Sunday Sermon: Confirm Your Calling and Election (2 Peter 1:5-11)

You are listening to the teaching ministry of Gabriel Hughes. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on this podcast we feature 20 minutes of Bible study through a

New Testament book. On Thursday is a study in the Old Testament and then we answer questions from the listeners on Friday.

Each Sunday we are pleased to share our sermon series. Here's Pastor Gabe. Picking up where we left off last week, 2

Peter chapter 1, I'm going to start reading in verse 5. We're going to go through verse 15.

I believe I said that last week we were only going to get through verse 11, but I think we might be able to make it a little bit farther than that.

So 2 Peter chapter 1, beginning in verse 5, we'll read the section and then

I'll pray. Peter says, For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self -control, and self -control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.

For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Verse 12, Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our

Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure, you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we consider this word, I pray that we are encouraged by these reminders that the

Apostle gives, that all of us as disciples of Jesus Christ who have received your

Holy Spirit may be guided and edified, that we would understand the call upon us not just to turn from sin and follow

Christ, but to even continue to pursue Christ. That we not be found ineffective or unfruitful in this calling to which we have been called in the gospel of Christ our

Lord. So may our hearts be all the more drawn to You and desire to be like our

Savior. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'm going to do something a little bit different than usual.

We typically kind of go through the passage and we'll exegete it, you know, go through it a word at a time, understand what's being said here, and then we'll start doing our cross -referencing.

I'm actually going to do the cross -referencing here at the very beginning. So in 2 Peter 1, starting in verse 5, it says, for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue.

And look at this list that Peter goes through of things that we as a Christian must do, should do, that we would not be found ineffective or unfruitful.

Look at the reason that he gives for these things in verse 8. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Then consider also verse 10.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.

So as we do these things, as we practice this instruction that Peter gives in verses 5 through 7, what we're doing is confirming our calling and election.

Has God called you to be followers of Jesus Christ? In a sense,

Peter is saying, then prove it. Live in this way that you may show and prove that you are indeed a disciple of Jesus Christ.

A disciple of Christ is going to live as Jesus lived. We're going to walk as Jesus walked, as it says in 1

John 2, 5. So continue in these things that you may confirm your calling and election and show yourself to be effective and fruitful in the calling of God that is upon your lives.

Now this list that Peter gives, this is not an exhaustive, exclusive list.

What do I mean by that? I don't see this as a list that Peter is given where, here's the things that you got to do.

You won't find this anywhere else in your Bible. It's just right here and it's just these qualities and no others.

There are actually plenty of other places that we find in the New Testament, instructions that are given to the church, that are given to Christians.

Here's how we're to live. Here's how we're to be. And let's look at a few of those. So go with me first to Romans chapter 12.

We're going to look at some, kind of some long places that we are told as Christians we should live and here's what those qualities in the life of a

Christian are going to look like. So we'll begin first with Romans 12. And I'll begin in verse 9.

You could really read all of Romans 12 this way, but let's just start in verse 9. So Paul says to the

Christians there in Rome, Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil.

Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.

Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal.

Don't get lazy in your passion for Christ, but be fervent in spirit.

Serve the Lord. Verse 12. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation.

Be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice.

Weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written,

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So we see this wonderful list of instructions that Paul has given to the church. Here is how we are to live in this present age.

Let's look at another one. Go to Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5.

So with the same intention Paul gives there with the Romans, he's going to give here with the Galatians.

It's the same intention that Peter has with the churches that he is writing to. Confirm your calling and election.

Don't be ineffective or unfruitful in the calling that you have received from God through the hearing of the gospel.

This is Galatians chapter 5. And we're going to start in verse 16. Now with the

Romans, Paul was teaching a people that were already practicing these things. He goes on to say that actually in Romans 13 and 14.

I know you're doing these things. I just encourage you to do them more. And then with the Galatians, it's a different tone though.

Because they're actually not walking in sound doctrine. They have been listening to false teachers. So this is a little bit more rebuking in tone as Paul is addressing the

Galatians. But nevertheless, we still find direct application to how we are to live as Christians in this world.

