The Grace of God in Salvation

2 Peter 3:9.

I. Introduction

A. Peter’s challenge to his recipients and us has brought us to chapter 3 where we have learned how false teachers are attacking through mocking, and attacking the reliability of God. Their attacks are driven by their lusts and their willful ignorance believing that things never change.

B. Peter then gave reasons we are to believe in the second coming of Christ.

God’s Word can be trusted. vs. 1-2, 15-16

He spoke through the prophets and equally through the apostles.

We remember the past where God stepped in and changed things. vs. 5-7

creation

Judgment through the flood

We acknowledge that an Eternal God sees time differently. vs. 8

God keeps His word. vs. 9

He is not slack. He is not lazy, or incapable of keeping his promise.

His failure to bring justice through judgment is because of his patience with the rebellious. He is a gracious God.

C. Today we are look further into verse 9 to discuss some of the difficulties that come out of the statement. It will require that you put on your thinking cap and that you engage and listen and likely that you go home and do more study. This passage should lead to great discussion in our small groups like we had last week. After I share some of those difficulties I will give four Biblical principles that no matter where you stand in the discussion you should agree with.

II. The Difficult Discussion of this passage.

A. The basis of the discussion: To whom do the words “any” and “all” refer?

1. At first glance, “any” and “all” would mean “everybody” to most. If this is the case then there are questions that arise.

If it is God’s will that none perish, does that mean that salvation is universal? Everybody goes to heaven because God is love… (I believe most here would correctly disagree with this statement.)

If it is God’s will that none perish then is God not capable of bringing everyone to salvation? (Is God all-powerful?)

Some would say that man has “Free will” and gets to decide for himself. Does this mean that God is not sovereign? Is man’s will greater than God’s will? (God created, left man here and is not involved anymore???)

Many who choose this meaning will use the terms “desired will” and “decreed will” to help explain.

God’s “desired will” is what He desires but He does not force it upon someone. Individuals are left to make a decision and respond in obedience or disobedience. They are permitted to accept God’s plan of salvation or reject Jesus Christ as Lord.

God’s “decreed will” is sure to come to pass. There is nothing that is going to delay it, derail it, or deny it from happening.

So in application, “It is God’s desired will that all men repent and put their faith in Christ.” Therefore, God leaves it up to the each individual whether they will be obedient to the faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. He does not force anyone to believe (decreed will).

What has God decreed? Jesus would come as a baby, born of a virgin. Jesus would die a brutal death as a substitute for sin. Jesus will come again to set up the kingdom on earth. All men that reject salvation in Jesus Christ will perish, they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. cf. Eph. 1:11.

2. Many others believe that “any” and “all” apply to only the elect.

a. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise toward “us” or “you”. Who is this letter written to? I Peter 1:1, 10 . He is writing to those who believe that have “obtained like precious faith with us” (1:1) who are told to “make their call and election sure.” (1:10).

b. God’s longsuffering then is to all of the elect. He is giving each and every one who is going to put their faith in Him time to repent. “Any” and “all” whom God has chosen, predestined, elected, will be called, convicted, and converted in response to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to the point of repentance.

c. This position takes into account the principles of Ephesians 1. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” (1:4), “having predestined us to adoption” (1:5), “having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure which He purposed in Himself” (1:9), Eph. 1:11 “11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,” .

Just as Lydia, in Philippi, God opens hearts. Acts 16:14-15 “14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.”

B. Principles of the Discussion:

The spectrum: There is a spectrum of where professing believers stand in light of this discussion. It goes from God is fully responsible for salvation to man is fully responsible for salvation.

The relationship: There is a relationship between regeneration and faith. Which comes first?

