Spiritual Stability - [2 Peter 3:17-18]

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9 -11, I'm sure if we were to sit down in the comfort of someone's home here, we can each recall where we were, what exactly we were doing on 9 -11.
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It will never be erased from our minds or our consciousness. It's just one of those days you didn't plan on remembering, but as you look back, you know exactly what you were doing, where you were.
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I know for us, we had just moved from New York to Boston, my wife and I, two weeks before that, as we saw the events unfold before us.
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And of course, we had friends who were involved in ministry with us over in New York, so we were concerned.
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And as we saw the events unfolding, the World Trade Center, two towers of financial stability, financial strength, hit by two airplanes that shook the stability of the nation and of the world.
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Today, there is another 9 -11 happening that is not shaking the financial stability, it is shaking the spiritual stability of the
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Church. And just like there were two planes that attacked the
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World Trade Centers, there are two primary attacks on the Church today that are shaking its spiritual stability.
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The first plane, if you will, is the attack of false teachers. And the second plane is that of spiritual immaturity.
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Both false teachers and spiritual immaturity are making a direct hit and attack on the
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Church today to shake its spiritual stability. You say, well, you don't believe,
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Pastor, in Matthew 16, where the head of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself said, I will build
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My Church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Yes, of course,
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Jesus said it, it will happen. But the reality, as we will see here in our study tonight, is that these attacks are real nonetheless and they are happening today.
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There is a spiritual 9 -11 on the Church happening from false teachers and spiritual immaturity.
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If you would turn with me to our text this evening, 2 Peter 3, the last two verses.
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2 Peter 3, verses 17 and 18. Part of the reason in choosing this text was kind of twofold.
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We had just finished in our morning services reading through both epistles of 1 and 2
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Peter. But also, when I was a young Christian, one of my mentors, a man who had discipled me in my young days as a
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Christian, whenever he used to write to me to encourage me, as many people do, he would always more than likely include a reference to a scripture at the end of his letters.
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And there's only two references that stood out in my mind always after all those years. He would always either write
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Ephesians 1, 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
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He never wanted me to forget the blessings that I have in Christ. And then the second verse he always used to write was this one, 2
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Peter 3, 18. But as I studied it over the years, I realized that it has a much larger context and impact from what
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Peter is trying to write. So let me just read these two verses as Peter highlights what are the major attacks on the church today.
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Verse 17, You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our
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Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
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Amen. The outline is very simple.
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There's just two points here just taken directly out of the text based upon the two commands, the two imperatives that the
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Apostle Peter here gives, which are in verse 17 to take care and in verse 18 to grow.
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Unlike a message I had done once in Hebrews 1, a 10 point outline. This is a simple two point outline.
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It's very simple, but direct coming from the pen of the Apostle Peter. Point number one.
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Very simple. False teachers are detrimental to your spiritual stability.
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False teachers are detrimental to your spiritual stability. Let me walk you through this phrase by phrase.
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He begins in verse 17. You, therefore, beloved.
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Who is the you referring to? Who is Peter's audience?
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Who are the original recipients of this letter? As you notice here, if you will, in verse 17, he obviously addresses them as beloved.
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And he begins the chapter addressing them in that way. Chapter three, verse one. He addresses them again as beloved.
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Turn with me to chapter one to understand who he's writing to. So we understand the background, the historical setting, and why he's addressing the issue of false teachers being detrimental to their spiritual stability.
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Chapter one, verse one. Notice what he says to those his audience who what?
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Who have obtained a faith. Verse three.
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His divine power has granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness.
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And verse four. He has granted to us his precious and very great promises.
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Notice the passive nature of his audience in this initial chapter.
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Those who he's writing to. And notice the active nature of God himself. In verse one, they had obtained a faith.
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There were recipients of a faith. In verse three, it was God's divine power who had granted to them all things.
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And in verse four, it was God again who did the granting of his very precious and great promises.
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And Peter's in addressing his audience, his point is to make it very clear that in salvation, before he finishes his letter the way he does, that in salvation,
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God is the active initiator. That his audience was simply the passive recipients.
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In salvation, God is the one who has done the complete work. His recipients, his audience, and we, for that matter, have done absolutely nothing.
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Salvation is all of God, none of man. Salvation is the sovereign work of God, not the work of a blind, dead, and bound human.
