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02 II Peter 1:1-2 - Post Tenebras, Lux
Title: Post Tenebras, Lux
Text: II Peter 1:1-2
FCF: We often struggle putting priority on serving our God.
Prop: Because God has given us all we need for life and godliness, we must build upon the faith we’ve received.
Scripture Intro:
[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 1.
The title of the sermon is not in a language that many of you may know. Perhaps I could ask someone who’s taken some Latin if he/she could translate for us. (Leland, Mallory). After darkness, light.
The significance of this phrase is multifaceted. As we’ll see today in foundations, this phrase, at least conceptually, is found in Isaiah 9. Matthew quotes this passage in chapter 4:16 of his gospel. Acts 26:18 references either this passage or Job’s expression that after the evening hope comes in the morning in Job 17:12. And Jesus reveals that He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but in light and life (John 8:12). So first this phrase is a biblical concept of darkness conveying a place in which someone is trapped. Enslaved. Unable to break free. Darkness is not something you can do anything about – you must simply wait for something outside yourself to change it. Like the coming of morning.
The reformers took this mantra to speak about the darkness that had come over the Roman Catholic church at that time. Not just darkness of sin practices, but even darkness of doctrinal confusion and digression.
This phrase aptly communicates the state of natural man before God acts to draw them to Himself. Before God gives the truth of Christ to anyone, they are hopelessly lost in darkness. It is one of the great metaphors of scripture describing the total inability of men to seek God. Afterall, how can you seek light when you are in utter darkness?
Today – we will see some of the inner workings of how God… turns on the light for His people. There is so much in these first two verses. Honestly I’ve cut so much from this sermon and even after typing this sentence, I realize I’m going to have to cut more.
So let’s dive in, I am in II Peter chapter 1. I’ll start reading in verse 1 from the NET. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1369 or in whatever version you prefer.
Transition:
As I said, lots to cover – you’ll need your thinking caps and probably steel toed boots. If you don’t get that joke… you will. Let’s go.
I.) Our faith is given from God through His Son, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received.
a. [Slide 2] 1 – From Simeon Peter,
i. The majority of manuscript evidence insists that this be Simeon and not Simon.
ii. Simeon would be the Hebrew spelling and Simon the Greek spelling.
iii. It is worth noting that every letter written in Peter’s name that has been proved to be a forgery is signed as being from either Peter or Simon Peter.
iv. So, in a subtle way, the very first word of this text indicates the authenticity that Peter wrote it.
v. But who is Simeon Peter?
b. [Slide 3] A slave
i. Any negative connotation of this term must be repudiated immediately.
ii. Peter does not say this to shock his readers, to call up negative feelings toward his position, or even to emphasize his unwillingness to be in this position.
iii. But we should also refrain from seeing this as a “bondservant” concept too. Certainly voluntarily choosing to enslave oneself to a master did exist in the Roman world – but it was not the norm.
iv. Further, the word here used is the word douloV or slave. And that word would not necessarily mean the bondservant relationship.
v. As we’ve pointed out before, the world of slavery in 1st century Rome is simply impossible to paint with a broad brush.
vi. More likely Peter is pointing to an older concept of slavery. Moses, David, and Elijah were all said to be servants or slaves of God.
vii. In this context a slave was not only the property of his master but also represented his master. So much so that to disrespect or ignore the slave is to do the same to the master.
viii. In other words, our 21st century western minds conjure up negative images when Peter calls himself a slave. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
ix. In fact, being a slave of Jesus Christ- would be quite a significant honor bump to him and any who would also be called a slave of Christ.
x. But not just a slave…
c. [Slide 4] And apostle of Jesus Christ
i. Peter is an apostle. A sent one.
ii. With this carries the full weight of authority to pass on doctrine and expect to be listened to and obeyed.
iii. He was taught by Christ, saw him resurrected, and was commissioned to go and establish the church.
iv. Peter taught at Pentecost – and his words were used by God to draw 3000 people to saving faith.
v. He performed signs, wonders, and miracles to authenticate the message he preached.
vi. It is with this position of gifted honor and authority that he writes to his audience.
vii. But to whom does he write?
d. [Slide 5] To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ
i. In this short phrase there are a few things we need to address.
1. First, Peter does not address his audience the way he did in I Peter.
a. If you remember he identified them as chosen exiles in the northern provinces of present-day Turkey.
b. In this letter Peter does not actually mention any specifics of his audience.
c. The closest he comes is in chapter 3 where he says he wrote a second time with the same purpose.
d. This, of course, assumes that the previous letter was I Peter, and that the audience was the same. Not a big leap, but not certainly something we know for certain. He could be referring to a letter that has been lost.
2. [Slide 6] Second, let’s look at the phrase “of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
a. Does this mean “of our God and of our Savior Jesus Christ?” Meaning God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.
b. Or does this mean “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ?” Meaning that Jesus is both Savior and God.
c. There is a translation rule in Greek, which I won’t bog you down with, but essentially it means that in this particular case, this would be the second option. “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ.”
d. What is the significance of this statement?
e. This stands as one of the clearest statements in the whole New Testament of the divinity of Jesus.
f. Any theological system, belief, cult, religion that does not teach that Jesus was fully God and Man – two natures in one – as the early creeds confess – is unorthodox and should be rejected as false teaching.
g. Mormonism, Jehovah’s witnesses, and even present-day Jesuses that are stripped of divinity so that he is just a good teacher, prophet, miracle worker, or political activist – are false teachings and ought to be courageously and unashamedly labeled as heretical.
h. Jesus IS God. Amen?
