WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:17.730 Last week, we considered the reality that Christians, 00:00:17.809 --> 00:00:23.850 that Peter's writing to, and Christians who know 00:00:23.850 --> 00:00:28.370 Christ, we considered the reality that all Christians 00:00:28.370 --> 00:00:36.950 have the same kind of faith. Saving, justifying 00:00:36.950 --> 00:00:41.920 faith. Faith of the same character, the same 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:45.200 nature. And some of the reasons that it's the 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.920 same is because true saving, justifying faith, 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:55.020 always shares the same object. It rests on the 00:00:55.020 --> 00:01:00.179 same thing. It receives the same realities. That 00:01:00.179 --> 00:01:03.820 faith that saves has the same object that it 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:07.870 believes upon, that it rests on. The Lord Jesus 00:01:07.870 --> 00:01:13.989 Christ, His gospel, His work, the cross, the 00:01:13.989 --> 00:01:18.150 atonement, the work of God in redemption. That's 00:01:18.150 --> 00:01:22.209 the object of the Christian's faith. But it's 00:01:22.209 --> 00:01:25.150 not just that we share the same object or that 00:01:25.150 --> 00:01:28.849 this faith is the same kind of faith. We also 00:01:28.849 --> 00:01:33.129 recognize that Christians who have justifying 00:01:33.129 --> 00:01:38.340 faith all share and partake and receive the same 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:43.260 privileges, the same blessings, the same benefits 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:49.439 from that salvation. So every believer who has 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:56.219 true, genuine faith in Christ receives the forgiveness 00:01:56.219 --> 00:02:01.159 of sins, the righteousness of Christ. They are 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:04.280 pardoned by the grace of God. They receive eternal 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:06.980 life. They are indwelt by the Spirit of God. 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.639 Every Christian receives these same privileges. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:16.240 So I want to encourage every believer here today 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:22.819 based on those truths that we studied last week. 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:28.419 If you have true, justifying faith in Christ, 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:34.460 then you have all of Christ for all of time, 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:41.539 regardless of the condition of your heart this 00:02:41.539 --> 00:02:45.740 morning. If you have true, justifying faith in 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:48.580 the Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters, 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:52.460 you have all of Christ's righteousness. It's 00:02:52.460 --> 00:02:55.740 all reckoned to your account. It's all yours. 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.919 You are justified. And made right in the sight 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:05.139 of God. Regardless of what you're struggling 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:10.199 with today. Regardless of what you're going through. 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:15.219 Regardless of what issues you face right now 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:18.860 at this moment in your faith. If you're in possession 00:03:18.860 --> 00:03:21.620 of that faith, you have all of Christ's righteousness. 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:24.580 And that means that you're standing before God 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:30.800 is settled. It's established. You are right in 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.039 His sight. There is therefore now no condemnation 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:40.539 for those in Christ Jesus. If you're here today 00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:45.680 and you have true, justifying faith, then that 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:51.680 means you have eternal life regardless of what 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.780 physical ailments or issues or physical trials. 00:03:56.729 --> 00:04:01.370 you might face. Brothers and sisters, we share 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:06.110 in, we partake in these glorious, saving, gracious 00:04:06.110 --> 00:04:11.669 realities regardless of the condition of our 00:04:11.669 --> 00:04:15.550 hearts, the situation in our lives. They're realities 00:04:15.550 --> 00:04:20.610 that we share and we partake in by faith as believers. 00:04:22.649 --> 00:04:27.620 But, These realities evidence and show something 00:04:27.620 --> 00:04:32.839 very, very clearly. That though Christians share 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:36.259 in these realities, though Christians have the 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:40.819 same kind of faith, we don't all have the exact 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:47.259 same experience in the Christian life of those 00:04:47.259 --> 00:04:51.100 glorious realities that we partake of by faith. 