Not gratifying the desires of the flesh, but pursuing those things of the Spirit. Galatians 5 beginning in verse 16.

But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the

Spirit are against the flesh. For they're opposed to one another to keep you from doing the things that you want to do.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident.

Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

I warn you as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Continuing on into verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is... Can you say these with me?

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self -control.

Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its desires.

As Paul said previously in Galatians 2 .20, I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.

And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the

Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So Paul concludes this section to the

Galatians by saying, if we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the

Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another or envying one another.

Let's look at another one. Let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 5. 1

Thessalonians 5 starting in verse 12. Paul says to the church in Thessalonica, We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the

Lord and admonish you. Now, this is a different instruction that we didn't receive even in the previous two lists.

This one is to instruct the church even to respect your elders. Those who are appointed in the church to teach you the

Word of God. And Paul goes on to say, Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint -hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

So now we've gone to listen to those who shepherd you in the Word to now applying that Word to shepherding one another, helping each other.

Verse 15, See that no one repays you evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything.

Hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Oftentimes I am asked as a pastor, what is God's will for my life? And I will give them 1 Thessalonians 5 .18.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. They're a little kind of baffled by that.

I thought you were gonna tell me what career I was gonna have. That was really what I meant by that question.

But by these lists of things that we've seen, these instructions that are given to Christians, Romans 12,

Galatians 5, 1 Thessalonians 5, these are just the three examples that I've chosen this morning. There are many other places we could go.

Ephesians 4 and 5, which is a much longer section. You've got Hebrews chapter 13, those practical applications that are given at the end of the pastoral address to the

Hebrews. And again, many other things that we could look at that give these lists of instructions to churches.

All of these are in the same spirit that Peter gives as we go back here to 2 Peter chapter 1.

So turn back there with me. Yes, 4 and 5.

Yes, Ephesians 4 and 5. So even there, kind of explaining that,

Paul goes through some doctrine rich stuff in the first half of Ephesians chapters 1 through 3, and then he gives that application to the church.

Now that you know this, the election that has been predestined from before the foundation of the world to be adopted as sons and daughters of God as it says in Ephesians 1, 5.

So now that you have received this by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, you who were once sinners, who were like the rest of this world, fallen children of wrath like the rest of mankind, that's in Ephesians 2.

But now we've been saved by the hearing of the gospel and by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9.

So now taking all this doctrine that Paul has given, what does this look like in the life of a believer? And that's what we have in Ephesians 4, 5 and 6.

So doctrine heavy on the first half, and then application heavy on the second half.

And again, this is kind of the same spirit that Peter is giving here, that he is talking at the very beginning of the letter about the faith of equal standing by the righteousness of our

God and Savior Jesus Christ. That was in verse 1. He has called us to his own glory and excellence.

That's in verse 3. He's granted to us his precious and very great promises so that through them you become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

So what then does it look like to have escaped from the corruption that is in the world and to be partakers of the divine nature that we may grow in this faith that we have?

And that's what Peter is therefore calling Christians to in verses 5 through 7.

Now just like Paul's letters to the Romans and the Thessalonians, Peter is very praising of this audience that he's addressing.

I think also of the Philippians. That's one of Paul's most praising letters what he wrote to the

Philippians and he even says in Philippians 3 .1, to write these same things to you again is good for you and it's no trouble for me.

When I first inherited the pulpit that I was entrusted with at First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas, I was preaching through Ephesians because that was where the previous pastor had left off.

He actually covered that first three chapters, the doctrine heavy part and then right at the beginning of chapter 4, he went to go plan a church in Kentucky.

So I'm left there with the rest of Ephesians to cover but then I had another dilemma when I got to the end of Ephesians, what do

I pick next? Should I just go straight from Ephesians into Philippians or should I pick something else totally different?