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So he reminds his audience this. But to understand further why he's writing, why he's writing at the end of this letter, he says in chapter three of this letter, 2
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Peter, this is now the second letter that I'm writing to you, beloved. The first letter, you don't have to turn there, 1
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Peter. What else do we know about this audience? Why is he addressing them concerning the false teachers who are detrimental to their spiritual stability?
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In his first letter to them in chapter one, he refers to them as elect exiles.
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These were those who had obtained a faith, but who were in exile. In chapter one of that first letter,
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Peter also addresses them and says, you have been grieved by various trials.
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In chapter three of 1 Peter, he goes on and he says, do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling.
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Chapter four, 1 Peter, he continues, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you.
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And in chapter five of his first letter, he says, and after you have suffered a little while.
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They're in exile, they're facing trials and suffering and being reviled for their faith.
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You see, they were under persecution. Nero, the emperor of Rome at the time, decided as most emperors to show the fame and glory of his name.
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Just think back to the Old Testament, Nebuchadnezzar. Is it not I who built this
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Babylon and God Almighty had to humble him? Nero had destroyed Rome and had done away with all the religious and social symbols of the
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Roman citizens. And the Roman citizens were upset at their emperor for this. So in Nero, in order to divert their anger away from him, he claimed that it was the
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Christians who were already being persecuted by the Romans had done this. So the
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Christians were being reviled even more. So what does this have to do with 2
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Peter 3? His audience, where he's telling them that false teachers are detrimental to your spiritual stability.
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These believers were under persecution. They were under trial. They were under suffering.
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False teachers, as we will see as we expound this text a little bit, they go after those who are unstable, who are going through maybe some deep trials and suffering and persecution.
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They go after those who were, as it were, unstable. And what does he continue in our reference in our verse?
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Verse 17. Knowing, he says to them, be aware of false teachers, because you may be more susceptible to their false teaching in times of suffering and persecution.
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He says this as he continues. Verse 17. Knowing this beforehand. Knowing this beforehand, what is this referring to?
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What he just said in context in verse 16. Actually, let's back up to verse 15 to understand what's going on.
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Peter writes in verse 15. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother
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Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.
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There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction as they do the other scriptures.
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He's saying to his audience, those who have obtained a faith, those who are being persecuted for that faith, that these false teachers, this is what you know beforehand.
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Peter is calling out the false teachers here. He wants to expose them for their true colors.
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But it's so unloving. It's so divisive. Could this actually be a part of the canon?
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Which a lot of the early church fathers question even some of the early reformers. Second, Peter, how can the part of the canon be so unloving for Peter to write this, to expose these false teachers?
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Listen, any pastor who doesn't have the spiritual guts to expose false teachers by name, there are two things that are true about that pastor.
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Not only does that shepherd not care for his flock, but secondly, he has forsaken his divine calling as a minister of the gospel.
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It's no wonder Titus 1 .9 says he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught.
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Why? So that, first of all, he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.
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And secondly, also to rebuke those who contradict it. Peter is exposing the false teachers.
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He wants to tell his audience to beware of them. And these are their true colors.
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What are they? He mentions them in verse 16, which I just read. There are three that Peter highlights.
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First of all, notice in verse 16, these false teachers are what? Ignorant. Ignorant.
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It's a Greek word, amathis, which is literally, as we know, we take the prefix
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A, which negates what the other word is. The word amathis is the verb or noun to learn.
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That's where we get the word disciple, amathitis. So he's literally saying they are unlearned.
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They are ignorant because they're unlearned and they're not disciples. But he builds on this, his case.
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Secondly, they're not only ignorant, but they're secondly unstable. They're not stable in their ways.
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They're not stable in what they teach. And he gets higher and higher until he culminates in verse 16 to this.
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Not only are they ignorant and unlearned, not only are they unstable in both their lifestyle and their ways of teaching, but thirdly, notice verse 16, what do they do, he says?
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They twist the scriptures. It's no wonder he warns them and says, Beware of false teachers.
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They are detrimental to your spiritual stability. They twist the scriptures.
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Literally, they pervert the scriptures. Can anything more damning be said? The Greek literally means it's a word that's used for torture, to put somebody on the rack for the sake of torture.
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Simon Kistemacher explains it well when he says this, quote, As torturers make a victim on the rack, say the opposite of the truth.
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So the false teachers place scripture on the rack and distort its message.
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Close quote. This is who they are. This is their nature.