00:04:52.170 --> 00:04:56.829 There's a diversity of Christian experiences 00:04:56.829 --> 00:05:02.930 that we undergo as believers in this life, as 00:05:02.930 --> 00:05:07.589 those who have hearts that are deceitful, as 00:05:07.589 --> 00:05:11.029 those who have unique situations and troubles 00:05:11.029 --> 00:05:15.949 and trials. There's no uniform Christian experience 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:19.730 across the board. Though we take part in these 00:05:19.730 --> 00:05:22.699 grand realities, It's clear and obvious that 00:05:22.699 --> 00:05:26.500 some people have greater experiences of God's 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:29.939 grace and some people have lesser and more diminished 00:05:29.939 --> 00:05:33.399 experiences of those grace in their souls. Why 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:39.420 is this? How is that? Some people enjoy greater 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:42.439 and lesser assurance in their lives. Some people 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:46.259 experience lesser and greater joy and peace in 00:05:46.259 --> 00:05:48.660 their lives throughout different periods in their 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:52.649 life. Though we share a great deal in common 00:05:52.649 --> 00:05:55.829 in this life, brothers and sisters, we're all 00:05:55.829 --> 00:06:02.670 going to have unique Christian lives. Nobody's 00:06:02.670 --> 00:06:08.769 going to be just like everybody else. Peter understands 00:06:08.769 --> 00:06:13.589 this. This is why he writes to his recipients 00:06:13.589 --> 00:06:17.149 as those who are in possession of this same like 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:23.500 faith, but he says, Grace and peace be multiplied 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:30.519 to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:34.680 Lord. I want to consider two things this morning 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:38.259 with you brothers and sisters. I want to first 00:06:38.259 --> 00:06:41.660 consider the blessings to be multiplied. Grace 00:06:41.660 --> 00:06:46.560 and peace. But I also want to consider the means. 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:55.620 of these blessings being multiplied in the knowledge 00:06:55.620 --> 00:07:05.860 of God and of Jesus our Lord. So first, consider 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:09.560 these two blessings which Peter longs for and 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:14.100 he desires and he wishes and he expects to be 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:17.730 multiplied in the life of his Christian recipients. 00:07:18.350 --> 00:07:24.689 He first says, grace be multiplied to you in 00:07:24.689 --> 00:07:29.209 the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Peter 00:07:29.209 --> 00:07:35.089 really, really likes the word grace. He has an 00:07:35.089 --> 00:07:39.670 affinity for this word grace. I can't help but 00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:42.629 think that one of the reasons that Peter loves 00:07:42.629 --> 00:07:45.910 the word grace so much is because of how much 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:52.470 grace the Lord himself showed to him. I can't 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:57.550 help to think that his thinking of grace isn't 00:07:57.550 --> 00:08:00.610 connected to his recollections and his memories 00:08:00.610 --> 00:08:05.230 of the Lord Jesus Christ and how much grace and 00:08:05.230 --> 00:08:11.529 mercy the Lord Jesus showed to him. We read in 00:08:11.529 --> 00:08:18.480 1 Peter, Chapter 5, verse 10. He says, After 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.399 you have suffered for a little while, the God 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:26.300 of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:31.160 in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.879 and establish you. To him be dominion forever 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:39.860 and ever. Amen. Through Silvanus, our faithful 00:08:39.860 --> 00:08:43.460 brother, for so I regard him. I've written to 00:08:43.460 --> 00:08:46.720 you briefly, exhorting and testifying, listen 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:51.700 to this, that this is the true grace of God. 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:59.100 Stand firm in it. He reads, he writes in 1 Peter, 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:06.980 verse 1, or verse 3, he says, Blessed be the 00:09:06.980 --> 00:09:09.980 God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:13.360 according to his great mercy, has caused us to 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.700 be born again to a living hope through the resurrection 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:22.000 of Jesus Christ from the dead. He says in verse 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:28.039 2, May grace and peace be yours in the fullest 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:34.740 measure. Peter loves grace. What is he talking 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:38.980 about when he refers to grace? Well, I think 00:09:38.980 --> 00:09:42.320 he has to be talking... about the whole system 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:48.200 of salvation, this whole gracious redemption 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:55.159 that has saved his soul from wrath, from sin, 00:09:55.320 --> 00:10:02.240 and the effective working power of God by his 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:07.840 Spirit to change and transform those he has saved. 00:10:08.490 --> 00:10:10.710 He's got to be referring to the whole system 00:10:10.710 --> 00:10:14.970 of saving doctrine and truth of the gospel that 00:10:14.970 --> 00:10:18.509 is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's got 00:10:18.509 --> 00:10:21.730 to be talking about that, but he's also got to 00:10:21.730 --> 00:10:24.870 be talking about the fact that God works in him 00:10:24.870 --> 00:10:28.850 to change him and transform him, that his grace 00:10:28.850 --> 00:10:31.830 is effective in his life, like Paul talks about 00:10:31.830 --> 00:10:35.409 in 1 Corinthians 15, for his grace did not prevail 00:10:35.409 --> 00:10:40.240 toward me. Talking about the work of God in his 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:45.200 life, effectively working, effectively changing 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:50.200 him. He's got to be talking about the manifestations 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:57.259 