And as I was meditating on that, praying to the Lord, asking for guidance, I was reading through Philippians and my eyes fell upon Philippians 3 .1

where Paul basically says, I've told you all this stuff before. Everything that you're getting in this letter, you've heard it before but now

I'm saying it to you again by way of reminder it's no trouble for me to write it for you and it's good for you.

And so likewise, Peter, again with that same spirit, he's writing this letter. You've heard this stuff. I've told this to you before but I'm telling it to you again being very pastoral that I may shepherd you in these things that you would you all get lazy in this.

Slothful and zeal the way that Paul put it in Romans 12 but that you would continue to be partakers of the divine nature and what does that mean to be partakers?

So here we have this list. Let's come to it again and maybe each one of these words seems a little bit more powerfully hitting for you now that we've looked at even those other three lists of instructions.

For this very reason Peter says make every effort make every effort whatever it takes to supplement your faith with virtue.

Now as Peter says make every effort to do whatever it takes to follow this list of things that he gives for us to do that doesn't mean sin if you have to in order to do these righteous things no because in order to pursue righteousness we must not be after sin.

As Paul said to the Galatians God will always give us a way of escape. If there is ever a temptation that comes to us there's always a way for us to resist that temptation and pursue the things of God.

So let us turn from those temptations turn from those worldly things as I kind of quantified it this morning in the sermon on the

Lord's Prayer we can be tempted in our flesh we can be tempted by the world we can be tempted by the schemes of Satan.

So in any of these ways let us resist this that we may pursue that which is good and by whatever means necessary.

I had the privilege a few years ago of touring with Ryan Dobson Ryan is

Dr. James Dobson's son and was not very involved in Focus on the

Family but then after James Dobson left Focus and he started Family Talk which is his new radio program after that his co -host on that program became

Ryan so Ryan got to start doing some ministry with his dad but before he was doing that he used to travel around the country he wrote this great book

I love the title of it Be Intolerant because some things are just stupid that was the name of the book and so my band and I we would open with Praise and Worship and then

Ryan would give his talk and then he came up with two more books one was called To Live For and the other one was called

To Die For and when he came out with those new books we did a tour again and he would present the

Gospel my band would lead the music there was one time to kind of unwind from the grueling schedule of the tour somebody paid for us to go bowling so it was at the end of a night we got done and somebody came up to us and said hey we paid for you guys to have two lanes at such and such a bowling alley you guys go bowl and veg out and just have some fun together so we're at the bowling alley and we're just kind of unwinding before we go back to our hotel and sleep and this was one of the more personal moments that I got to have with Ryan because so far it's just work work work you know go here do this and all that and the other we're not even riding in the same vehicles together but we're sitting in the chairs between frames and everything and he's sharing with me because I grew up listening to Dr.

James Dobson so I asked him one time as we're sitting there bowling I said what would you say was the best advice your dad

James Dobson ever gave you and he said to me this is the best advice my dad ever gave me and this was before Ryan went through his rebellion for those of you may know something about his testimony if you know of Ryan before he went through his rebellious phase and everything like this this was one of the more personal moments that he had with his dad his dad guiding him in the faith and his dad said to his son

Ryan whatever it takes whatever it takes make sure you're there at heaven's gate on the other side whatever you have to give up in yourself whatever you have to give up in this world whatever it takes give it up be for Christ and make sure you're there on the other side and Ryan said

I did not always follow that because I went through my rebellion but even that advice helped pull me out of that rebellion because as I'm evaluating the terrible choices that I'm making in my life and I'm thinking to myself how do

I get out of this I remember the advice of my dad whatever it takes get rid of that stuff pursue

Christ and make sure you're there on the other side it's the only chance we've got what we do with this life is the only opportunity we have that we may give a life that is devoted to Christ for Christ gave his life for us and we're promised that we will be with him forever in glory for all who have faith in him so Peter kind of begins that in a very fatherly very pastoral sort of way as he's guiding these churches that he is writing to he says make every effort whatever it takes get off of the worldly stuff and get on with Christ make every effort make every to supplement your faith with virtue so we believe in Christ that's what happened at conversion we believe in Jesus we may have even heard in the gospel how wicked we were because of our sin against God and we hate our sin and we now desire the righteousness of Christ so we've come to faith in Jesus supplement your faith with virtue it doesn't mean replace it so you've had faith now you need something else you're not on faith anymore now we're on virtue but rather the faith is growing into something as we go through this list we're seeing a progression that's taking place and again