3. [Slide 7] The final point we need to make before moving on, will unfortunately not be made completely obvious UNTIL we do move on. Nevertheless, we should point it out to help us as we move forward.
a. Peter is addressing his letter to a specific group of people.
b. That group of people is not defined by their location but rather by their identity.
c. Their identity has been gloriously affected by or through the righteousness of the Jesus their God and Savior.
d. But we must ask…
e. To which righteousness is Peter referring?
f. Is it his faithfulness? His justice? His goodness? His saving righteousness? All of these are appropriate definitions of the word “righteousness.”
ii. In order to answer that question, we need to pause our thoughts on this and keep reading.
e. [Slide 8] Have been granted a faith
i. Perhaps the first question needs to be, what does Peter mean by “faith” here?
1. Faith throughout the scriptures can speak of many different ideas, all of which are determined primarily by the context in which they are found.
2. [Slide 9] Faith can mean
a. A set of beliefs or received doctrinal truths
b. A personal trust
c. Faithfulness
3. We can see the interrelationship of each of these. In many ways not one of these can exist without the others. However, the particular nuance can be important for us to understand.
4. In the context of II Peter he often refers to knowledge of God and Christ, reminded truths, and adding to such knowledge with more knowledge and holiness.
5. So, with this context in mind, it seems that the faith to which Peter is referring has to do with the illumination of the truth of Christ and our dependance or clinging to that truth.
6. [Slide 10] Meaning it is a combination of 1 and 2, but mostly 2.
7. Taking this definition of the word faith will actually fit quite well to some of the themes that Peter wishes to develop throughout the letter.
8. [Slide 11] So, the faith that Peter talks about is the sudden awakening to the identity and work of Christ and our subsequent dependance on that revealed truth.
ii. [Slide 12] The second concept we must understand in this phrase is the word used here “have been granted.”
1. This word means to obtain by lot or to have assigned to you or to receive.
2. We can say you were given something or that you received a gift. One emphasizes the giver and the other the receiver.
3. This word serves to emphasize the giver not the receiver.
4. [Slide 13] One scholar wrote “… the attainment is not by one’s own exertions, but is like ripe fruit falling into one’s lap”
5. The NET actually does a great job by translating this - rather than receive – have been granted.
6. [Slide 14] In other words, the faith, or the awakening to truth and dependance on that truth, is something that fell into our lap. It was unforeseen. Even, to some degree, unexpected. And because it was unforeseen and unexpected, it was not by our own effort or exertion.
7. Faith – both the understanding of the truth of Christ and Him crucified and the personal trust in that for all hope – all of it is a gift given from God. And that gift comes through the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.
iii. [Slide 15] But what definition should we take of this “righteousness” in light of the definition of faith and receiving it through this righteousness?
1. As we saw it is “through” the righteousness of Christ that an understanding and dependance on who Christ is and what He’s done has fallen into our laps.
2. What kind of righteousness could make the fruit of faith fall to us? Is it Jesus’ moral excellence? Is it Jesus’ justice? Is it Jesus’ faithfulness? Is it Jesus’ saving righteousness?
3. [Slide 16] There are really only two positions that scholars take, but for reasons I will explain on Wednesday night at bible study, the only righteousness that makes sense in the context, would be the forensic or the imputed righteousness of Christ. His saving righteousness. What is this?
4. We divide these into two.
5. [Slide 17] His active and passive righteousness.
a. Active:
i. The fact that He did not sin. The fact that He fulfilled the law. The fact that Christ perfectly obeyed all of God’s moral expectations for men.
ii. The fact that Christ was a second Adam. The model human.
iii. He came and with the Spirit of God and the Father’s good pleasure and love – He did perfectly keep all that God commanded.
iv. Meeting in every way God’s covenant of works made by God with Adam.
v. Adam could not keep it -but Christ did.
vi. In the end, this is the righteousness that God will judge each of us by – and in the end all God’s people will be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of God because we have His righteousness.
b. Passive:
i. His passive righteousness is displayed in His obedience to the Father to go to the cross and suffer as though He had committed every single sin of His people.
ii. So in the end, not only are we judged according to the perfect and perpetual righteousness of Christ but we also we are judged without the total and complete unrighteousness of our sorry state.
6. So, this is the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.
7. This is actually summarized quite well in our NCC catechism questions #22 and #23
a. [Slide 18] #22 “Why must the Redeemer be truly Human?”
i. That in human nature, He might on our behalf, perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also, that He might sympathize with our weaknesses.
b. [Slide 19] #23 “Why must the Redeemer be truly God?”
i. That because of His divine nature His obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also, that He would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death.
8. But we are not quite done. How does this righteousness deliver to us… faith?
9. On this matter – it is very difficult to understand but think deeply with me as I read from John Gill.
a. [Slide 20] “…righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.”
b. What is John Gill saying?
c. Some weeks ago we discussed that when God justifies us, declares us righteous, though we be simultaneously sinner but declared righteous, this is an act that God does alone and it is based upon nothing we have done or will do. He simply does it.
d. My friends here is that teaching in black and white. The faith that has fallen in our laps. The illumination of Christ and our binding ourselves to Him comes through God applying Christ’s righteousness to us.
e. Like a rope fastened to a man dangling off a cliff. Faith is only given after it has been anchored to something solid. Further, faith is only as good as the thing to which it is anchored. And so certainly we believe that we are declared to be righteous by trusting in Christ alone. This is true. But simultaneously we must also believe that without Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, we would have no ability to believe.
f. Once again, the scriptures consistently emphasize, by the word faith, not our action or exertion in it, but rather the object of it. In other words our expressing faith is not the mechanism that secures our declared righteousness. Rather it is the fruit and proof that we have been declared righteous.
