Bible Messages from the Kimberly Church of Christ

As we move through the qualities in 2 Peter 1, we see the next step from self-control - being able to apply the knowledge I have acquired concerning God's virtue, even when I don't want to do it - to steadfastness. We don't use that word often now, but it carries the idea with it of patience and joyful endurance. Steadfast people aren't dragged complaining all the way - they are committed to devoting themselves to the work of God every day. That obviously increases the difficulty of serving God; anyone can be righteous for a short time, but very few people are able to maintain their faith in God through all the difficulties, all the temptations, and all the distractions that come from a lifetime on Earth.

When trying to build on our steadfastness, there are four goals that can help us:
- Rely on God
- Rejoice in suffering
- Refocus regularly on our goal
- Reinforce each other in our faith and service

In John 12, Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem amid a furor, as John tells us that the people were still abuzz over the resurrection of Lazarus, which took place a short time before. So how does Jesus go from being hailed as a king to being tortured on a cross?

We see the discussion in this chapter as Jesus tells the people that he will draw all to him not through his earthly rule, but through being raised up on the cross. And the people ask "The scripture tells us that the messiah will abide forever. How can you say that the son of man must be lifted up? And who is the son of man?"

There are a number of ideas on what the term "son of man" indicates, but there are some ties to the book of Ezekiel, where the prophet is referred to exclusively as "son of man." And in the book of Ezekiel, we're struck by how Ezekiel is bound - figuratively and literally - as a humble servant of God who can speak only when God allows, go in and out only when God directs. This is the language Jesus uses throughout the book of John, where he says "I can only speak what the Father tells me."

Why does Peter arrange "self-control" after knowledge in his list of Christ-like characteristics in 2 Peter 1? Possibly because the next step after learning what to do or what not to do is developing the strength and will to actually put that knowledge into action.

How many times in our lives do we "know to do good (James 4:17)," and we don't do it? Or how many times do we give into the urge of the moment rather than looking at each individual temptation as a battle with my own body (1 Corinthians 9:27), seeking to bring it into subjection to the glory of Jesus Christ?

The Lord calls us to control ourselves in all aspects of our lives. That doesn't happen by accident; it requires me to see myself as a person with a purpose from God, not from my own desires. It means I approach my life with an eye toward discipline, thinking about the decisions I make, the activities in which I engage, the priorities I set in my life. Are they springing out of my faith in God and the knowledge of what God wants from me? Or are they springing from the impulses of the moment?

We aren't called to be perfect, but we are called to be a sanctified people. And like each of the graces that Peter mentions, self-control plays a vital part in making myself a man or woman set apart for God's use, not simply going through life serving myself or serving some worldly pursuit that takes me away from the tasks that God has given me to perform in this life, in anticipation of the life to come.

As Peter goes through a progression of faith in 2 Peter 1, Peter continues a progression beginning in faith, leading to virtue, and next from virtue to knowledge. It's a natural progression - if I desire to be virtuous as God is virtuous, I need to know how God defines "virtue!"

We have a tendency to settle on our own desires, our own impulses, our own opinions in deciding how God wants us to live, but virtue that is rooted in faith looks first and only to God for the pattern of virtue, and he then tries his best to conform to that pattern. And while we begin with a basic knowledge and understanding of the gospel, we are called by God to grow in knowledge and understanding, building a foundation for our faith.

Peter's writings warn about two primary threats to the Christians of that day - threats that are still valid today. He names first false teachers, and second "scoffers" - people who will ridicule the concepts taught in the Bible about preparing for judgment, living righteously in view of eternity. We can see clearly how a growth in knowledge would be vital in preparing for those obstacles, creating stability in ourselves and also in those that we have an opportunity to teach and encourage.

We are called throughout scripture not only to grow in knowledge, but also to be careful that we're growing from the word of God, not from our tradition, our preconceptions, or the influences of culture. And we're warned during that process of the danger that knowledge can pose, if I start to see knowledge as an end in itself - as opposed to a way to draw closer to God!

In 2 Peter 1, the apostle Peter describes the process of growth and maturation that should occur in Christians as they move beyond their initial toward maturity. Paul talks about the concept of pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call over in Philippians the third chapter, and here we see what that looks like.

Peter outlines the idea of building on our faith, and the first characteristic he lists is virtue. Ultimately, when we have faith in God, our faith drives us to trust that God is righteous, good, virtuous, and that I am not. Otherwise, there would be no need to come to God in the first place. For me to be like God, I need to conform myself not to my own concept of virtue, or to the world's concept of virtue, but to what God considers virtuous.

