbreakable union.
• that holds people ever so dearly within the heart.
• that knows deep affection for other people.
• that nourishes and nurtures other people.
• that shows concern and looks after the welfare of other people.
• that joins hands with other people in a common purpose under one father.
How can people possibly love one another like this when they are not true blood brothers and sisters? Here is how. The Greek word “brother” means from the same womb. The word used for love is phileo which means deep-seated affection and care, deep and warm feelings within the heart. It is the kind of love that holds a person near and dear to one’s heart. Now note: the two Greek words are combined together by the writer to convey what he means by brotherly love.
⇒ People who have brotherly love have come from the same womb, that is, from the same source. They have been born again by the Spirit of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When they receive this new birth, God gives them a new spirit—a spirit that melts and binds their hearts and lives in love for all the family of God.
Believers may not even know each other. They may even be from different parts of the world, but there is a brotherly love between them because they have been given a new birth and a new spirit of love by God. They are brothers and sisters in the family of God—the family of those who truly believe in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—the family who has received a new spirit that binds them together in brotherly love. This new spirit, of course, comes from the Holy Spirit of God Himself.
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (Jn. 13:34–35).
7. Add “love”: the love of the mind, of the reason, of the will. It is the agape love of God, the love that goes so far …
• that it loves regardless of feelings—whether a person feels like loving or not.
• that it loves a person even if the person does not deserve to be loved.
• that it actually loves the person who is utterly unworthy of being loved.
Note four significant points about agape love.
a. Selfless or agape love is the love of God, the very love possessed by God Himself. It is the love demonstrated in the cross of Christ.
⇒ It is the love of God for the ungodly.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6).
⇒ It is the love of God for unworthy sinners.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8).
⇒ It is the love of God for undeserving enemies.
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Ro. 5:10).
b. Selfless or agape love is a gift of God. It can be experienced only if a person knows God personally—only if a person has received the love of God, that is, Christ Jesus, into his heart and life. Agape love has to be shed abroad (poured out, flooded, spread about) by the Spirit of God within the heart of a person.
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Ro. 5:5).
c. Selfless or agape love is the greatest thing in all of life according to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:29–31).
d. Selfless or agape love is the greatest possession and gift in human life according to the Scripture (1 Cor. 13:1–13).
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13).
ILLUSTRATION:
Who can fully explain the power of agape love—the love that gives so much to those it touches? God’s kind of love opens a heart that has been nailed shut by sin.
“After the U.S.S. Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans, the eighty-two surviving crew members were thrown into a brutal captivity. In one particular instance thirteen of the men were required to sit in a rigid manner around a table for hours. After several hours the door was violently flung open and a North Korean guard brutally beat the man in the first chair with the butt of his rifle. The next day, as each man sat at his assigned place, again the door was thrown open and the man in the first chair was brutally beaten. On the third day it happened again to the same man. Knowing the man could not survive, another young sailor took his place. When the door was flung open the guard automatically beat the new victim senseless. For weeks, each day a new man stepped forward to sit in that horrible chair, knowing full well what would happen. At last the guards gave up in exasperation. They were unable to beat that kind of sacrificial love.”
How far would you be willing to go—in the name of love?
2. THE GREAT POWER OF “THESE THINGS” (v. 8–11)
Note how the great needs of man’s heart and life are covered in these verses:
⇒ Man is barren and unfruitful in life (v. 8).
⇒ Man is blind, cannot see the purpose, meaning, and significance of life and cannot see how to be absolutely sure of tomorrow, much less the distant future (v. 9).
⇒ Man forgets, does not know how to deal with sin. Or if he knows how—knows the gospel—he is unwilling to give up his sin (v. 9).
⇒ Man does not know how to keep from falling in life, from failing and coming short. He does not know how to meet his full potential; how to control the problems of life, to bring love, peace, and joy to himself and his loved ones and the world (v. 10).
⇒ Man does not know how to gain and be perfectly assured of eternal life; he does not know how to receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ (v. 11).
But note: all these needs can be met perfectly. They are met if these things of verses 7–8 are added to our lives in abundance. The word “abound” means to increase and grow; to overflow and be filled with more and more, ever learning how to increase these things in our lives. In other words, do not be satisfied …
• with your life as it is.
• with present growth.
• with staying where you are spiritually.
• with just knowing Jesus.
• with doing no more than what you are currently doing.
To have the needs of our hearts and lives met, we must continue on in these things. We have to grow and grow in them; give them utmost attention; go after them ever so diligently, never slackening. If we abound in them, then the needs of our hearts and lives will be met to the fullest.
1. We will not be barren nor unfruitful.
⇒ The word barren means idle and slothful; being empty and useless. It is the very opposite of being fruitful and productive in life. Therefore if we do these things, if we really work at our salvation, we will not live a barren, dry life. We will not be unfruitful nor live a life that is empty and useless, idle and slothful. On the contrary, we will live a life that flows with nourishment and that bears the ripest fruit: love, joy, and peace (cp. Gal. 5:22–23).