g. Is this not then… a precious faith.
h. A faith…
f. [Slide 21] Just as precious as ours.
i. The shift to a plural pronoun here has us wondering who is “us” and who is “you.” Peter compares the gifted faith of apostles to the gifted faith of his audience and shows that there is no difference. It is of equal quality, value, and worth.
ii. Just as Simeon Peter was granted the favorable honor of the status of slave…
iii. So, we are bound to Christ and found to have this granted or given faith.
iv. Peter’s faith is the same as ours… unearned, unsought, but sure and stable in the person and work of Christ.
v. This comes pretty heavy on the God sovereignty side. If you are waiting for the human responsibility side you’ll have to wait until next week – but let me just toss this in there to give you hope or clarity. Yes – humans still have a responsibility to believe and keep on believing.
vi. But we must not let that human responsibility remove or take away anything from what we’ve seen today.
vii. God applies the righteousness of Christ to a person and in so doing shakes the tree to drop faith in the lap of those to whom Christ’s righteousness is applied. So much so that they immediately grab hold of the Righteous One. For, indeed, as God has just revealed to them…they must. He is their only hope.
g. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: So, Peter wants to remind his readers that their faith is a gift given by God through Christ’s imputed righteousness to them. It is the same quality and the same essence of the faith the apostles received.
h. [Slide 23] Passage Application: There is no stated application to his audience as of yet. Nevertheless, perhaps the assurance of the quality of their gifted faith is to encourage them and bolster their resolve to cling to it all the more and even to, as he’ll get to soon, build upon it.
i. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture it is clear that since natural man is described as a “child of wrath” “sons of disobedience” “of our Father the devil” of whom “none are righteous” and “none seek after God” is becomes abundantly clear that as Paul tells us, we need an alien righteousness. We need someone to take our place. The Old Testament is full of examples of men and women that were not good enough. They couldn’t follow God’s law well enough. Even the best of them could not measure up to God’s desire. Truly in Adam, all men are hopelessly lost and unable to please God. But as our new representative, as the ideal human, Jesus through keeping the whole law yet suffering as though He violated it in every point as we have, has both exchanged our infinite sin debt for His infinite righteous merit. We are declared to be righteous on His account and in this God gifts to us both truth and trust in His righteousness alone. Why alone? For we have no righteousness of our own to bring.
j. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Application: And in application we ought to cling to the preciousness of this faith. It is precious because it is a gift. But not just a gift, a gift from God. But not just a gift from God, but a gift from God secured in the active and passive righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior. Who took our place, bore our shame, suffered our wrath, and gave us His glory. That is the faith we have received. To Him be glory and power forever. Amen? And it is on this faith that we must continue to build for Him and His glory.
Transition:
[Slide 26(blank)] So God has given the righteousness of Christ to us and by this has dropped truth and trust in our laps. Because of this we ought to cling to and build on that faith. But what else has God given us to help us build upon our faith?
II.) Grace and peace are given by God, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received
a. [Slide 27] 2 – May grace and peace be lavished on you
i. Here are those theologically rich words again.
ii. What beauty is in the word grace. I hope that if you have been with us for any length of time that you have seen a renewed and deepened understanding of this word.
iii. Not simply God’s unearned favor. Not a bad definition. But it is just lacking. It is God’s power, God’s passion. God’s push, God’s pull to get us where He wants us.
iv. And peace. Not peace from problems, not peace from persecution, not peace from trials or tribulations… but first peace with God. Peace with a holy God who looks at us as sons and daughters. And second as peace in our souls. Peace and contentment. Resting in Him and His grace.
v. And may both of these be lavished. May they be poured over. May you be baptized in them. This is Peter’s wish.
vi. What a prayer.
vii. What will they need grace and peace for? What are they going to be doing?
b. [Slide 28] As you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!
i. Knowledge is a big concept in II Peter. Specifically, the knowledge of God.
ii. He prays that God’s grace and peace would be multiplied to them. The text does not actually say “as you grow” it simply says “in the knowledge of God…” But seeing that this is the purpose of grace and peace being multiplied, it follows that it is as we grow in that knowledge.
iii. But what do we mean by knowledge?
iv. Peter uses this term and another that are both translated knowledge, to convey a spiritual insight that manifests in outward change.
v. This knowledge translates into personal relational knowledge that transforms how we live.
vi. [Slide 29] Indeed, in Ephesians 4, the work of the ministry is the edification of the body of Christ. And the goal of that edification is to grow each other in the knowledge of Christ so that we become like Him.
vii. [Slide 30] My friends – the aim of the church – the aim of God’s people – is to know God, Christ, and the Spirit. And it requires your head, your heart, and your hands.