I don't think this is exhaustive because there are other things that we've seen in these other lists that you could definitely include in what

Peter has said here but it's certainly some guide posts as we're walking this road of faith that we are to supplement as we are disciples of Jesus Christ so we are to supplement our faith with virtue or excellence is another way that's put supplement your faith with excellence as Paul said go after those things that you that make you happy go after those things that you think are excellent but what has

God said is excellent excels above any of the things that we might not offered in this world but are of those great things that are given to us by God because once again we've become partakers in the divine nature and he's granted to us his precious and very great promises what could be more excellent than that supplement virtue with knowledge and we started the letter talking about that second

Peter one two may grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our

Lord so likewise here we have it said that we would supplement our virtue with knowledge we're growing in knowledge

Mark Dever when he did his book nine marks of a healthy church he talked about in that book signs of a healthy church which was like the abridged version smaller book it could have been in the bigger book he talks about here are signs you should look for in yourself to see you are growing in love for God that you are growing in love for the people of God and that you are even growing in the knowledge of God it is a responsibility upon each and every one of us as sons and daughters of God we are supposed to grow in the knowledge of God all of us should grow in the knowledge of God may that growth in knowledge be seen in your life supplement knowledge with self control control supplement so as we're growing in the knowledge of God, we're beginning to recognize and disciplining ourselves

I shouldn't do this, I should do this, right? just as we saw in those lists that Paul had given to the three different churches that we had read from there especially to the

Galatians, because he gives a list of sins in the flesh, don't do this but you should be doing this, pursuing the spirit don't go after those things of the flesh, they're contrary to the spirit but rather show the fruit of the spirit so that's self -control, that we would not be led astray by the passions of our own flesh but we discipline our minds and our bodies to be after those things that are godly look at the next one, self -control becomes steadfastness what is steadfastness?

what Mary Beth? perseverance, right, is that what your translation says? yeah, there you go, so you have a translation that gives you a synonym there so persevering in this faith we don't lose heart, we don't shrink back we don't lose ground we are always firm and solid on the rock that is

Christ Jesus, we're steadfast in that so that no matter what comes our way we are not shaken from this faith in Christ that we have you consider the short parable that Jesus gives at the conclusion of the

Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7 where he talks there about the wise man building his house on the rock the foolish man builds his house on the sand the storms come beat against the house, the one that is built on the rock stands because it's built on the only foundation that can be laid you know,

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 3 there's no other foundation, you build on anything other than rock your building's gonna fall even to this day we're still constructing buildings on rock we pour concrete slabs that we construct buildings on this is what keeps the building firm and immovable you can't build on anything else or as it says in the old hymn all other ground is sinking sand, right?

the foolish man builds his house on the sand the storms come, beat against that house the house falls and Jesus says, great will be the fall of it so as we build our lives on Christ we are steadfast immovable and steadfastness with godliness

Peter goes on to say now I mentioned to you last week that sometimes we think, or sorry first of all

I defined godliness I said godliness is to be like God what is it to pursue godliness?

it's because you want to be like God and I mentioned that oftentimes we kind of have a wrong understanding of the temptation that Eve actually received there in the garden as given by the serpent

I even heard a pastor say it just this past week, I can't even remember what sermon it was I was listening to now but I heard somebody say it just this past week that said, the serpent tempted

Eve and said to her, you can be like God and she went, oh I can be like God and then ate the fruit that wasn't the temptation because Eve and Adam were already like God it wasn't like it wasn't like, hey you can be like God and oh