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This is what they do. And notice that Peter equates the writings of Paul, as I read in verses 15 and 16 to the
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Old Testament scripture. They twist even Paul's writings. Go with me to our book,
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Second Peter, to chapter one. Towards the end there. Second Peter, chapter one, beginning in verse 17.
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Peter had just written to these believers who had obtained the faith, who were being persecuted for their faith, calling out the false teachers here.
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But initially in his first chapter, he says this. Verse 17. He's referring to the
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Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew 17, that the three, Peter, James and John were there.
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And he continues here in verse 18 of chapter one. We ourselves, Peter, myself,
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James and John, heard this voice, this very voice born from heaven, for we were with him, with Jesus, on the holy mountain.
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And watch this. And we have something more sure. Hold on,
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Peter. You mean you were there seeing in your own experience, the transfigured
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Jesus somewhat in glory there with Elijah and Moses. And now you're telling us that we have something more sure.
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What can that be? He makes it very clear. The prophetic word to which you will do well to pay attention.
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In other words, second Peter three, stay away. Do not pay attention to these false teachers who twist the scriptures, but pay attention to the prophetic word.
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How he continues in verse 19, as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns in the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing verse 20, this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.
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For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the
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Holy Spirit. Peter uses the same word for scripture here in chapter one, that he uses of the false teachers at the end there in chapter three, talking about how they twist the scriptures graphy, that which is written down and is born by as they were carried along by the
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Holy Spirit. It is the word of God, the spirit of God in the same way that the wind carries along a sailboat.
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The Holy Spirit used the unique personalities and writing styles of the authors, the human authors of scripture to bear the very words of God.
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And Peter is saying, look up, because this is the word of God, the word produced by the Holy Spirit.
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It's divine in its authorship. And these people are twisting it. They're perverting it.
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And because of that, if you follow them, it'll be detrimental to your spiritual stability.
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Notice what he says is their end in our text in verse 17. They twist their scriptures.
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To what? To their own destruction. Same word that our
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Lord Jesus uses in Matthew seven on the Sermon on the Mount, enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy.
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That leads to destruction. Neither Christ nor Peter referring to annihilation.
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That when we die, we go into nothingness. All you have to do is read Luke 16, the rich man and Lazarus, knowing that you see the rich man was in conscious torment.
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Peter is not referring to when he uses the same word that his Lord used destruction to annihilationism, but to eternal torment and damnation in hell under the wrath of almighty
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God. This is the result of them twisting the scriptures, the written revelation.
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Produced by the Holy Spirit. Notice with me, if you will, the previous chapter, chapter two, how he talks about this concerning these false teachers in terms of in terms of their ultimate end of destruction.
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And as I read a couple of these verses in chapter two, I want you to pay close attention to this. God's sovereign plan in his eternal decree and for ordaining even the destruction of false teachers.
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God is sovereign in his plan and his eternal decree in the four ordination of even the destruction of false teachers.
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Notice the graphic language that Peter uses. Chapter two, verse three.
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The second part, he says their condemnation. Watch this from long ago.
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Is not idle and their destruction is not asleep. Verse 12.
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They are born to be caught and destroyed. And he continues later in that verse.
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They will also be destroyed in their destruction, born to be caught and destroyed.
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I'd heard a message recently. That we have to realize why we are born, what for what reason we are born for.
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Well, they were born to be caught and destroyed. Teachers who twist and pervert the scriptures.
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Verse 17. The second part B, it says for them.
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Watch this. The gloom of utter darkness has been what reserved strong language not to be taken lightly.
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But Peter continues in our verse. Verse 17. You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand.
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And here's the command. Take care. The ESV translates it.
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It's an imperative to take care. It's actually the same word that Paul uses to young Pastor Timothy.
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In 2 Timothy 1, verse 14, when Paul says to Timothy, guard. Same word.
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Guard the good deposit entrusted to you. So it's to guard something.
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But in this instance, it's an imperative. But it's in the middle voice, which we really don't have in the
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English language. It's in the middle voice, which means to guard oneself. To guard and protect oneself.
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To hide something that's important. To guard oneself from what? Literally from these false teachers that Peter was exposing in verse 16.
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Who are ignorant, unstable, and distorting and twisting and perverting the scriptures. He says, command, guard yourselves from them.
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And he continues in verse 17. Why? Purpose clause. That you are not carried away with the error of lawless people.