1. Head: Exploring God. You must grow in your understanding and knowledge of God.
a. First, you must know the gospel. You must know what the bible teaches about how God saves His people from their sin.
b. In many ways the gospel is very simple, but in other ways the gospel is quite complex. Know the gospel in all its complexities. If you want to put in theological terms – your soteriology ought to be pages not paragraphs.
c. But you cannot rest even on this knowledge of the gospel, but rather you must build upon it.
d. To not love the study of God is to not love God’s primary purpose for His people. To grow in knowledge of Him.
e. Your head must expand. And by this I don’t necessarily mean knowing all the theological jargon and what it means… but I do NECESSARILY mean the deep thoughts of all God has revealed about Himself through Christ.
f. In our culture we are obsessed with knowing the answers, but many times it is the right questions that allude us.
g. Too often we either google search the answer to find “what does the bible say about…”
h. Or we confine ourselves to a specific book in the bible without thinking about the rest of what God has revealed to us.
i. Rather than thinking deeply about the question of all that God is, we simply want someone to tell us what to think about who God is.
j. God didn’t write a systematic theology for us. He spoke through humans inspired to convey truth in their time about Himself and about themselves. But He did so in their time and in ways they could comprehend. But in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son.
k. This however, does not prove that systematizing God’s word is wrong. In fact, it proves that it is exactly what we must do if we are to truly know Him.
l. It is exactly what Jesus did with the 12 disciples on the road to Emmaus. He showed them how He was revealed in the Scriptures.
m. So, to know God’s grace – you must scour Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22.
n. Can you find His grace in Genesis 1? Oh yes. Abundant grace. But you can’t claim to understand it until you have seen it on every page and in every chapter. And even then – you have only scratched the surface!
o. To know His love. Same thing. To know His mercy, justice, wrath, holiness – all of these cannot be found in one book nor one internet search. To know God- you must seek Him as He has revealed Himself in this book.
p. And let me repeat myself ad nauseum. Stop doing google searches to find out what to believe about God… Stop doing google searches for all the ways to prove _______ doctrine wrong. You know what is great and terrible about google? You can find answers to support whatever you want to support. Or destroy whatever you want to destroy. But if you spent all your effort, rather than google searching, instead seeking the God of the universe in the only way He has given us to know Him… perhaps then you might know God.
q. My friends, if you do not desire to know God deeper and deeper still… than it is difficult to be certain that you have truly been regenerated.
2. Heart: But it is not enough to know Him. No, you must also delight in Him.
a. The knowledge of God must sink deep into your soul. Beyond your head.
b. The truth of His person must take hold of you – gripping you to your very core.
c. So that when you discover what God’s grace is – you are gripped by its power. When you know the love of God you are struck by its faithfulness. When you deepen in your understanding His holiness, you are cut to the heart, loathing every evil desire in you and pant after His cleansing.
d. It is not enough to know who God is. You must be radically and spiritually turned forever because of what you have been shown!
e. Can you truly know His holiness and walk away unaffected? Can your knowledge of His love be deep if you are not overwhelmed with its sweetness? Can you truly know grace without it bringing your heart to life? Without it turning its stony crags into flesh?
f. True knowledge of God leads to soul level affections.
g. To the extent that God becomes your one delight.
3. Hands: But it is not enough to know Him and delight in Him. For Jesus says that if you love me, you will keep my commandments.
a. To know Him and delight in Him is also to be changed by Him.
b. To know His grace is to act in obedience with it.
c. To know His glory is to rise up and sing praise.
d. To know His love is to display it to others whom He loves.
e. To know His Holiness is to violently and expeditiously kill off your sin without mercy and without regret.
4. To know Him is to Love Him. To Love Him is to Obey Him. To Obey Him is to glorify Him. To glorify Him is to make His name known.
5. Head. Heart. Hands. This is what it means to know God.
c. [Slide 31] Passage Truth: Peter hopes for his audience that the precious gifted faith that they have, If they truly have it, will be built on by grace and peace.
d. [Slide 32] Passage Application: And so, they must grow in the knowledge of God. The full knowledge. The rich knowledge. They must know God more with the grace and peace He provides.
e. [Slide 33] Broader Biblical Truth: We know from Scripture that although God does give grace and peace to the unbelieving world, it is grace with a small g. Peace with a small p. It is merely an expression of His character. He, not being like any other god, does not reign down fire and brimstone every time the world has earned it. If so, the world would have been destroyed long before Noah. Instead, God is a God of kindness. He offers grace to many. But to His elect. To those He loves, He gives greater grace. He has made a way for peace with them. He has lavished grace and peace on them and continues to do so. Indeed, that is why an assurance of a Christian is their gradual and growing righteousness before God. Because it proves that His Spirit is in them and working. So, if we truly have this gift of faith which God has given to us through the imputed righteousness of Christ, we will also have grace and peace lavished on us in order to build on our faith.
f. [Slide 34] Broader Biblical Application: Because we have been abundantly provided for with grace and peace – because God is faithful to those He loves – We can seek to grow in our knowledge of God the Father, Christ Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. And we must know Him not only with our heads, not only with our hearts, but with our hands too.
Conclusion:
[Slide 35(end)] In what has already been a doctrinally rich and applicationally heavy sermon, I won’t linger in concluding it.
Let me simply wrap it all together in a tight bow.
God will get glory from His people for what He has done in their lives.
He has, through Christ’s righteousness, declared sinners righteous, giving them spiritual sight to see the truth and to anchor themselves into it. He has given grace and peace and continues to lavish them upon His people. He has revealed Himself through many ages, through many people, Kings, prophets, shepherds, and in these last days God the Son. He has given us all we need and abundantly more than we could ever ask or seek awaits us in His coming Kingdom.
Now… doesn’t that sound like a God worth knowing?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth exploring?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth delighting in?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth obeying?
The chief end of all men is to bring glory to God. And God is glorified by all men’s ends – in the fire of judgment or in the light and life made possible by grace.
So, if you are an inheritor of such grace… tell me… what is more worthy of your time, energy, money, thoughts, feelings, opinions, words, letters, emails, facebook posts, text messages, goings, doings, givings, teachings, lovings – Your very soul, heart, mind, and strength – your head your heart and your hands – Who, what, is more worthy to receive all of these… than our God?
May He receive the glory He is due from us. Amen.
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By Christopher FreemanTitle: Post Tenebras, Lux
Text: II Peter 1:1-2
FCF: We often struggle putting priority on serving our God.