But note the source of such a life: the source is our Lord Jesus Christ. We must know Him and grow in the knowledge of Him. The knowledge of Him must be our aim and purpose in life. Only as we know Him can we overcome the barrenness and unfruitfulness of life. He and He alone can give us real life. Therefore, we must do these things—really work at our salvation, really seek fellowship and communion with Christ moment by moment and day by day—in order not to be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of Him. We must learn to pray all day long and to take set times for prayer every day, set times for concentrated prayer. We must learn to keep our minds on Christ.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (Jn. 15:5–6).
2. We will not be blind and shortsighted. Without Christ men are blind. They do not see …
• the purpose, meaning, or significance to life.
• the importance of morality, virtue, love, joy, peace, and the goodness of God and Christ.
• the way to conquer sin and evil, trials and suffering, life and death.
Men are pictured as being unable to see afar off, as being short-sighted. They are pictured as keeping their eyes only on the earth and its pleasures and possessions, only upon enjoying life now, only upon living as they want and doing their own thing. They give little if any thought to the eternal consequences of their behavior and actions. The result is devastating: they are blind and shortsighted. They lack real and permanent purpose, meaning, and significance in life. They experience ever so much emptiness and loneliness, often wondering …
• what is life all about?
• what is its purpose and end?
• what is there after death?
• is there meaning to this life at all?
But note: if we do these things, if we work at our salvation, we will not be blind or unable to see ahead. We will not lack purpose, meaning, or significance in life. These things, the things of salvation, will not only give us purpose in this life, they will give us eternal purpose. We will understand life, what life is all about. We will know the purpose, meaning, and significance of life. We will never be empty or lonely, or without purpose in life.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt. 6:23).
3. We will not forget that we have been cleansed from our sins. Very frankly, the person who fails to do these things, who fails to work out his own salvation, soon forgets the death of Christ. He forgets the great price that Christ paid to forgive his sins. The person becomes a backslider. How can we say this? Because a person is either moving ahead in Christ or else sliding back from Christ. And the person sliding back thinks little about sin and the consequences of sin. His thoughts and actions are in the world, and he is focusing upon the world and its pleasures and possessions. He has just forgotten that Christ purged him from his sins. He has slipped away from Christ and slipped back into the world.
The point is this: we must do these things, work out our own salvation, or else we will backslide. We will forget Christ and His death and the glorious fact that He has forgiven our sins. These things, the wonderful things of salvation, have the power to keep us near Christ and to keep us from ever backsliding.
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements?” (Gal. 4:9).
4. We will never fall. How often we come short, stumble, and fall. We just do not do what we should. If there is any single trait that runs through human life, it is stumbling, coming short, and falling. People stumble, come short, and fall …
• in devotions
• in witnessing
• in serving Christ
• in worship
• in marriage
• in family duties
• in relationships
• in work
• in school
• in responsibilities
• in life
• in promises
• in planning
• in behavior
• in resolutions
• in Christian life
How can we keep from stumbling and falling? God has called and elected us to live a rich, fruitful life, to be rich and fruitful for all eternity. How can we live such a rich, fruitful life? Note the verse:
“Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (v. 10).
We must be diligent in doing these things. We must give ourselves totally to the things of salvation. We must work and work at them. If we do, then we shall never stumble and fall, not in a tragic, devastating, or destructive sense. On the contrary, we will live the most abundant and fruitful life imaginable.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
5. We will be given eternal life and more. We will receive an abundant entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The word abundant means rich. We will be richly and gloriously welcomed into heaven. The idea is that there will be different degrees of reward, of richness and wealth in heaven. Some of us will not inherit the kingdom, wealth, and service that others will inherit. How can we be sure of receiving the richest entrance into heaven? By being diligent in doing these things, in working out our salvation.
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Mt. 25:34–36).
3. THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF “THESE THINGS” (v. 12–15)
What Peter does now is most interesting. He tells us how important he considers these things.
1. They are so important that he is always going to preach and teach these things. He is going to continually remind believers of them. Genuine believers know them and are even established in these things. But Peter says he is going to persist in repeating them. He will not neglect them.
One thing is sure: Peter thought that these things, the things of salvation, were essential. How much more should we stress them! But note the next point. Peter has even more to say about these things.
2. They are so important that he is going to stir believers to do them as long as he is alive. He is going to continually remind them of these things as long as he is in “this tabernacle,” the tent of his body. Peter has to persist in repeating these things. Why? Because it is right, the only right thing to do. Believers must do these things in order to experience the rich and fruitful life Christ gives. Therefore, he must stress them and drive them home to the hearts of his dear people. But note: this is still not all Peter has to say about these things.
3. They are so important that Peter is going to see that believers are stirred to do these things even after his death. Peter apparently knew he was soon to be taken on home to heaven. But these things were so important he was going to make arrangements with those left behind to teach these things.
APPLICATION:
How important are these things? How important is it that we preach and teach these things? Few Scriptures are stressed and emphasized as much as these. Peter said an astounding thing, that he was going to see to it these things were taught to believers. He said this three times. This alone should stir us to preach and teach them—always—ever so diligently and faithfully.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
When you leave this earth, what will be said about you? What kind of legacy will you leave behind? Every believer has the opportunity to leave behind a great legacy.