Eve was not content with her humble estate so she went ahead and ate the fruit they actually missed the understanding that being made in the image of God and being without sin, they had fellowship with God and they were already like God there in the garden, not saying that they were

God, I'm not saying they were gods, I'm saying they were like God, they were holy, blemishless there in the garden until Eve ate from the fruit and now that sin had come into the picture because God is holy, he separated himself from mankind, but godliness is always supposed to be the pursuit and we can't get to godliness any other way but through Christ, because it's only by faith in Jesus that we have a righteousness that we can call godliness and be acceptable in the eyes of God so we are to pursue godliness we should desire to want to be like God what the temptation was that Eve received from the serpent was the serpent telling her you're not actually good enough and Eve did not listen to the instruction of her husband who was therefore listening to the instruction of God they were not finding themselves content in all that God had given

I need this one other thing in order to be happy and so Eve the sin was that she did what

God told them not to do that's the sin God said don't eat this fruit she ate of it anyway and then because of that sin we've been separated from God but praise be to God through Jesus Christ our

Lord we've been given godliness by faith in him so we've been given godliness with brotherly affection there's our next supplement there we pursue godliness we desire to be holy and blameless before him and now holy and blameless in the sight of God growing in godliness we must also be with one another brotherly affectionate we must consider others who have likewise been won from this world into the family of God they are our brothers and sisters in Christ and then supplement that brotherly affection with love that's really the ultimate pursuit love that we have from God love that we show from God to each other this is in the first and second greatest commands as Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment and he says to love the

Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength a second is like it to love your neighbor as yourself if we love

God and we know that we have received love from God so we must love one another in 1st

Corinthians 13 this is either verses 13 or 14 but it said these three things remain faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love why out of faith, hope, and love is the greatest love aren't we saved, we're justified by faith yes so that's great don't we have hope in God for our present and even for our future absolutely we do, what makes love greater than those two things anybody have a guess there's definitely that, yes

God has given us love we love because God first loved us as it says in 1st John so absolutely we're taking what

God has given to us we're sharing it with others, something else I'm looking for there that makes it the greatest even when you don't feel like it

I think you can apply that to faith and hope as well I mean I can even say from my own testimony there have been plenty of times

I don't feel saved but that's when I rely on the promises of God and not my own feelings for my salvation specifically, one more shot let's see if anybody else, why would love be the greatest thing yes love is

God, yeah there you go that's really good, that's a great answer it wasn't the one I was looking for God is love as we are told also in 1st

John, so absolutely true but here's really what I had in mind, faith and hope we only need now you don't need faith and love in eternity love we have now and we will have forever with God love is the greatest thing because it is the thing that endures for all time we don't have this thing in the

Bible of God's only going to love you for a thousand years and then you're going to have to figure this out again and come up with a new way to be saved in the presence of God as Charles Spurgeon has said if God loves me once He will love me for all time we need faith because faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen we need hope for as Paul says to the

Romans who hopes for what he does not see so we need those things in this life only but it's love that endures forever so that's the ultimate goal the love of God and the love that we should show to one another and as Peter goes on to say if these qualities are yours and are increasing we're growing in these things then they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ. What did Jesus say would happen to a tree that was unfruitful? It would be cut down and thrown into the fire so this is important, it's not just something

Peter's kind of saying, he's just kind of throwing that out there there is a particularness to every one of these words that we would grow in these qualities that we would increase in these qualities he's basically describing for us this is what sanctification should look like in your life if they're increasing they keep you from becoming ineffective they keep you from becoming unfruitful

John in the Gospel of John Jesus says to his disciples that you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit

I said this in a video not long ago and a guy online grabbed that statement that I made and he said see this only applies to the disciples,

Gabe is applying this to every Christian but this is Jesus specifically talking to the disciples that he's appointed to be apostles that they would go and bear fruit

I did respond to the man but I don't know that he took my words to heart yes in the immediate context that's exactly who