Prop: Because God has given us all we need for life and godliness, we must build upon the faith we’ve received.
Scripture Intro:
[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 1.
The title of the sermon is not in a language that many of you may know. Perhaps I could ask someone who’s taken some Latin if he/she could translate for us. (Leland, Mallory). After darkness, light.
The significance of this phrase is multifaceted. As we’ll see today in foundations, this phrase, at least conceptually, is found in Isaiah 9. Matthew quotes this passage in chapter 4:16 of his gospel. Acts 26:18 references either this passage or Job’s expression that after the evening hope comes in the morning in Job 17:12. And Jesus reveals that He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but in light and life (John 8:12). So first this phrase is a biblical concept of darkness conveying a place in which someone is trapped. Enslaved. Unable to break free. Darkness is not something you can do anything about – you must simply wait for something outside yourself to change it. Like the coming of morning.
The reformers took this mantra to speak about the darkness that had come over the Roman Catholic church at that time. Not just darkness of sin practices, but even darkness of doctrinal confusion and digression.
This phrase aptly communicates the state of natural man before God acts to draw them to Himself. Before God gives the truth of Christ to anyone, they are hopelessly lost in darkness. It is one of the great metaphors of scripture describing the total inability of men to seek God. Afterall, how can you seek light when you are in utter darkness?
Today – we will see some of the inner workings of how God… turns on the light for His people. There is so much in these first two verses. Honestly I’ve cut so much from this sermon and even after typing this sentence, I realize I’m going to have to cut more.
So let’s dive in, I am in II Peter chapter 1. I’ll start reading in verse 1 from the NET. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1369 or in whatever version you prefer.
Transition:
As I said, lots to cover – you’ll need your thinking caps and probably steel toed boots. If you don’t get that joke… you will. Let’s go.
I.) Our faith is given from God through His Son, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received.
a. [Slide 2] 1 – From Simeon Peter,
i. The majority of manuscript evidence insists that this be Simeon and not Simon.
ii. Simeon would be the Hebrew spelling and Simon the Greek spelling.
iii. It is worth noting that every letter written in Peter’s name that has been proved to be a forgery is signed as being from either Peter or Simon Peter.
iv. So, in a subtle way, the very first word of this text indicates the authenticity that Peter wrote it.
v. But who is Simeon Peter?
b. [Slide 3] A slave
i. Any negative connotation of this term must be repudiated immediately.
ii. Peter does not say this to shock his readers, to call up negative feelings toward his position, or even to emphasize his unwillingness to be in this position.
iii. But we should also refrain from seeing this as a “bondservant” concept too. Certainly voluntarily choosing to enslave oneself to a master did exist in the Roman world – but it was not the norm.
iv. Further, the word here used is the word douloV or slave. And that word would not necessarily mean the bondservant relationship.
v. As we’ve pointed out before, the world of slavery in 1st century Rome is simply impossible to paint with a broad brush.
vi. More likely Peter is pointing to an older concept of slavery. Moses, David, and Elijah were all said to be servants or slaves of God.
vii. In this context a slave was not only the property of his master but also represented his master. So much so that to disrespect or ignore the slave is to do the same to the master.
viii. In other words, our 21st century western minds conjure up negative images when Peter calls himself a slave. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
ix. In fact, being a slave of Jesus Christ- would be quite a significant honor bump to him and any who would also be called a slave of Christ.
x. But not just a slave…
c. [Slide 4] And apostle of Jesus Christ
i. Peter is an apostle. A sent one.
ii. With this carries the full weight of authority to pass on doctrine and expect to be listened to and obeyed.
iii. He was taught by Christ, saw him resurrected, and was commissioned to go and establish the church.
iv. Peter taught at Pentecost – and his words were used by God to draw 3000 people to saving faith.
v. He performed signs, wonders, and miracles to authenticate the message he preached.
vi. It is with this position of gifted honor and authority that he writes to his audience.
vii. But to whom does he write?
d. [Slide 5] To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ
i. In this short phrase there are a few things we need to address.
1. First, Peter does not address his audience the way he did in I Peter.
a. If you remember he identified them as chosen exiles in the northern provinces of present-day Turkey.
b. In this letter Peter does not actually mention any specifics of his audience.
c. The closest he comes is in chapter 3 where he says he wrote a second time with the same purpose.
d. This, of course, assumes that the previous letter was I Peter, and that the audience was the same. Not a big leap, but not certainly something we know for certain. He could be referring to a letter that has been lost.
2. [Slide 6] Second, let’s look at the phrase “of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”
a. Does this mean “of our God and of our Savior Jesus Christ?” Meaning God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.
b. Or does this mean “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ?” Meaning that Jesus is both Savior and God.
c. There is a translation rule in Greek, which I won’t bog you down with, but essentially it means that in this particular case, this would be the second option. “of our God and Savior, namely, Jesus Christ.”
d. What is the significance of this statement?
e. This stands as one of the clearest statements in the whole New Testament of the divinity of Jesus.
f. Any theological system, belief, cult, religion that does not teach that Jesus was fully God and Man – two natures in one – as the early creeds confess – is unorthodox and should be rejected as false teaching.
g. Mormonism, Jehovah’s witnesses, and even present-day Jesuses that are stripped of divinity so that he is just a good teacher, prophet, miracle worker, or political activist – are false teachings and ought to be courageously and unashamedly labeled as heretical.
h. Jesus IS God. Amen?
