His Divine Glory
/2 Peter 1
NASB-a faith like ours
Ephesians 4:5 there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God
Greeting ESV
1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirm Your Calling and Election
The seal is the down payment (Eph 1:13)
With the arrival, all moral and spiritual effort to let Him have His way will make the happy day
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 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. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 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.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.
13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Work backwards
As long as I am in this body, I have to stir you up… wake you up, agitate you to arouse your mind to remember these things…
We were with Him and we saw it with our own eyes
Peter was on the mount of transfiguration with Him. I mean by this time, he had seen people healed, raised from the dead, demons cast out. He, Himself had been commissioned with authority over demons and to heal the sick. But he references this moment and states “we were with Him when He received honor and glory from God. We heard the voice of majesty from heaven. We heard the voice with our own ears, we were eyewitnesses, and this confirms the prophetic words of the past, and you would do well to listen.
What we saw was the glory of God shine out of Him
We want you to experience what we experienced— hold onto to truth until the day star/morning star rises in your heart, and when it does, you will know it did!
Add to your faith KJV, ESV make every effort to supplement to your faith.
It’s important that we understand that you can’t add to your faith anything to make you more righteous. I think that this is extremely important because this is exactly what caused the problems in Galatia, which scholars call Galatianism. Essentially, it’s a self- performance based Christianity that changes the object of faith from Christ to self. The object becomes self doing or knowing instead of clinging in faith to what He did. People will put faith in their faith, faith in their confession, faith in their church attendance, Bible reading, prayer, fasting to make them right with God, but this is a form of legalism. And this needs to be said because this is very common in the lives of God’s people. With the fall, man shifted from God consciousness to good consciousness, from God consciousness to self consciousness, so now instead of man focusing on God’s goodness, he focuses on his goodness and confuses that with God’s truth. While God is good, not all that seems good is God. I point this out especially in this message, because if I don’t people may confuse what’s being said here.
…to provide beyond the need, to supply more than generously.
Verse 1 talks about their faith.
The idea is that the believer has been born again. They have received the gospel and faith as an action word has brought them into the faith, a new thing, a new state of being, a new life, a new creation. It’s a new life with a description… it’s a faith with an equal standing as the Apostle’s.
The NASB says, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours… What’s their faith like? The faith that they were born into was a life changing, new creation faith that with time and correction led to a life where their will was swallowed up in their Master’s will. Where they died and Christ lived through them. Where they overcame Satan through the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony and they did not love their own lives even unto death (Revelation 12:11).
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire
Partaker- koinonos a partner, sharer, in anything
…to provide beyond the need, to supply more than generously.
1. Virtue- behavior showing high moral standards (AM) moral goodness in thought and action, praise
1 Peter 2:9 KJV
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
The word praises in this verse is the same word in the Greek that is translated as virtue. We give praise, glory and honor to God when we, through the power of God, through the sharing of His nature, made possible because of what Christ did for us and our relationship with Him are powered to live a life separated from the world and through it give Him glory.
2. Knowledge- gnosis, scientific, intelligence, regarding Christianity knowledge about the religion
The English word knowledge is used 5 times in the first 8 verses, so it’s pretty clear that knowledge is important to the Christian faith.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 ESV
Food Offered to Idols
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Knowledge- epignosis epi= above, upon or in addition to. It’s extra knowledge with a sprinkle of experience.
I can tell you about Christian faith, and you can learn about Christian faith, but in order to really learn Christian faith, you have to live and experience Christian faith.
3. Self-control- the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
So, temperance or self control is a fruit of the Spirit, basically that means that it’s His fruit produced in you and it’s reflected out of you; yet, the very way that self is included means that self has to partner in the process, as a matter of fact, the very thought of what Peter is saying in all of this is that, it is us, through the Spirit, that are supplying these things to our faith. In these instances, we are consciously working with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to work in us and through us.
2 Corinthians 13:14 AMP
The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).
James 4:7 KJV
Col 3:10
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
Col 3:10
Ezek 36:25-27
4. Steadfastness- the quality of being resolutely unwavering and firm /endurance- hupomonae/ under remain.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we learn how to remain under the trial of life in a God honoring way, so that the fires of purification brought on through the trials of life can have their way:
You know everything and can’t get along with anyone, and there are patterns in your life:
You switch spouses every couple years
You switch jobs every couple years
You switch churches every couple years
The point that I am trying to make is that if a vessel is going to be refined in a fire it has to stay in the furnace, and if a branch is going to be pruned it has to stay still.