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Guard yourselves. Protect yourselves from them. So that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people.
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The term carried away is interesting. I've wondered as I was studying this.
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If Peter, as he's penning these words, thought back to what Paul records in Galatians 2.
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Can you imagine? Peter, one of the 12 disciples, named an apostle, of course. By the
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Lord. Called by the incarnate Christ. And then Paul, called by the risen Lord, another apostle.
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Paul rebuking Peter. In Galatians 2. Peter would hang out with the
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Gentiles. But when the party of the circumcision would show up, he'd become hypocritical.
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He'd leave the Gentiles, go over and hang out with the circumcised party, the Jews. Thus, putting it on the
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Gentiles to live as the Jews and be circumcised. That's what the Judaizers were trying to do, the false teachers.
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To add circumcision to the grace of God. And in that passage, it says that Paul rebuked
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Peter to his face. And this is what it says there. Using the same word that Peter uses here.
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That they were carried away. Quote, the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, along with Peter.
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So that even Barnabas was led astray. Was carried away by their hypocrisy.
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How interesting. Barnabas, who was the one who, in a way, mentored and brought Paul into the fold.
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He, along with Peter, were led astray. So as Peter is writing these words to his audience. I'm wondering if he's recalling that time when he, too, was carried away and led astray.
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By what, though, he tells them? That you're not carried away with what? With the error of lawless people.
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The term error, it literally means to wander and be led astray. We're just saying in the hymn, prone to wander.
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To wander and to be led or carried astray. In Scripture, it can have a dual meaning.
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It can mean to wander from doctrinal truth. But it can also mean to wander from moral truth.
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And the context of the passage determines what is being referenced. Here, I believe
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Peter is highlighting, based upon what he just exposed the false teachers for.
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Their twisting of Scriptures. That their error is one of doctrinal error. They're straying away from the very words of God.
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But I want you to notice as we jump back to chapter 2. That Peter highlights not only that their error is doctrinal in nature.
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But it's also moral in nature. Notice in chapter 2, I will walk you through some verses. And he goes back and forth.
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He weaves in and out. Showing and exposing their doctrinal error. And their moral error of these false teachers.
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Beginning in verse 1 of chapter 2. But false prophets also arose among the people.
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Just as there will be false teachers among you. Who will watch this secretly bring in destructive heresies.
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Doctrinal. Even denying the master who bought them. Bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
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And many, not a few, but many. Will follow their sensuality.
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Moral error. And because of them the way of truth, doctrinal, will be blasphemed.
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And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Jump to verse 12.
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But these, I love his description of them. But these like irrational animals.
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Not only are they animal -like, but they're irrational. Because consistently with what he tells them.
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How we expose them. They're unlearned, ignorant and unstable. And he continues verse 12.
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Creatures of what? Instinct. Born to be caught and destroyed, as I read earlier.
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Blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant. There it is again. Will also be destroyed in their destruction.
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Suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it what? Pleasure to revel in the daytime.
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They are blots and blemishes. Reveling in their deceptions.
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While they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, moral error.
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Insatiable for what? For sin. They entice unsteady souls.
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They have hearts trained in greed. Hearts trained in greed.
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Accursed children. And in verse 17, he says. These, these false teachers are waterless springs.
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And mists driven by a storm. For them, the gloom of outer darkness has been reserved.
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For speaking loud boasts of folly. They entice. There it is again, the enticement.
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By sensual passions of the flesh. Those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
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They promise them freedom. But, they themselves, the teachers, the false prophets.
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Are slaves of corruption. And in chapter 3, he exposes them further by saying in verse 3.
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Knowing this first of all, that scoffers, he refers to them as scoffers. Will come in the last days with scoffing.
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Following their own sinful desires. Moral error. Verse 4, they will say.
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Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep. All things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.
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They've wandered not only from moral error. But from doctrinal error. They've twisted the scriptures.
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And they've twisted their lives. And those who follow them. Will do the same.
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And he finishes in verse 17. That you are not carried away with the error of lawless people.
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And what? Lose your own stability. That's why the principle is.
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False teachers are detrimental to your spiritual stability. This is no surprise that Peter would write this.
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Because earlier in verse 16. He said of them that they themselves are unstable. In chapter 2 where I just read it.
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Said they entice unsteady souls. Unstable souls.