3. [Slide 7] The final point we need to make before moving on, will unfortunately not be made completely obvious UNTIL we do move on. Nevertheless, we should point it out to help us as we move forward.
a. Peter is addressing his letter to a specific group of people.
b. That group of people is not defined by their location but rather by their identity.
c. Their identity has been gloriously affected by or through the righteousness of the Jesus their God and Savior.
d. But we must ask…
e. To which righteousness is Peter referring?
f. Is it his faithfulness? His justice? His goodness? His saving righteousness? All of these are appropriate definitions of the word “righteousness.”
ii. In order to answer that question, we need to pause our thoughts on this and keep reading.
e. [Slide 8] Have been granted a faith
i. Perhaps the first question needs to be, what does Peter mean by “faith” here?
1. Faith throughout the scriptures can speak of many different ideas, all of which are determined primarily by the context in which they are found.
2. [Slide 9] Faith can mean
a. A set of beliefs or received doctrinal truths
b. A personal trust
c. Faithfulness
3. We can see the interrelationship of each of these. In many ways not one of these can exist without the others. However, the particular nuance can be important for us to understand.
4. In the context of II Peter he often refers to knowledge of God and Christ, reminded truths, and adding to such knowledge with more knowledge and holiness.
5. So, with this context in mind, it seems that the faith to which Peter is referring has to do with the illumination of the truth of Christ and our dependance or clinging to that truth.
6. [Slide 10] Meaning it is a combination of 1 and 2, but mostly 2.
7. Taking this definition of the word faith will actually fit quite well to some of the themes that Peter wishes to develop throughout the letter.
8. [Slide 11] So, the faith that Peter talks about is the sudden awakening to the identity and work of Christ and our subsequent dependance on that revealed truth.
ii. [Slide 12] The second concept we must understand in this phrase is the word used here “have been granted.”
1. This word means to obtain by lot or to have assigned to you or to receive.
2. We can say you were given something or that you received a gift. One emphasizes the giver and the other the receiver.
3. This word serves to emphasize the giver not the receiver.
4. [Slide 13] One scholar wrote “… the attainment is not by one’s own exertions, but is like ripe fruit falling into one’s lap”
5. The NET actually does a great job by translating this - rather than receive – have been granted.
6. [Slide 14] In other words, the faith, or the awakening to truth and dependance on that truth, is something that fell into our lap. It was unforeseen. Even, to some degree, unexpected. And because it was unforeseen and unexpected, it was not by our own effort or exertion.
7. Faith – both the understanding of the truth of Christ and Him crucified and the personal trust in that for all hope – all of it is a gift given from God. And that gift comes through the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.
iii. [Slide 15] But what definition should we take of this “righteousness” in light of the definition of faith and receiving it through this righteousness?
1. As we saw it is “through” the righteousness of Christ that an understanding and dependance on who Christ is and what He’s done has fallen into our laps.
2. What kind of righteousness could make the fruit of faith fall to us? Is it Jesus’ moral excellence? Is it Jesus’ justice? Is it Jesus’ faithfulness? Is it Jesus’ saving righteousness?
3. [Slide 16] There are really only two positions that scholars take, but for reasons I will explain on Wednesday night at bible study, the only righteousness that makes sense in the context, would be the forensic or the imputed righteousness of Christ. His saving righteousness. What is this?
4. We divide these into two.
5. [Slide 17] His active and passive righteousness.
a. Active:
i. The fact that He did not sin. The fact that He fulfilled the law. The fact that Christ perfectly obeyed all of God’s moral expectations for men.
ii. The fact that Christ was a second Adam. The model human.
iii. He came and with the Spirit of God and the Father’s good pleasure and love – He did perfectly keep all that God commanded.
iv. Meeting in every way God’s covenant of works made by God with Adam.
v. Adam could not keep it -but Christ did.
vi. In the end, this is the righteousness that God will judge each of us by – and in the end all God’s people will be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of God because we have His righteousness.
b. Passive:
i. His passive righteousness is displayed in His obedience to the Father to go to the cross and suffer as though He had committed every single sin of His people.
ii. So in the end, not only are we judged according to the perfect and perpetual righteousness of Christ but we also we are judged without the total and complete unrighteousness of our sorry state.
6. So, this is the righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior.
7. This is actually summarized quite well in our NCC catechism questions #22 and #23
a. [Slide 18] #22 “Why must the Redeemer be truly Human?”
i. That in human nature, He might on our behalf, perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also, that He might sympathize with our weaknesses.
b. [Slide 19] #23 “Why must the Redeemer be truly God?”
i. That because of His divine nature His obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also, that He would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death.
8. But we are not quite done. How does this righteousness deliver to us… faith?
9. On this matter – it is very difficult to understand but think deeply with me as I read from John Gill.
a. [Slide 20] “…righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.”
b. What is John Gill saying?
c. Some weeks ago we discussed that when God justifies us, declares us righteous, though we be simultaneously sinner but declared righteous, this is an act that God does alone and it is based upon nothing we have done or will do. He simply does it.
d. My friends here is that teaching in black and white. The faith that has fallen in our laps. The illumination of Christ and our binding ourselves to Him comes through God applying Christ’s righteousness to us.
e. Like a rope fastened to a man dangling off a cliff. Faith is only given after it has been anchored to something solid. Further, faith is only as good as the thing to which it is anchored. And so certainly we believe that we are declared to be righteous by trusting in Christ alone. This is true. But simultaneously we must also believe that without Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, we would have no ability to believe.
f. Once again, the scriptures consistently emphasize, by the word faith, not our action or exertion in it, but rather the object of it. In other words our expressing faith is not the mechanism that secures our declared righteousness. Rather it is the fruit and proof that we have been declared righteous.