of his grace in his life, such as peace and joy 00:10:57.259 --> 00:11:01.200 and contentment, steadfastness, perseverance, 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:04.879 these different ways. That grace makes itself 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.679 known in the life of God's people. The different 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:12.399 ways that God's work makes itself known in the 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:16.659 life of God's people. He's got to be referring 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:20.799 to faith and repentance, those blessed evangelical 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:25.419 gospel graces that God has given to us, that 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:28.519 God has graciously bestowed in our lives so that 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:32.259 we can trust Him, that God has provided us with 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:34.919 faith. He's got to be talking about the reality 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:37.659 that God has given us repentance and godly sorrow 00:11:37.659 --> 00:11:42.399 over our sin, brothers and sisters. And he has 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:46.259 to be talking about the reality that he wants 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:51.240 to have greater views and greater sights by faith 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:58.000 of that grace that God has bestowed on him. Peter's 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.340 got to be talking about all of these different 00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:04.480 things. But he's not just talking about grace, 00:12:04.500 --> 00:12:09.899 is he? He's also talking about, and he also desires 00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:12.879 and longs for this other blessing to be known 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.580 in greater degree in the life of the believers 00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:18.059 that he's writing to. What is that blessing? 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:25.659 It's peace. Grace and peace be multiplied. When 00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:28.379 he speaks of peace, I think we should just take 00:12:28.379 --> 00:12:33.600 that as The prosperity of soul and life that 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:38.879 comes as a result of God's grace working in our 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:45.360 life. So joy, satisfaction, fulfillment, all 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:49.340 the blessed things which flow from God's work 00:12:49.340 --> 00:12:55.220 in our lives. Now it's almost as though Peter 00:12:55.220 --> 00:12:59.799 is telling us that there's a relationship. between 00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:04.299 grace and peace in the life of these believers. 00:13:05.580 --> 00:13:12.059 He doesn't write, peace and grace be with you. 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:17.539 He writes, grace and peace be multiplied to you. 00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:22.340 And it's always in that order. He wants both 00:13:22.340 --> 00:13:26.179 of these blessings to increase and multiply and 00:13:26.179 --> 00:13:29.379 grow and to be known and experienced in greater 00:13:29.379 --> 00:13:32.019 ways in the lives of these believers. But it's 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:34.460 almost as though peace isn't going to grow and 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:37.919 multiply unless grace grows and multiplies in 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:44.559 the life of the believer. Can people enjoy peace 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:50.000 in their life if they've never experienced grace? 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:55.379 in their life? Brothers and sisters, can you 00:13:55.379 --> 00:13:59.340 experience peace with God and peace in your soul? 00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:03.399 Supernatural peace that surpasses knowledge and 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:07.419 understanding in your soul if you've never tasted 00:14:07.419 --> 00:14:14.360 of the grace of God? No, sir, you cannot. You 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:18.120 have no peace in your life if there's no grace 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:23.750 in your life. So peace and grace are related. 00:14:23.789 --> 00:14:27.009 They're connected. They move together. They work 00:14:27.009 --> 00:14:31.909 together. They cooperate. As one increases, the 00:14:31.909 --> 00:14:34.950 other will increase. There's a relationship. 00:14:35.950 --> 00:14:37.970 But I think there's one other thing that Peter 00:14:37.970 --> 00:14:41.710 wants us to be clear about in this text. And 00:14:41.710 --> 00:14:47.090 that is that these are both in the realm of Christian 00:14:47.090 --> 00:14:51.769 experience. These are both things that Christians, 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:57.669 by faith, enjoy and experience. So how does a 00:14:57.669 --> 00:15:02.330 believer enjoy and experience grace in their 00:15:02.330 --> 00:15:06.970 life? God, by His mighty, sovereign power working 00:15:06.970 --> 00:15:10.110 through the Spirit of God, works in us. That's 00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:14.330 His grace effectively working and changing in 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:17.929 us, brothers and sisters. Impacting us, influencing 00:15:17.929 --> 00:15:22.559 us. transforming us. That's in the realm of Christian 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:25.480 experience. We must experience that in our souls 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:29.960 if we are true, born -again believers. His work 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:34.120 