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They're unstable. They leave the unstable aside. So stay away from them.
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He's saying basically as he begins verse 17. With the connective therefore. Therefore knowing this.
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That they are ignorant. Unlearned. Twisting the scriptures. They are unstable.
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They are lawless. They have both doctrinal and moral error. Which he spent a whole chapter polemically. Exposing them.
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He's saying stay away from them. Be on your guard. It's essential to your spiritual stability.
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Well. How important is this? Is Peter the only one who does this? Is this consistent with the rest of the apostles?
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Or even the Lord Jesus Christ? Matthew 7. The Sermon on the Mount. What did Jesus say? Beware of what?
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False prophets. And he mentioned no less than two times. You will recognize them by their. Fruit.
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Paul who had rebuked Peter for being led astray. In Galatians. Met with the
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Ephesian elders in Acts 20. And he said to them to be aware of these false prophets.
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They are. He called them savage wolves. Who would not only spare the flock. They would draw disciples away from them.
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And he said for three years he had warned them about this. Jude even. He was in initial intention.
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His initial authorial intent was to write. Concerning our common salvation. But because of false teachers who had crept in.
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Change that. In here Peter. He just exposes them.
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For who. They truly are. Why? Jesus had told
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Peter. Upon his. Confession. And others. I will build my church.
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Peter was concerned for the church. Of God. What's amazing is that this is near.
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The end of his life. Death is imminent for Peter. In chapter one of our.
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Book second Peter he says this in verse 13. I think it is right as long as I am in this body.
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To stir you up by way of. Reminder. Since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon.
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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 my time.
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At any time. To recall. These things. He knew. His death was imminent.
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His departure was near. Sounds like the apostle Paul. The time of my departure is near right he wrote to Timothy.
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And because of that what the Paul right. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching.
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But having itching ears. They will accumulate for themselves teachers. To suit their own passions.
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How amazing that. Paul who had a rebuke Peter who Peter was carried away. And he's warning these believers not to be carried away by false teachers.
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That they both. Their last words written. Recorded as holy writ.
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Was to warn people of false teachers. On that. They were. On the same page.
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But the second principle applies. Not only. Our false teachers detrimental to your our spiritual stability.
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But secondly spiritual growth. Is critical. To your spiritual stability spiritual growth.
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Is critical. To your spiritual stability. And that's what he gets into verse. Eighteen.
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And he says. But grow. But grow. In contrast to what.
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He just said. The negative aspect. Now he's bringing forth the positive aspect. But grow.
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He's making a connection between the two. Peter simply saying. Look you cannot grow spiritually.
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If you are led astray by false teachers. You can't. And secondly spiritual growth.
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But grow. He commands. Is the key to your protection. Against false teachers.
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Spiritual growth is the key. Not only to be on your guard against him. But to grow. That's the key to being protected from false teachers.
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H .A. Ironside said of this continuing growth. It is the unfailing panacea or solution.
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Or remedy. For all. Spiritual ills. Grow. Isn't it interesting that Peter's writing this.
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Earlier he had written in verse seventeen to. Be on your guard that you are not led astray. And we know that he himself was led astray.
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And now he's saying to them on a positive note. To protect yourself from these false teachers. Grow. Did Peter know anything about growth.
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I say he did. Lord. I don't know about the others. But I'll go with you to prison.
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And to death. Denied him three times. His great confession.
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Who do people say that I am. Elijah. One of the prophets. Who do you say that I am. Peter spoke up as a spokesman of the twelve.
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You are the Christ the son of the living God. And then Jesus proceeds to tell them about his upcoming crucifixion.
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And the text says that Peter rebuked the Lord. And Jesus says to him.
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Get behind me Satan. Your mind is on the things of man. Not. On the things of God.
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Peter knew about growth. He got out of the boat.
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He was walking on water. But yet he began to sink. Maybe that's why in the introduction to this letter.
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He introduces himself. Yes. As an apostle. Because he is using his apostolic authority.
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To confront false teachers. But initially introduces himself in chapter 1 verse 1. As a slave.
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Then as an apostle. And he refers to his former name. Simon. Peter.
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It's interesting that this command here that he says to them. But grow. It's an imperative.
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But it's in the present. He's emphasizing that this is a continuous and repeated action in the future.
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Literally. What Peter is saying. But. Keep. On. Growing. Keep on growing.