g. Is this not then… a precious faith.
h. A faith…
f. [Slide 21] Just as precious as ours.
i. The shift to a plural pronoun here has us wondering who is “us” and who is “you.” Peter compares the gifted faith of apostles to the gifted faith of his audience and shows that there is no difference. It is of equal quality, value, and worth.
ii. Just as Simeon Peter was granted the favorable honor of the status of slave…
iii. So, we are bound to Christ and found to have this granted or given faith.
iv. Peter’s faith is the same as ours… unearned, unsought, but sure and stable in the person and work of Christ.
v. This comes pretty heavy on the God sovereignty side. If you are waiting for the human responsibility side you’ll have to wait until next week – but let me just toss this in there to give you hope or clarity. Yes – humans still have a responsibility to believe and keep on believing.
vi. But we must not let that human responsibility remove or take away anything from what we’ve seen today.
vii. God applies the righteousness of Christ to a person and in so doing shakes the tree to drop faith in the lap of those to whom Christ’s righteousness is applied. So much so that they immediately grab hold of the Righteous One. For, indeed, as God has just revealed to them…they must. He is their only hope.
g. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: So, Peter wants to remind his readers that their faith is a gift given by God through Christ’s imputed righteousness to them. It is the same quality and the same essence of the faith the apostles received.
h. [Slide 23] Passage Application: There is no stated application to his audience as of yet. Nevertheless, perhaps the assurance of the quality of their gifted faith is to encourage them and bolster their resolve to cling to it all the more and even to, as he’ll get to soon, build upon it.
i. [Slide 24] Broader Biblical Truth: Zooming out to the rest of scripture it is clear that since natural man is described as a “child of wrath” “sons of disobedience” “of our Father the devil” of whom “none are righteous” and “none seek after God” is becomes abundantly clear that as Paul tells us, we need an alien righteousness. We need someone to take our place. The Old Testament is full of examples of men and women that were not good enough. They couldn’t follow God’s law well enough. Even the best of them could not measure up to God’s desire. Truly in Adam, all men are hopelessly lost and unable to please God. But as our new representative, as the ideal human, Jesus through keeping the whole law yet suffering as though He violated it in every point as we have, has both exchanged our infinite sin debt for His infinite righteous merit. We are declared to be righteous on His account and in this God gifts to us both truth and trust in His righteousness alone. Why alone? For we have no righteousness of our own to bring.
j. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Application: And in application we ought to cling to the preciousness of this faith. It is precious because it is a gift. But not just a gift, a gift from God. But not just a gift from God, but a gift from God secured in the active and passive righteousness of Jesus our God and Savior. Who took our place, bore our shame, suffered our wrath, and gave us His glory. That is the faith we have received. To Him be glory and power forever. Amen? And it is on this faith that we must continue to build for Him and His glory.
Transition:
[Slide 26(blank)] So God has given the righteousness of Christ to us and by this has dropped truth and trust in our laps. Because of this we ought to cling to and build on that faith. But what else has God given us to help us build upon our faith?
II.) Grace and peace are given by God, so we must build upon the faith we’ve received
a. [Slide 27] 2 – May grace and peace be lavished on you
i. Here are those theologically rich words again.
ii. What beauty is in the word grace. I hope that if you have been with us for any length of time that you have seen a renewed and deepened understanding of this word.
iii. Not simply God’s unearned favor. Not a bad definition. But it is just lacking. It is God’s power, God’s passion. God’s push, God’s pull to get us where He wants us.
iv. And peace. Not peace from problems, not peace from persecution, not peace from trials or tribulations… but first peace with God. Peace with a holy God who looks at us as sons and daughters. And second as peace in our souls. Peace and contentment. Resting in Him and His grace.
v. And may both of these be lavished. May they be poured over. May you be baptized in them. This is Peter’s wish.
vi. What a prayer.
vii. What will they need grace and peace for? What are they going to be doing?
b. [Slide 28] As you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!
i. Knowledge is a big concept in II Peter. Specifically, the knowledge of God.
ii. He prays that God’s grace and peace would be multiplied to them. The text does not actually say “as you grow” it simply says “in the knowledge of God…” But seeing that this is the purpose of grace and peace being multiplied, it follows that it is as we grow in that knowledge.
iii. But what do we mean by knowledge?
iv. Peter uses this term and another that are both translated knowledge, to convey a spiritual insight that manifests in outward change.
v. This knowledge translates into personal relational knowledge that transforms how we live.
vi. [Slide 29] Indeed, in Ephesians 4, the work of the ministry is the edification of the body of Christ. And the goal of that edification is to grow each other in the knowledge of Christ so that we become like Him.
vii. [Slide 30] My friends – the aim of the church – the aim of God’s people – is to know God, Christ, and the Spirit. And it requires your head, your heart, and your hands.