in our lives. There's nothing purely theoretical 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:39.620 about God's grace for the believer. It comes 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:42.820 into the realm of Christian experience. But what 00:15:42.820 --> 00:15:47.159 about peace? This is the easy one, right? We 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:49.779 all know that... The peace he's speaking of is 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:52.919 peace that we need to be in possession of. Peace 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:56.080 that we need to know more of. Peace that we need 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:59.159 when things get hard. Peace that we need when 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:02.039 life is difficult. It's in the realm of Christian 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:04.460 experience. It's something that can be multiplied. 00:16:05.460 --> 00:16:08.100 Something that can be diminished. It's something 00:16:08.100 --> 00:16:11.000 that can change. Something that can fluctuate. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:15.960 Peter wants it to grow. Peter wants it to expand. 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:18.860 He wants it to increase. He wants it to blossom. 00:16:19.820 --> 00:16:23.960 And that's because it's in the realm of Christian 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:28.220 experience, brothers and sisters. Now knowing 00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:32.879 this, there are certain things that are implicit 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:40.659 in this greeting by the Apostle Peter. It's implied 00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:49.019 that all Christians True Christians have experienced 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:56.100 God's grace and enjoy peace to some degree and 00:16:56.100 --> 00:17:02.240 some measure in their life. Every single one. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:08.619 If a person is indwelt by the Spirit of God and 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:11.519 new life and new principles being implanted within 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.730 them and that rocky, stony heart, Has been taken 00:17:14.730 --> 00:17:16.970 out. And the heart of flesh has been put in them. 00:17:17.029 --> 00:17:19.509 A heart that loves the law of God. With the law 00:17:19.509 --> 00:17:22.690 of God written on it. A heart that walks in the 00:17:22.690 --> 00:17:27.109 precepts of the Lord. And his statutes. A heart 00:17:27.109 --> 00:17:29.670 that responds to the gospel. A heart that has 00:17:29.670 --> 00:17:33.369 its affection set on Christ. Brothers and sisters. 00:17:33.809 --> 00:17:40.430 That heart. Has experienced and known grace. 00:17:42.670 --> 00:17:44.990 And that's the reason it's the way that it is. 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:48.230 That's the reason that it does what it does. 00:17:48.809 --> 00:17:51.450 That's the reason that it feels what it feels. 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:56.349 Because of God's grace in it, working in it and 00:17:56.349 --> 00:18:01.670 upon it, changing the person. Every true Christian 00:18:01.670 --> 00:18:07.509 has experienced God's grace. Brothers and sisters, 00:18:07.589 --> 00:18:13.329 I don't want us to be fooled. Fooled. I don't 00:18:13.329 --> 00:18:16.509 want us to have the wool pulled over our eyes. 00:18:17.789 --> 00:18:23.730 You cannot be a Christian if the gospel has not 00:18:23.730 --> 00:18:30.230 broken into the experience of your life. You 00:18:30.230 --> 00:18:33.890 cannot be a Christian if Christ does not effect 00:18:33.890 --> 00:18:39.039 your heart. You cannot be a Christian, brothers 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.940 and sisters, if you never feel compelled to holiness 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:45.539 and godliness, if it doesn't touch and affect 00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:48.559 and change your desires and your longings, your 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.180 wants, your direction and your orientation in 00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:58.000 life. The gospel always breaks into our experience, 00:18:58.220 --> 00:19:02.339 into our souls, brothers and sisters. It changes 00:19:02.339 --> 00:19:06.880 the very core and being of who we are. That's 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:09.220 the nature of the gospel. It's transformative. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:12.660 Have you experienced the grace of God in your 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:17.259 life? Or is it just an idea that's far and distant 00:19:17.259 --> 00:19:20.920 and far off? They're all ideas and thoughts. 00:19:21.019 --> 00:19:23.240 It's all a part of tradition. It's all things 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.140 you've known about. It's like reading a book 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:28.940 about something. You know about it, but you don't 00:19:28.940 --> 00:19:33.740 know the thing itself. Brothers and sisters, 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.779 that's not true Christianity. That's not the 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:42.019 gospel, brothers and sisters. The true gospel 00:19:42.019 --> 00:19:48.259 and true Christianity always affects the person. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.799 It affects our experience in life. It breaks 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:00.200 in to Christian experience. It must. I don't 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.759 tell you that to be harsh and mean. I tell you 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:06.279 that, brothers and sisters. Because if Christianity 00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:09.339 and the gospel and Christ is purely theoretical, 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:13.259 it's purely a sense of the mind, it's purely 00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:19.920 intellectual, then I fear for your soul. Christ 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:27.000 changes us. He changes the core of who we are. 