Jesus is talking to he's talking to his disciples in the upper room whom he's appointing as apostles they're gonna go out as apostles in this apostolic ministry and what they do they're gonna bear fruit but in the context of John's Gospel this calling is not limited to just those 11 men that Jesus was addressing there in the upper room this also applies to us for as Jesus said previously a few chapters before in John 10

I have other sheep that are of this fold I must go and call them also and you likewise by faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ have been chosen to bear fruit and so we must and this is

Peter demonstrating to us Peter who was among that 11 that heard Jesus say that in the upper room said that we likewise must bear fruit and if we're not bearing fruit then we become ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ it's as though we've received knowledge but we forgot about it or it didn't mean anything to us because we don't see that knowledge changing our lives again this is a knowledge that he refers to in verse 2 as being the knowledge of God and Jesus our

Lord and through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence there in verse 3 verse 9 says for whoever lacks these qualities the qualities that he just gave in verses 5 7 whoever lacks these qualities is so near -sighted that he is blind having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins in James chapter 1

James says don't just be hearers of the word be doers also if you just hear the word and you don't do what it says you're like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and then walks away and he immediately forgets what he looks like I mean it's really kind of silly right?

who just looked at himself in a mirror and then turned around and was like uh what was that again? you know and comes back and tries to refresh himself on what his face or what his hair looked like that's silly for anybody to do that looking in a mirror to turn around and then immediately forget what they look like so it's the same for anybody who hears the word of God and turns away from it and forgets what it said about him what does the word of God say about us?

that there is none righteous not even one as I had referenced already from Ephesians chapter 2 we all are as children of wrath like the rest of mankind what we deserve because of our sin and rebellion against God is judgment but then the word of God also tells us how we may find salvation from that judgment and it is through faith in our

Lord Jesus Christ and then we read from the word of God what the word says about us who are children of God here's what it says about you that we have received these precious and very great promises so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature and then we as children of God show these qualities 5 through 7 but if you lack these qualities you're so nearsighted that you're blind it's like you're looking down here in the word just going

I don't quite see it I'm looking at the words but I don't see them they don't mean anything to me and if that's who you are then you're blind if you can't see what

God has said about what his children are to look like according to his word then you're looking so closely that you're blind you can't see it at all when my dad became a

Christian he heard an evangelist share the gospel and it was an evangelist that unfortunately for you was probably a lot like me spouting off stuff really fast and it was difficult to kind of catch everything that he was saying and so my dad gets home after he was convicted of his sin he put faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ he got home they had a Bible at home he just wasn't a believer wasn't a

Christian didn't follow Christ he grabs that Bible that family Bible that they had at home and he opens up the word and he starts reading through the scriptures and he can't find any of the verses that the evangelist just gave and my dad started getting concerned as he's flipping through the pages and he said was this guy just making this up where are these words that he spoke

I don't find any of these verses in here and he felt his faith slipping from him my dad will say recalling his testimony to a point that he began weeping and he prayed to God and he said

God please show me the words the evangelist said I can't remember them and I want to know them and he said as soon as he finished his prayer he turned another page and there was a verse exactly like he heard the evangelist say he flipped a few more pages there was another one he flipped some more pages there was another suddenly it all started coming together so in those moments that we despair or we start slipping away don't go don't go like the nearsighted man so nearsighted that he's blind

I don't even see these things in the word anymore as I referenced in the sermon this morning from James 1 5 if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God it'll be given generously to all without reproach whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he's blind having forgotten that he was cleansed of his former sins

Peter's gonna talk about this in another way regarding false teachers when we get to 2 Peter 2 1 but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing upon themselves swift destruction how is it that you forget that you're cleansed of your former sins or deny the master who brought you

I'm not gonna explain that now we're gonna wait till we get to 2 Peter 2 1 verse 10 therefore brothers be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election for if you practice these qualities you will never fall continue in these things and you will never be far away from God verse 11 for in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so once again coming back to the words that Dr.

James Dobson shared with his son Ryan whatever it takes make sure you get to the other side there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ really what Peter is giving here for these churches there's an assurance of salvation in these words how do