Jesus endured the persecution during his ministry. I believe He was hurt when people left when He said, “You must eat my flesh and drink my blood,” because He knew that meant the greatest act of love that the earth would ever see was Him offering His life for the sins of the world and so many didn’t want that food, they wanted the food that filled their own bellies that started this whole John chapter to begin with. I think of the Apostle Paul a lot. He’s writing 2 Timothy in a dark, cold and wet dungeon in Rome called the Mamertine prison, and he writes, “
2 Timothy 4:10-11
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
I laid in my bed crying as I looked, again at the words of Paul. What an amazing journey of a life. How amazing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in the vessel that remains under and yields to the correction of the Holy Spirit.
5. Godliness- reverent, respectful and devout towards godly things
There is a reverence and respect towards the house of God, the presence of God, the word of God. It is a reverence and respect that needs to start within the walls of this church and leave with me as I live my life out there.
The church and His presence- fellowship vs worship. There is a time and place for everything
Once I leave here, the people out there will not understand godliness. If I am in a group of men that are talking about women in a certain kind of way, men do it all the time, locker room talk, but it’s not godly. I don’t know what women call it, but they do it too, maybe powder room talk? My point is this— when I’m faced with this situation, I have a choice: I can join in with them and possibly come up,with a clever comment that will make them laugh and be seen as cool in the eyes of man, or I can be pious, reverent, godly as I remember that my God in heaven is looking down on me and that He purchased me with the blood of His Son, and that He has been longsuffering with me and gracious to me, and that with, His grace, I have the woofer that I need to live this life in a way that it brings Him pleasure.
6. brotherly kindness/ affection- the love of the brethren, the Greek word…Philadelphia
This word is based off of two words philos and adelphos.
To make reference to this word Philadelphia, there is a word for love in the Greek that is similar to this: Phileo, it’s the prefix for Philadelphia and describes a love of great fondness and affection. This wording brings us to a familiar story in scripture.
Jesus has died on the cross and resurrected. During this same time frame Peter has fulfilled the prophecy of our Lord and has denied Him three times before the rooster crew. Now, he says, “I go fishing” Jesus is broiling fish on the beach and He cries out, “Do you have any fish?”
“No”
“Cast on the other side”
And the same thing happens that happened in the beginning. They have more fish than they can handle. He meets them in the end the same way He met them at the beginning. They were fishing for fish and He told them to follow Him and they would be fishers of men, and now, Peter’s failure has driven him to a place where he is running from the Lord and not fishing for men but has instead gone back to his previous life.
With the catch of fish, he realizes it’s Jesus. With his heart filled with joy, he rips off his outer garment and jumps into the sea and swims to shore. Once on shore, Jesus begins to speak as He is broiling the fish.
He asks Peter, “Simon Peter do you love me more than these?”
Whether He means the fish or the other disciples isn’t important. What’s important for this message is the word that He is using for love, because it’s directly related to the word love that I just read to you from John and 1st John, it’s related to the word for love used in the gospel of John and 1st John. That word is from the God love of Agape. The best way to define that word is that Agape- is the God kind of love, further description is that it is a sacrificial type of love that recognizes the value of the object being loved.
The love of God is sacrificial. The love of God has attributed a value to the souls of humanity. The value He has attributed is the life and sacrifice of Jesus. “Peter do you agape me?”
“You know I phileo you Lord”
“Peter do you agape me?”
“You know I phileo you Lord!”
“Peter do you phileo me?”
“Do you really Peter? Do you really even phileo me? Do you care about me? Do you love me? Do you love me like a brother even? Because what I need you to do is to agape me. I need you to love me sacrificially and feed my sheep. I need you to understand the object of your love the way that I understand you as the object of my love when I laid my life down for you.”
To contrast the idea of brother affection with the love of God. Let’s look at some verses out of the gospel of John and the 1st John letter:
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
1 John 2:10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23-24
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1 John 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:8-10
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:20-21
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1 John 5:1-2
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
In all these cases, a variant of the word agape is used to describe the love that God expects us to have towards our fellow brothers and sisters. It’s a love that recognizes the value of the object being love. This does not refer necessarily to how much you love them in your heart. Instead, the idea is that you and I recognize how much the Lord loves them and we allow His love to motivate us, so that we can love them with His heart. That is the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
And that brings us to the last thing that we are called on to supply in generous measure to our faith…LOVE, AGAPE LOVE!
7. Agape