1. Head: Exploring God. You must grow in your understanding and knowledge of God.
a. First, you must know the gospel. You must know what the bible teaches about how God saves His people from their sin.
b. In many ways the gospel is very simple, but in other ways the gospel is quite complex. Know the gospel in all its complexities. If you want to put in theological terms – your soteriology ought to be pages not paragraphs.
c. But you cannot rest even on this knowledge of the gospel, but rather you must build upon it.
d. To not love the study of God is to not love God’s primary purpose for His people. To grow in knowledge of Him.
e. Your head must expand. And by this I don’t necessarily mean knowing all the theological jargon and what it means… but I do NECESSARILY mean the deep thoughts of all God has revealed about Himself through Christ.
f. In our culture we are obsessed with knowing the answers, but many times it is the right questions that allude us.
g. Too often we either google search the answer to find “what does the bible say about…”
h. Or we confine ourselves to a specific book in the bible without thinking about the rest of what God has revealed to us.
i. Rather than thinking deeply about the question of all that God is, we simply want someone to tell us what to think about who God is.
j. God didn’t write a systematic theology for us. He spoke through humans inspired to convey truth in their time about Himself and about themselves. But He did so in their time and in ways they could comprehend. But in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son.
k. This however, does not prove that systematizing God’s word is wrong. In fact, it proves that it is exactly what we must do if we are to truly know Him.
l. It is exactly what Jesus did with the 12 disciples on the road to Emmaus. He showed them how He was revealed in the Scriptures.
m. So, to know God’s grace – you must scour Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22.
n. Can you find His grace in Genesis 1? Oh yes. Abundant grace. But you can’t claim to understand it until you have seen it on every page and in every chapter. And even then – you have only scratched the surface!
o. To know His love. Same thing. To know His mercy, justice, wrath, holiness – all of these cannot be found in one book nor one internet search. To know God- you must seek Him as He has revealed Himself in this book.
p. And let me repeat myself ad nauseum. Stop doing google searches to find out what to believe about God… Stop doing google searches for all the ways to prove _______ doctrine wrong. You know what is great and terrible about google? You can find answers to support whatever you want to support. Or destroy whatever you want to destroy. But if you spent all your effort, rather than google searching, instead seeking the God of the universe in the only way He has given us to know Him… perhaps then you might know God.
q. My friends, if you do not desire to know God deeper and deeper still… than it is difficult to be certain that you have truly been regenerated.
2. Heart: But it is not enough to know Him. No, you must also delight in Him.
a. The knowledge of God must sink deep into your soul. Beyond your head.
b. The truth of His person must take hold of you – gripping you to your very core.
c. So that when you discover what God’s grace is – you are gripped by its power. When you know the love of God you are struck by its faithfulness. When you deepen in your understanding His holiness, you are cut to the heart, loathing every evil desire in you and pant after His cleansing.
d. It is not enough to know who God is. You must be radically and spiritually turned forever because of what you have been shown!
e. Can you truly know His holiness and walk away unaffected? Can your knowledge of His love be deep if you are not overwhelmed with its sweetness? Can you truly know grace without it bringing your heart to life? Without it turning its stony crags into flesh?
f. True knowledge of God leads to soul level affections.
g. To the extent that God becomes your one delight.
3. Hands: But it is not enough to know Him and delight in Him. For Jesus says that if you love me, you will keep my commandments.
a. To know Him and delight in Him is also to be changed by Him.
b. To know His grace is to act in obedience with it.
c. To know His glory is to rise up and sing praise.
d. To know His love is to display it to others whom He loves.
e. To know His Holiness is to violently and expeditiously kill off your sin without mercy and without regret.
4. To know Him is to Love Him. To Love Him is to Obey Him. To Obey Him is to glorify Him. To glorify Him is to make His name known.
5. Head. Heart. Hands. This is what it means to know God.
c. [Slide 31] Passage Truth: Peter hopes for his audience that the precious gifted faith that they have, If they truly have it, will be built on by grace and peace.
d. [Slide 32] Passage Application: And so, they must grow in the knowledge of God. The full knowledge. The rich knowledge. They must know God more with the grace and peace He provides.
e. [Slide 33] Broader Biblical Truth: We know from Scripture that although God does give grace and peace to the unbelieving world, it is grace with a small g. Peace with a small p. It is merely an expression of His character. He, not being like any other god, does not reign down fire and brimstone every time the world has earned it. If so, the world would have been destroyed long before Noah. Instead, God is a God of kindness. He offers grace to many. But to His elect. To those He loves, He gives greater grace. He has made a way for peace with them. He has lavished grace and peace on them and continues to do so. Indeed, that is why an assurance of a Christian is their gradual and growing righteousness before God. Because it proves that His Spirit is in them and working. So, if we truly have this gift of faith which God has given to us through the imputed righteousness of Christ, we will also have grace and peace lavished on us in order to build on our faith.
f. [Slide 34] Broader Biblical Application: Because we have been abundantly provided for with grace and peace – because God is faithful to those He loves – We can seek to grow in our knowledge of God the Father, Christ Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. And we must know Him not only with our heads, not only with our hearts, but with our hands too.
Conclusion:
[Slide 35(end)] In what has already been a doctrinally rich and applicationally heavy sermon, I won’t linger in concluding it.
Let me simply wrap it all together in a tight bow.
God will get glory from His people for what He has done in their lives.
He has, through Christ’s righteousness, declared sinners righteous, giving them spiritual sight to see the truth and to anchor themselves into it. He has given grace and peace and continues to lavish them upon His people. He has revealed Himself through many ages, through many people, Kings, prophets, shepherds, and in these last days God the Son. He has given us all we need and abundantly more than we could ever ask or seek awaits us in His coming Kingdom.
Now… doesn’t that sound like a God worth knowing?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth exploring?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth delighting in?
Doesn’t that sound like a God worth obeying?
The chief end of all men is to bring glory to God. And God is glorified by all men’s ends – in the fire of judgment or in the light and life made possible by grace.
So, if you are an inheritor of such grace… tell me… what is more worthy of your time, energy, money, thoughts, feelings, opinions, words, letters, emails, facebook posts, text messages, goings, doings, givings, teachings, lovings – Your very soul, heart, mind, and strength – your head your heart and your hands – Who, what, is more worthy to receive all of these… than our God?
May He receive the glory He is due from us. Amen.