II Peter Chapter 1

Memory verses for this week:   Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  

Introduction:  In Chapter 5, Peter gave advice to both the pastor and the church member.  All of us were to learn humility as was displayed in Christ’s life.   We get into Chapter 1 of II Peter this morning.  

I.  THE GREETING

2 Pet 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Peter tell us that he is a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ.   I can’t think of a higher calling than to be a true servant of our Lord Jesus Christ.   When we are servants of the Lord, it says that we are friends of Christ.

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

John 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Peter describes his faith in verse 1 as “Precious faith.”  If you know Jesus as your Lord, you understand what he means.   What a wonderful possession is our salvation.  And that comes by us putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

2 Pet 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

2 Pet 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

We see mathematical terms in this chapter, as Peter uses ‘multiplied’ in verse 2 and ‘add’ in verse 5.   I will tell you this… anyone who knows Christ as Savior has MUCH added to their life, and their knowledge and wisdom is greatly multiplied.  We know the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  So as we gain greater knowledge of God and apply his precepts and principles to our life, we gain wisdom.  He says that Grace and peace are multiplied unto us according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.   We may never have a lot of earthly wisdom down here, but the Christian who will read their bible and study the commandments of God will gain so much in life.   I’ve heard people say that they could never be a Christian because of all of the “thou shalt not’s”.   But guess what… those shalt nots are all for our own good.  There are “NO” grievous commandments.  All given to us to allow us to have that special full and abundant life.

1 John 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1 John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

J. Vernon McGee shed some light on the election of man and how that God is totally sovereign.   This is something that is hard for us to comprehend.

We must recognize that our God is a sovereign God and that this little universe is His. He created it. I don’t know why He created it as He did, but since He is absolutely omniscient (knowing everything), and since He is omnipotent (having all power), and since He is sovereign, I conclude that He can do anything He wants to do that is consistent with His character.

He has a right to plan for the future. Apparently He did some planning. We call those plans the decrees that God had in His mind in the very beginning. That is to say, He had a plan that He was going to follow. He decreed to create the universe, and He did it. He never asked you or me about it. In fact, He has never asked me whether I wanted to be in existence. He could have left me out altogether. And He could have left you out, but He didn’t! Thank God, He thought of you and me.

Also there was the decree to permit the fall of man. This, I think, took a great deal of planning on God’s part, knowing that when He created the free moral agent called man, he would fall when given a free choice. Mankind chose to disobey God, but God had made arrangements for it. He had the decree to elect some to salvation, and He had the decree that He would send a Savior into the world. He certainly did that. He made a decree that He would save those who came to Him, the elect. You can call them anything you wish, but the people who turned to Christ for salvation are the elect. You may say, “Well, He didn’t choose everybody.” I don’t find that in Scripture. The Lord Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). His invitation to “whosoever will” is, “Come unto me” (see Matt 11:28). It is a legitimate invitation to everyone, but there must be a response, and the response is your responsibility and my responsibility. [1]

2 Pet 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

What a blessing.  Verse 4 says we are given great and precious promises.   Every promise God has made been kept.  God is not like man.  He does not promise one thing, and do another.   Failure is simply not in the attributes of God.  He says what He means, and He stands by His word.  We should all strive to be more like God every day.   God has promised eternal life to the believer, and it is all of Him.  We can trust God.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

All the promises of God are “YEA”.  Thank the Lord for that.  Through these promise we are made partakers of the divine nature, and have found deliverance from the corruption into which the whole world has been brought due to lust.

2 Cor 1:20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

2 Cor 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

2 Cor 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

II.  Some Things Needed to Be Fruitful

2 Pet 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2 Pet 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

2 Pet 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2 Pet 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter says in these verses that we need to add seven things.  We know the number of seven is the perfect number of God and speaks of completion.  Six is the number of man, and it comes up lacking.   He say to give diligence to add to your faith virtue.  This is a strength of mind and body.   Then we are to add knowledge.   We will never grow in the things of God without a deep understanding of spiritual things.   We start off simple on the milk of the word, and we continue to grow until we can take on the meat of the word as we discussed in last week’s lesson.  Perhaps one of the toughest of all to add is temperance.  This speaks of self control.   Every Christian needs to be able to control their temper.   Christians that walk around on a short fuse certainly do not exhibit the trait of temperance like God would have us to do.   We need to learn self-control in all areas of our life, and temper truly should not be something we are known to have.  Humility is of great price in God’s sight as we studied last week in Chapter 5 of I Peter.  After temperance, we are to add patience.  Can we endure without complaining?  Only by God’s grace can we be a patient person.  Then we are to add ‘godliness’.   Does your life really show the world the true picture of Jesus Christ.  If we are in God’s Will for our lives, we will have the mind of Christ.  And his very being and desire was to do the will of the father.   That cuts out the way of the world which is a pyramid made up of  “Mine”, “Me”, and  “I”.   If you get concerned about someone else rather than yourself, you’ll be surprised how little your problems become when you help bear the burdens of others.   Then we are to gain brotherly kindness.  Not a shallow ‘brotherly love’ in word, but in deed and action.   We should show consideration to all brothers and sisters in Christ, and go even beyond that and show love for the lost.  The last thing he mentions is ‘charity’.  We know from our earlier studies that charity and love are interchangeable words.  Love is the greatest of all.