The idea of virtue in the general sense implies action - it includes an idea of morality that compels me to do good, to be pure in mind and in action. But the Bible calls us to be virtuous not for the sake of being good moral people, but because by allowing our faith to lead us to virtue, we in turn glorify God. The atheist will often argue that he is superior because he chooses to do good because he wants to do good, while the Christian is compelled to do good by his faith. And while that might make the atheist superior morally, it does not make him right with God. Because the purpose of God's calling is to create a people for his own possession that will do good works so that God, the creator, will be glorified.

As we start a series discussing 1 Peter 1, we look at Peter's basic premise for this book:

• God calls us to Him through His glory and virtue: We want to follow a God who is worthy of worship for His power and majesty, but also for his goodness. The true knowledge of these things inspires us to desire God's fellowship, His love, and most importantly, a place in His heavenly kingdom.
• God gives us everything we need to achieve that fellowship, through the word of God and the revealed pattern of Jesus Christ, who shows us the path to righteousness through faith. The gifts He gives us: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, will produce good works in us when cultivated, as we strive to conform ourselves to the image of Christ.
• God promises us that if we entrust our lives to Him, if we will show diligence in growth, then it is through those gifts that God will ensure our entrance into the eternal kingdom.

Do we think of the Christian life as ordinary? Certainly when the Bible calls us to live quiet, peaceful, sober lives, the tendency is to see those things as a negative. In the eyes of the world, we might consider that sort of life to be boring!

But for us to live as Christians in an ungodly world, our lives are anything but ordinary - and we can't expect to live as if we're just going through the motions from day to day living a life that is without examination, without meaning, without purpose. And while we may not exist to "live our best life" as the world sees it, seeking every opportunity for excess, to throw off restraint and live for the desires of the moment, a life in Christ is one that offers purpose even in the small things, the everyday decisions we make. Will we serve the Lord, or will we serve ourselves?

Today we talk about four areas for us to think about in trying to live a life of purpose in Christ:

• Setting goals and priorities to live as Christ
• Seeing my body and mind as tools to be mastered rather than masters to be followed
• Running my race with intent and purpose, not aimlessly
• Building my faith in an outcome greater than the temptation of the moment

Baptism does a number of things for us according to scripture. When we are baptized into Christ, we "put on" Christ. We are cleansed of our sins, united in the death of Christ with the promise of being united in his resurrection as well.

There are some additional things that we can infer from the command of baptism as well, because it requires some things of us. The majority of people in the religious world simply cannot accept the concept of baptism for the remission of sins because in their minds, it violates the concept of salvation by grace through faith, apart from works. Just as I might point to "proof texts such as 1 Peter 3:21 or Acts 2:38, they might point to passages like Romans 10 which talk about confession and belief, but not baptism.

It's important first of all to remember that the books of the New Testament were written to Christians, not to show them how to BECOME a Christian, but what to do now that they had become part of the Lord's body. Baptism is always discussed in retrospect - and that in and of itself tells us that baptism has lessons for us to learn as we meditate on why I came to Christ, why I submitted myself to baptism in the first place.

Submission to the command of baptism shows us three things:
1. Salvation is not subjective. Throughout scripture, we are warned that trusting in our emotions is a dangerous path that will lead us astray. "The heart is deceitful above all things," says Jeremiah 17:9. Jesus predicted that "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven. It's not just about a belief that I am saved - and in baptism, God provides us a way to conclusively respond to the message in faith, accepting the condition of God's grace, and then having a security that no matter what happens - no matter how I may struggle - I did what God commanded me to do and can be assured that He will do what He has promised.
2. Baptism teaches to trust God - Just as baptism requires me to submit to someone else, to be vulnerable, to be pushed under the water with the trust that the person will lift me back out, I trust God in the same way. Baptism as an act is worthless without faith - it requires me to obey a commandment from God that I may not fully understand, and may even conflict with the theology I have created in my mind.
3. Baptism is only the first step - In baptism, I put on the "new man" in Christ - and yet I still am tempted to sin, I still stumble. I haven't become stronger and more powerful to the point where sin isn't a struggle like it was before. I still am called to grow, to progress in my knowledge and faith in God. Knowing that God has sanctified me to good works, knowing that Jesus died so that I could live, the act of baptism into Christ is seen as the first in many acts of obedience to God's will, as I strive to draw closer to Him every day through faith and through obedience to His word.