If one is “dead in their trespasses and sin” (Ephesians 2:1) do they have the ability to respond in faith. Or does God “regenerate” them, make them alive spiritually, so that they can respond in faith. (Ephesians 2:5 “5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

Or is it the fact that I have purified our souls through obedience. I placed my faith in Christ and am made new, given new life! I Peter 1:22-23 “22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,”

I can say this , “These two principles, faith and regeneration, are closely connected. One is not saved by faith without being regenerated and one is not regenerated without being saved by faith. You can’t have one without the other!

Terms you will have to study, learn, and deal with.

Sovereignty: Is God sovereign? Does God have ultimate control of all things? Nothing happens that He does not permit. This does not mean that God brings it all about, but allows it or disallows it.

Depravity - Man is a born sinner. Is this sin so bad that he is not capable apart from God to make any movement toward God for salvation? See Romans 3:10-26.

Free Will - Is man free to do anything he desires? Has God relinquished control?

When Christ was under arrest and the soldiers decided to “raffle” off his clothing rather than tear it, could they have torn it? (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24. If the soldiers decided to break his bones could they have broken his bones? (John 19:36) Can or does God ever stop or impede an attack on someone to preserve life?

Perhaps “volitional will” is a better term- the idea that man is allowed to make choices. These choices may be right or wrong. But God is still sovereign and through His providence and power still maintains His rule.

d. Regeneration - the “new birth”. Jesus told Nicodemus, “you must be born again.” One who is saved is regenerated and made new with spiritual life. II Cor. 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Titus 3:4-5 “4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

e. Faith - the act of putting your trust in something. In this discussion, it is putting your trust in Jesus Christ. Believing that the sacrifice He made on the cross is the only sufficient remedy for your sin. Believing that He rose again from the dead, victorious over sin and death; and that Jesus is Lord!

f. Repentance - change of mind and direction. This change is turning from living for self and the god of this world to living for Christ.

III. The Undeniable Principles of Grace

A. God’s grace is not a sign of failure or incompetence on His part. (3:9)

1. God giving individuals any time to turn from their sin is grace. It is the unmerited favor of God. We all deserve judgment for sin. Yet, in his grace He allows time for people to respond.

2. God loved enough to send Jesus Christ to earth to pay the penalty of sin for all who would believe. John 3:14-18 “14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

What a waste it would be if man was not given the opportunity to respond in faith. Yet, God is gracious, long-suffering, putting up with man’s sin and withholding His wrath to give those who will respond the opportunity.

B. God’s grace encourages repentance.

The idea that God would hold off judgment that people have time to respond should be encouragement to do so.

Romans 2:3-4 “3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

It is God’s goodness or kindness that brings us to the point of turning to Him. Repentance! Our sin is deserving of death Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Yet, God in giving us even one more breath to live gives us one more moment to respond to His grace.

C. God’s grace when rejected brings judgment.

Romans 3:5 “5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)”

Man is accountable to God for rejecting Jesus Christ. No matter where you stand in evaluating your position of soteriology. It is clear that man is always responsible for His sin. Those who do not put their faith in Christ will “perish”. They will enter into eternal damnation, eternal punishment. They will be separated from God and will be in eternal torment.

Rev 20:12-15 . “12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

When it is least expected God will bring final judgment on the whole earth. II Peter 3:10 “10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

D. God’s grace invites us to share God’s grace!

We are commissioned to God. Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Acts 1:8 “8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

It should be our prayer as Paul’s that we are bold in sharing God’s grace with others. Eph. 6:18-20 “18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Who do you know that needs the grace of God in their life? Who will respond in belief to the gospel?? It is our privilege and our responsibility to share the gospel. It is not our responsibility to call, convict, and convert. We use the Word of God, because Rom. 10:17 “17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

IV. Living God’s Grace

A. Consider whether you have responded to God’s grace in repentance.

B. Praise God for His grace.

C. Live by grace inviting others to join you by putting their faith in Christ and turning from their sin.

D. Live by grace demonstrating the indwelling Holy Spirit in your life.

In the next couple of weeks we will be looking more in depth at what Peter was challenging in this area.