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And that teaches us a couple of things. Spiritual growth. Is the proof of spiritual life.
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I see it. Nowadays in the physical realm with my young son. How he finally learned how to walk after about 17 months.
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He's a late bloomer. Unlike his sisters. Everyone grows at different rates. But growth.
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Is a sign of life. He didn't tell them. To grow.
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He told them to keep on growing. They had grown immature through some deep. Persecution as we talked about.
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And he's telling them to keep on growing. The second thing this teaches us is that. Not only spiritual growth the sign of spiritual life.
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But. Spiritual growth. Is a life. Long. Process.
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If you've been a Christian for a while. You should be nodding. It's a lifelong process. You'll never get to the point where you can say.
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I've arrived. I've made it. In glory. Yes. But not this side of heaven.
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I love when I ask people about their sanctification. And their continued growth. People will say. Well God is not finished with me yet.
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Have you heard that. What they mean by that. I'll just excuse my sin. But that's not what
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Peter is talking about. When he's encouraging them to grow. He's saying that. God is not finished with me yet.
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There's still. Yes. God has brought a change in my life. But I'm aware. Of other things that God is working on in my life.
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As they grow in. Christ likeness. It's interesting in this two letters that Peter writes.
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First and second Peter. This command grow. He only mentions one other time. And it's not in this letter.
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It's in his first letter. First Peter 2. Chapter 2 verse 2. Like newborn infants.
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Long for the pure. Spiritual milk. That by it. You may grow up.
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Into salvation. So he's saying look. To guard yourself from false teachers.
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You need to keep on growing. And then he mentions the areas of growth.
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First of all. Grow notice verse 18. In the grace. Kind of highlighted that a little bit.
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With the book I gave away tonight. First of all. What does that not mean?
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What does it not mean to grow in grace? Well, it does not mean that any effort on my part to grow is of the flesh.
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To grow in grace does not mean. That I don't apply myself. I'm not diligent. Actually in verse 14.
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He used their term notice in verse 14 of our chapter. Therefore beloved. Since you are waiting for these.
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Be what? Diligent. So to grow in grace does not mean that there is no effort on our part.
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That if there is. We automatically say. Oh, I'm not growing grace. It must be of the flesh. Be diligently exert yourself strive.
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Even from the outset. Chapter 1. What does he say to them?
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Notice in verse 5 of chapter 1. These are like bookends to the book.
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To 2nd Peter. He ends with growing in grace. And he begins with this. Notice verse 5.
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Make every what? Effort. Make every effort. To supplement your faith with virtue.
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And that. Command is clearly implied in each of the virtues. And I'll read it that way. Make every effort to supplement your with your faith with virtue.
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Make every effort to supplement your virtue with knowledge. Make every effort to supplement your knowledge with self -control.
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Make every effort to supplement your self -control with steadfastness. Make every effort to supplement your steadfastness with godliness.
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Make every effort to supplement your godliness with brotherly affection. And make every effort to supplement your brotherly affection.
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With love. Now, if Pastor Mike's brother, Pastor Pat, would hear it.
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He'd probably give us one of those. Hmm. How can that be?
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Grace and effort. I to use Vinnie Barbarino's theology.
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I'm so confused. There's no confusion about it. There's no confusion about it.
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To grow in grace. Does not mean that we don't make any effort. What does it mean then?
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First of all. To grow in grace means. To grow in our understanding. And appreciation.
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Of God's grace in what? In salvation. That's why in his first letter,
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Peter writes. Concerning this salvation. The prophet who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours.
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Searched and inquired carefully. His audience understood that from the two letters.
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What it meant to grow in grace. Is to understand God's grace in salvation. But it doesn't end there.
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To grow in grace also means to. To rely on him. In his grace in times of suffering.
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To rely on God and on God's grace in times of suffering. That's why he finishes his first epistle with these words.
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And after you have suffered. A little while. The God of all grace. I love that expression.
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About our father in heaven. The God of all grace. Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ.
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Will himself. Restore confirm. Strengthen and establish you by Sylvanus.
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A faithful brother as I regard him. I have written briefly to you. Exhorting and declaring that this.
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Is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
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It's to not only grow in grace. By appreciating. Salvation grace. We're saved by grace.
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We're to grow in grace in our understanding. Of that salvation grace. But it's the same grace that we rely upon.
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During times of difficulty and suffering. And how I propose he knew his audience. He knew what they were going through.