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:32.559 It affects our daily living, our daily experience, 00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:37.319 our daily life. So I don't say it to be harsh 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:40.220 and angry. I say it because I want you to be 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:43.980 saved and I want you to experience the grace 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:47.900 of God in your very soul so that you can be affected 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:54.519 by the living God, by His truth. This is implied 00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:58.650 in Peter's greeting. But it's also implied, brothers 00:20:58.650 --> 00:21:03.569 and sisters, that all Christians have varying 00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:09.170 experiences of that grace. If this grace can 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:13.710 be multiplied and increased, then does that not 00:21:13.710 --> 00:21:18.029 imply that every single reader and recipient 00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:22.140 that he's writing to has a different experience 00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:25.440 of that grace. There's not going to be a recipient 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:29.019 that Peter's writing to that has the exact same 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:33.859 experience of God's work in their life. You know 00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:38.579 why? Because we're all born again at different 00:21:38.579 --> 00:21:43.880 times. We're all going to be at different places, 00:21:43.900 --> 00:21:48.869 points, stages, and times in our life. sanctification. 00:21:50.549 --> 00:21:54.470 Nobody's the exact same. Everybody has a different 00:21:54.470 --> 00:21:58.049 personality. Everybody has a different providential 00:21:58.049 --> 00:22:01.349 situation. Brothers and sisters, everybody has 00:22:01.349 --> 00:22:04.529 different temptations and different trials and 00:22:04.529 --> 00:22:07.170 different struggles in their life. There's no 00:22:07.170 --> 00:22:12.490 two similar Christian experiences. Peter's telling 00:22:12.490 --> 00:22:16.759 us this in this. So that means that my Christian 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:19.819 experience is not going to look identical to 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:23.019 a brother or sister's Christian experience. And 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:27.160 that means that your Christian experience is 00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:30.619 not going to look just like everybody else's 00:22:30.619 --> 00:22:35.000 Christian experience. God did not make you just 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:40.000 like everybody else. He did not make me just 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:43.930 like everybody else. He did not make... another 00:22:43.930 --> 00:22:47.369 person like the other person. We're all different. 00:22:47.769 --> 00:22:51.069 Though His grace work in the life of believers 00:22:51.069 --> 00:22:54.930 through a same kind, a like precious faith, brothers 00:22:54.930 --> 00:23:00.190 and sisters, that work is going to produce varying 00:23:00.190 --> 00:23:03.569 effects in our souls at different rates and in 00:23:03.569 --> 00:23:07.970 different ways to varying degrees in our life. 00:23:08.609 --> 00:23:13.630 Now, that encourages us. To be very cautious 00:23:13.630 --> 00:23:20.869 about holding ourselves up as a standard for 00:23:20.869 --> 00:23:25.809 the Christian life. That cautions us from holding 00:23:25.809 --> 00:23:29.210 ourselves up as a standard for what somebody 00:23:29.210 --> 00:23:32.309 else's Christian life ought to look like. No, 00:23:32.329 --> 00:23:36.869 brothers and sisters. That's dependent on God's 00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:43.309 work in them. In their situation. In their life, 00:23:43.390 --> 00:23:50.349 are there universal truths? Yes. But brothers 00:23:50.349 --> 00:23:52.230 and sisters, we have to be very cautious about 00:23:52.230 --> 00:23:54.869 these things, but we also have to be very encouraged 00:23:54.869 --> 00:23:59.470 by these things. My Christian life is not going 00:23:59.470 --> 00:24:02.210 to look just like everybody else's Christian 00:24:02.210 --> 00:24:05.910 life. You're not going to be in the same place 00:24:05.910 --> 00:24:08.210 as everybody else, brothers and sisters, and 00:24:08.210 --> 00:24:10.150 that doesn't mean there's something wrong with 00:24:10.150 --> 00:24:14.960 you. We're different. God works in us by His 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:18.319 grace and by His mercy, by His Spirit and accompaniment 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.079 of His Word, brothers and sisters, but that work 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:24.599 is going to show itself in our lives in very 00:24:24.599 --> 00:24:31.019 different ways. Don't compare yourself to other 00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:33.380 Christians unless you're saying, I'm going to 00:24:33.380 --> 00:24:37.160 follow after them as far as they follow after 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:42.559 Christ. We're all different. We're all going 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:47.859 to have varying degrees where we experience and 00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:55.259 enjoy God's grace and his peace in our life. 00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:05.539 It's also implied in this text that every single 00:25:05.539 --> 00:25:12.869 