Gal 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 

1 Cor 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1 Cor 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1 Cor 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Cor 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1 Cor 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

1 Cor 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

1 Cor 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

2 Pet 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2 Pet 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

2 Pet 1:11  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It says that if the seven things mentioned are not found in a believer, then that person is blind and can not see afar off.  This is a carnal Christian who has forgotten that he or she was purged from their old sins.   But if we pay attention and give diligence to these things, it say we will make our calling and election sure, and we will NEVER fall.   What a promise.   When we truly know Jesus as our Savior, we have a promise of everlasting life and will have a place in heaven with rewards some day.

III.  Things to Keep in Remembrance

2 Pet 1:12  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2 Pet 1:13  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

2 Pet 1:14  Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me.

If you have grown up in church most of your life, and attended Sunday School regularly, you probably aware of most things we talk about concerning doctrine and the commandments of God.  But Peter here teaches us that it never hurts to have these things brought back into our mind, and to be reminded of them from time to time.   While Peter lived, he wanted to call the people’s attention to the things that were profitable to them.

2 Pet 3:1  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

2 Pet 3:2  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

Peter was wise in understanding that he only had a short time to live.  All of us need to pay attention to how we live our lives.  We have such a short time here on earth.  If you lived to be 100 years old, that is simply a speck in time in regards to eternity.  Peter was warned by Christ what kind of death he would die.

John 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

John 21:19  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

Psa 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

IV.  The Power and Coming of the Lord

2 Pet 1:15  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

2 Pet 1:16  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2 Pet 1:17  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

2 Pet 1:18  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Peter was not giving a good ‘guess’ as to how Christ would return in honor and glory.  He was one of those who witnessed what it will look like when Christ was transfigured before him.

Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Peter was witness of God speaking those words “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  The beheld Christ as he will be when he returns in power to reign.  Christ was to set on the throne of David, and as we have found on our Wednesday night studies of Daniel, David’s Throne was a literal throne in Jerusalem.  Jesus has not yet taken David’s Throne, but one day he will.    After the 7 years of tribulation, there will be a thousand years of Christ reigning in what is called the millennial kingdom.   What a day that will be.  In that day, judgment will be fair and impartial to all man.

V.  We have a Sure Word of Prophecy

2 Pet 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

2 Pet 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2 Pet 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The lamp of prophecy is a light that shines in a dark place.  It is crucial that we give heed to what has been revealed in the prophetic scriptures.   We are told that this prophecy did not come by the will of man, but they spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.   Note verse 20 makes it VERY CLEAR that it is not of man to interpret the prophecy.   Only the Holy Spirit can bring out its true meaning.   When a man stands up and says God told him something unique, be sure that is not a true man of God.   God speaks to us through the word of God today, not by visions and voices in the night.  We are to prophesy today through the word of God.  No new word from God until Jesus breaks that eastern sky with the shout of the archangel. 

1 Cor 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Cor 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1 Cor 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1 Cor 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1 Cor 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Only the Christian being led by the Holy Spirit can interpret prophecy.  As we search the scriptures, we find that men moved by the Holy Spirit wrote things that were to come to pass in the future.   Sometimes they got so specific as to tell when these things were to be, and the circumstances surrounding it.

W. A. Criswell said this in the Believer’s Bible about the infallibility of scripture.

1:20, 21 Such perfection of utterance is explicable only if God is somehow able to suspend temporarily the inherent weaknesses of the men who wrote Scripture. Two declarations are given which affirm that God did precisely that: (1) No Scripture is “of any private interpretation.” The terminology in Greek says that no prophecy came into being through anyone’s personal disclosure. The idea is that men did not set forth the ideas of Scripture, nor is present interpretation a matter for the isolated mind of man. Through the Holy Spirit’s agency, God is involved in both the production and interpretation of Scripture. (2) Men of God in antiquity spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. “Moved” means literally “to bear along.” Scripture is infallible precisely because the Holy Spirit “bore along” the prophets who spoke and wrote. [2]

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Prov 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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