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The trials and persecution. And that's why he's encouraging them in this. And look how he finishes in verse 18.
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Not only grow in the grace. But secondly, what? In the knowledge of whom? Just knowledge.
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Of course, not. Knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He uses that expression.
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A couple of times in the letter. Chapter 3, verse 2. The commandment of the Lord and Savior. Chapter 1, verse 11.
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Entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. Why knowledge now?
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First, there's growth in grace. Why growth in knowledge? Because that is your protection against false teachers.
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Growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, he says. Why? What were these false teachers proposing?
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They were denying according to chapter 2. The master, Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, they were doubting his return.
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That's where it strikes most of the time. When it comes down to false teachers. There's some kind of doctrine
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Christology. Where they're off on. And that is what Peter is affirming them.
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To grow in the knowledge of whom? Of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. Just some general comments on spiritual growth.
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That we can learn from the Apostle Peter here. That we are to grow in the grace. And we're to grow in the knowledge of our
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Lord. In order to live lives of spiritual stability. And protect ourselves from false teachers.
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First of all. God has given us the resources for spiritual growth. He's given us the resources for spiritual growth.
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We read that already in the first chapter. He's granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
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He's granted to us his precious and very great promises. So that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.
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I used to have somebody I remember used to tell me. Well, I can't do what the
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Bible asked me to do. Even as a new creation in Christ. It's difficult. I said you're mistaken.
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It's not difficult. It's simple. It's supernatural. God never asks you to do something.
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That he doesn't give you the resources to do it. Secondly, spiritual growth does not happen in a vacuum.
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In isolation from the body of Christ. Spiritual growth doesn't happen in isolation from the body of Christ.
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That's our mentality today in our evangelical culture. The individualistic Lone Ranger effect.
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I am growing. Solo. That is why church membership is down.
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We'll just watch something on TV on Sunday. Have no human contact with other believers. But I'm growing.
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That's a facade. It doesn't happen apart from the body of Christ. That's why in his first letter in first Peter.
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Peter writes you're a chosen what race. A royal priesthood. A holy nation.
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A people. Part of the body. And thirdly, let me highlight to you.
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Because he says to grow both in the grace. And the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You must grow in both.
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Why? If you grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And not in the law knowledge of him.
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You'll be much easier. Let us stray from false teachers. On the other hand. If you grow in the knowledge of our
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Lord Jesus Christ. And you do not grow in grace. You will succumb. To the temptation of pride.
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Because you say I've gained all this knowledge. How have you gained that knowledge?
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Yes, intense study of the scripture. We encourage that and promote that. Sitting under godly biblical teaching and preaching.
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But let's not forget. Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. But my father who is in heaven.
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Spurgeon and Martin Lloyd -Jones understood exactly. What growing in grace and knowledge was all about.
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Spurgeon said. When you grow in the grace and knowledge. Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You will be sure to grow in humility.
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Close quote. Lloyd -Jones said it this way. Personally, I can be certain.
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I'm growing in grace. If I have an increasing sense of my own sinfulness. And my own unworthiness.
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If I see more and more. The blackness of my own heart. Close quote.
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And Peter ends his epistle with this. To him.
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To who? To the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory.
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Both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. He ends it in the same way he begins it.
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To him. To the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the beginning of his epistle. He referred to him as the
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God and Savior. The one who is to receive all glory.
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He acknowledges his full deity. And the very thing amongst others. That the false teachers were denying.
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Brethren, there is a real spiritual battle. Today. And it's in the form of a spiritual attack on the church.
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In the form of false teachers. And spiritual immaturity. So I encourage you.
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With the words of the Apostle Peter. Take care. That you're not carried away with the error of lawless people.
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And lose your own stability. But keep on growing. In the grace.
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And knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father we're so grateful for.
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The words that. The Apostle Peter under the inspiration. The guidance.
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The supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit penned here. We thank you Father. Because these are important words for our day.
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It was important words for the original audience. As they face difficulty and suffering. And persecution. And attacks on their faith.
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And false teachers. Twisting the scriptures. And we see that today. So I pray for us.
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Individually but of course corporately. That we would not be led astray. By the error of lawless men.
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Who twist the scriptures. But we would keep on growing. In the grace and knowledge of our
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Lord Jesus Christ. So that he ultimately would receive the glory. We ask these things in Christ's name.