Christian can in fact have a greater experience 00:25:12.869 --> 00:25:19.730 of God's grace and enjoy peace in greater measures 00:25:19.730 --> 00:25:24.789 in their life. If it can be expanded and multiplied 00:25:24.789 --> 00:25:29.210 and grown, brothers and sisters, that means that 00:25:29.210 --> 00:25:32.930 I always have room to grow into it. That means 00:25:32.930 --> 00:25:35.990 that you always have room to grow in grace and 00:25:35.990 --> 00:25:39.970 knowledge and the love of God. This is implicit 00:25:39.970 --> 00:25:45.190 in the text. There's nobody, nobody, who's a 00:25:45.190 --> 00:25:48.569 believer in Jesus Christ. There's nobody in this 00:25:48.569 --> 00:25:53.029 room who has reached a point and a place in Christian 00:25:53.029 --> 00:25:59.309 life where they are beyond growth. Every single 00:25:59.309 --> 00:26:04.890 person has growth ahead of them in this life, 00:26:04.970 --> 00:26:08.690 brothers and sisters. Grace and peace be multiplied 00:26:08.690 --> 00:26:18.130 to you. Everybody can experience further degrees, 00:26:18.569 --> 00:26:25.930 further manifestations of God's grace in our 00:26:25.930 --> 00:26:30.190 life. Brothers and sisters, do you want to know 00:26:30.190 --> 00:26:35.750 more of Christ? Do you want to know more of God's 00:26:35.750 --> 00:26:39.750 Spirit? Do you want to know more of the fruit 00:26:39.750 --> 00:26:42.650 of the Spirit? Do you want to know more of walking 00:26:42.650 --> 00:26:45.529 with God and having a sense of His presence in 00:26:45.529 --> 00:26:48.390 your life? Do you long for that in your very 00:26:48.390 --> 00:26:54.009 souls? You can have it. Grace and peace be multiplied. 00:26:55.450 --> 00:26:58.650 It's yours for the taking, brothers and sisters. 00:26:59.069 --> 00:27:02.500 Peter is greeting the readers with this. He's 00:27:02.500 --> 00:27:05.660 desiring, he's expecting, he's looking, he's 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:09.420 wanting this, he's longing this for his Christian 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:12.180 recipients. If you're a Christian, you can know 00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:16.000 Christ in greater and further ways. If you are 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.900 a believer in Jesus Christ, you can know godliness 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:21.660 and holiness in further and greater ways in your 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:24.779 life. You can honor Christ in further and greater 00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:29.160 ways in your life. There is more ahead of us. 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:34.720 Don't grow. settled and content with what you've 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:37.799 known in the past and what you're experiencing 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:41.839 by His grace now. Brothers and sisters, long 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:44.759 and seek and look for the work of God in our 00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:48.680 souls more and more and more. Stir up hunger 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:51.519 and longing and desire in your soul more and 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:55.039 more and more for these things. There's more 00:27:55.039 --> 00:28:00.279 of His grace to be known. By all of his people 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:07.000 who are in possession of saving faith. And this 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:14.259 ought to be the aim of every Christian. To grow 00:28:14.259 --> 00:28:23.380 in grace and peace. Every single believer ought 00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:28.220 to have This one grand design in their mind for 00:28:28.220 --> 00:28:35.519 their life. To grow in the grace of God. Is that 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:38.740 not what Peter wants for his readers here? To 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:44.160 know more of grace, to know more of peace. That 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:51.180 is the longing of every true believer. Every 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:55.980 person. that has been regenerated, and that is 00:28:55.980 --> 00:28:59.599 filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:08.019 of God, will have a desire and a longing for 00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:15.079 more holiness in their life. Why? Because the 00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:18.700 Spirit of God dwells within them. Because the 00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:22.339 seed of God has been implanted within them. Regeneration, 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:24.460 brothers and sisters. Their very natures have 00:29:24.460 --> 00:29:27.559 changed. And the Spirit of God dwells within 00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:32.299 them. Their affections are now toward holy things. 00:29:33.859 --> 00:29:39.579 Grace and peace. The work of God. His holiness 00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:45.579 and His righteousness. There's no true Christian. 00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:56.019 That does not desire to grow. Every true Christian 00:29:56.019 --> 00:30:04.160 desires to grow in grace. That is a universal 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:12.180 experience. Do you want to know Christ more? 00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:21.200 Are your affections on God? Is your life God 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.619 -worthy? Do you care about pleasing Him and honoring 00:30:26.619 --> 00:30:31.900 Him because He is worthy of it? Have you tasted 00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:34.920 and seen that the Lord is good and you want more? 00:30:36.500 --> 00:30:39.460 Brothers and sisters, that's a definitive mark 00:30:39.460 --> 00:30:44.190 of the true believer. To long for more grace 00:30:44.190 --> 00:30:47.069 and mercy because they know how desperately they 00:30:47.069 --> 00:30:53.829 need it. Christians are those who know they are 00:30:53.829 --> 00:30:58.089 sinners. And they know their brothers and sisters 00:30:58.089 --> 00:31:01.549 in Christ are sinners. And they know that they're 00:31:01.549 --> 00:31:06.450 failures. They know that they're frail. They 00:31:06.450 --> 00:31:09.089 know that they're weak. Christians are those 00:31:09.089 --> 00:31:11.430 who know that they need the grace of God. They 00:31:11.430 --> 00:31:13.710 know that God has been merciful to them because 00:31:13.710 --> 00:31:18.369 of their sin. And they are those who know that 00:31:18.369 --> 00:31:23.490 they must grow in grace and peace. They can't 00:31:23.490 --> 00:31:26.250 do it on themselves. They know they need the 00:31:26.250 --> 00:31:29.930 help of the Lord. So this all begs the question, 00:31:30.190 --> 00:31:39.440 how does the believer grow in grace? You hear 00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:45.799 all of this. How do you grow in grace and peace? 00:31:46.759 --> 00:31:51.519 How do you come to enjoy the grace of God and 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:54.640 further in greater ways? How is grace and peace 00:31:54.640 --> 00:32:00.400 multiplied in the life of the believer? How does 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:06.460 it grow? How does it thrive? How do we nourish? 00:32:06.829 --> 00:32:10.289 that in our lives. How do we seek that out? There's 00:32:10.289 --> 00:32:13.670 all kinds of wrong ways to do it. There's all 00:32:13.670 --> 00:32:17.829 kinds of bad ways to do it. I think there's two 00:32:17.829 --> 00:32:22.170 extremes that people go to. The one is complete 00:32:22.170 --> 00:32:27.490 inactivity. I don't do anything. I just sit back 00:32:27.490 --> 00:32:29.869 and throw my arms back and I pray that God deliver 00:32:29.869 --> 00:32:35.089 me from this sin. God help me. I can't do anything. 00:32:35.769 --> 00:32:38.009 God saved me from this. I can't do anything. 00:32:38.150 --> 00:32:42.450 I can't make myself do it. All I have to do is 00:32:42.450 --> 00:32:45.730 submit myself to God and he will take care of 00:32:45.730 --> 00:32:49.029 the rest. Because any activity, any work on my 00:32:49.029 --> 00:32:56.789 part would be carnal. So we just allot our inactivity 00:32:56.789 --> 00:33:00.130 and our passivity and our complacency spiritually 00:33:00.130 --> 00:33:05.309 to God. Why am I not growing? Because God hasn't 00:33:05.309 --> 00:33:08.950 delivered me. Why am I not overcoming this besetting 00:33:08.950 --> 00:33:12.289 sin that God is displeased with? Because He hasn't 00:33:12.289 --> 00:33:15.730 brought me out of it. Why am I dishonoring Him? 00:33:15.809 --> 00:33:20.849 Because He hasn't strengthened my faith. That's 00:33:20.849 --> 00:33:25.269 one extreme. The other extreme is saying that 00:33:25.269 --> 00:33:31.430 it's all about you. That I have to do everything. 00:33:32.750 --> 00:33:35.170 This is what Paul is addressing in Galatians 00:33:35.170 --> 00:33:39.309 chapter 2 and chapter 3. Where he talks about 00:33:39.309 --> 00:33:43.829 rebuilding the law. Have we started by faith? 00:33:44.269 --> 00:33:48.890 And now we're perfecting it by the law? By the 00:33:48.890 --> 00:33:52.750 flesh? Brothers and sisters, we have to remember 00:33:52.750 --> 00:33:58.589 that sanctification, just like justification, 00:33:59.089 --> 00:34:05.970 is by faith. We don't do nothing. That's not 00:34:05.970 --> 00:34:09.750 what the Bible teaches. And we don't do everything. 00:34:10.769 --> 00:34:14.329 We go down this middle path. And what is that 00:34:14.329 --> 00:34:20.010 path? Faith and obedience. We do everything that 00:34:20.010 --> 00:34:24.170 we can and we obey what we can. We pray and we 00:34:24.170 --> 00:34:27.010 ask for help. Brothers and sisters, if we are 00:34:27.010 --> 00:34:29.989 going to be justified, it's by faith. If we are 00:34:29.989 --> 00:34:32.369 going to be sanctified, listen brothers and sisters, 00:34:32.889 --> 00:34:35.070 if you are going to be sanctified in your life, 00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:37.570 if you are going to grow in the grace and peace 00:34:37.570 --> 00:34:41.730 of God, it's only going to be by that God -given, 00:34:41.750 --> 00:34:46.489 saving, justifying faith that He has given to 00:34:46.489 --> 00:34:51.369 you. Peter actually tells us quite clearly in 00:34:51.369 --> 00:34:56.170 the second half of this verse the means by which 00:34:56.170 --> 00:35:05.130 we grow. He tells us how we can obey, His command 00:35:05.130 --> 00:35:12.869 in 2 Peter 3, verse 18, where he says, You therefore, 00:35:12.869 --> 00:35:16.969 beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your 00:35:16.969 --> 00:35:19.630 guard so that you are not carried away by the 00:35:19.630 --> 00:35:22.630 error of unprincipled men and fall from your 00:35:22.630 --> 00:35:24.969 own steadfastness. But listen to what he says. 00:35:25.449 --> 00:35:30.590 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord 00:35:30.590 --> 00:35:35.639 and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's a command, brothers 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:39.360 and sisters, for every believer. To grow in the 00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:45.179 grace of Jesus Christ. So how do we do it? Peter 00:35:45.179 --> 00:35:47.500 tells us, and this leads us to the second thing 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:51.960 that we have to consider. The means of the blessings 00:35:51.960 --> 00:35:58.239 being multiplied. Peter says this. Grace and 00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:03.809 peace be multiplied to you in... the knowledge 00:36:03.809 --> 00:36:11.909 of God and of Jesus our Lord. That word in could 00:36:11.909 --> 00:36:17.230 also be translated through, meaning in or through 00:36:17.230 --> 00:36:24.269 the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. So 00:36:24.269 --> 00:36:27.889 these blessings are multiplied in or through 00:36:27.889 --> 00:36:35.340 the knowledge of God. Immediately, Peter introduces 00:36:35.340 --> 00:36:38.920 us to this connection, this correlation, between 00:36:38.920 --> 00:36:43.940 growth in grace and peace and growth in knowledge. 00:36:44.699 --> 00:36:49.420 These two things that work together. This is 00:36:49.420 --> 00:36:53.619 a regular theme throughout the epistles and especially 00:36:53.619 --> 00:36:58.940 in Paul's writings. Consider a few verses with 00:36:58.940 --> 00:37:05.070 me that correlate. Knowledge with growth in the 00:37:05.070 --> 00:37:08.449 Christian life. We read in Ephesians chapter 00:37:08.449 --> 00:37:14.909 1, verse 17, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:37:15.050 --> 00:37:18.329 the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit 00:37:18.329 --> 00:37:22.849 of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of 00:37:22.849 --> 00:37:28.230 Him. So how does this spirit of wisdom and revelation 00:37:28.230 --> 00:37:34.989 get cultivated? In the knowledge of God. We read 00:37:34.989 --> 00:37:42.650 in Philippians chapter 1, verse 9. And this I 00:37:42.650 --> 00:37:47.750 pray, that your love may abound, may grow, may 00:37:47.750 --> 00:37:50.929 increase, may be multiplied, brothers and sisters, 00:37:51.050 --> 00:37:57.389 still more and more. In real what? Knowledge 00:37:57.389 --> 00:38:02.739 in all things. Discernment. Again we find. This 00:38:02.739 --> 00:38:08.920 love. Increasing. Growing. In what garden brothers 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:13.239 and sisters. In what grounds. The knowledge of 00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:21.599 God. We read in Colossians. Chapter 1. Verses 00:38:21.599 --> 00:38:28.590 9 through 10. For this reason. Also. Since the 00:38:28.590 --> 00:38:32.650 day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray 00:38:32.650 --> 00:38:37.210 for you and to ask that you may be filled with 00:38:37.210 --> 00:38:40.329 the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom 00:38:40.329 --> 00:38:43.469 and understanding, so that you will walk in a 00:38:43.469 --> 00:38:45.889 manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all 00:38:45.889 --> 00:38:49.230 respects, bearing fruit in every good work and 00:38:49.230 --> 00:38:53.150 increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened 00:38:53.150 --> 00:38:56.789 with all power, according to His glorious might. 00:38:59.950 --> 00:39:06.309 Growth, steadfastness, power, vitality in the 00:39:06.309 --> 00:39:08.730 Christian life, health in the Christian life. 00:39:08.829 --> 00:39:14.590 Where does it flourish? Where does it grow and 00:39:14.590 --> 00:39:18.050 expand and multiply and go upward? Where does 00:39:18.050 --> 00:39:20.710 it progress and mature and develop, brothers 00:39:20.710 --> 00:39:26.269 and sisters? In the knowledge of God. Those are 00:39:26.269 --> 00:39:29.400 the grounds. where it grows, where it blossoms. 00:39:30.659 --> 00:39:38.300 It's a theme we see over and over and over. This 00:39:38.300 --> 00:39:43.099 is where transformation, this is where Christian 00:39:43.099 --> 00:39:52.099 growth and maturity grows. And knowing God as 00:39:52.099 --> 00:39:56.610 He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures, and 00:39:56.610 --> 00:39:59.389 in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:40:01.550 --> 00:40:05.210 If we want to grow in grace, and we want to enjoy 00:40:05.210 --> 00:40:08.909 peace in greater ways in our life, if we want 00:40:08.909 --> 00:40:13.389 to see the work of God bolstered, then brothers 00:40:13.389 --> 00:40:16.369 and sisters, we need to give ourselves to the 00:40:16.369 --> 00:40:23.469 knowledge of God. To knowing Him as He has revealed 00:40:23.469 --> 00:40:30.380 Himself. Is there a better topic? Listen, brothers 00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:34.460 and sisters, is there a greater storehouse of 00:40:34.460 --> 00:40:39.079 treasure and content that we can study, that 00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:42.199 we can consider, that we can meditate on, that 00:40:42.199 --> 00:40:45.320 we can dwell on in our lives, than the knowledge 00:40:45.320 --> 00:40:48.300 of the living God who has saved us from our sin 00:40:48.300 --> 00:40:53.639 in Christ? There's no better thing to place your 00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:56.579 mind on. There's no better thing, brothers and 00:40:56.579 --> 00:41:00.019 sisters, to set your mind on than the very things 00:41:00.019 --> 00:41:06.159 of God. If you want to grow in your life, then 00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:10.239 give yourself to knowing Him, to knowing Christ, 00:41:10.619 --> 00:41:13.659 to knowing who He is and what He's done. Brothers 00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:19.440 and sisters, read the book. Read the Bible. And 00:41:19.440 --> 00:41:22.599 consider the great and the mighty works of God. 00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:25.840 Consider what He has done. Have you considered 00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:30.940 how He delivered His people from Egypt? And the 00:41:30.940 --> 00:41:33.800 miracles and the mighty things that He worked 00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:36.579 and accomplished and He did that He brought about? 00:41:36.699 --> 00:41:40.079 Have you considered His provision for them in 00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:43.400 the wilderness? The parting of the Red Sea? Have 00:41:43.400 --> 00:41:45.769 you considered how the walls of Jericho fell 00:41:45.769 --> 00:41:50.929 flat to the ground by His sovereign power. Have 00:41:50.929 --> 00:41:54.010 you considered who He is and what He has done 00:41:54.010 --> 00:41:57.289 in the person and work of Jesus Christ? Calvary? 00:41:59.409 --> 00:42:01.409 Brothers and sisters, have you considered the 00:42:01.409 --> 00:42:05.949 blood of Christ? Set your mind on these things. 00:42:06.090 --> 00:42:08.809 Give yourself to these things. The knowledge 00:42:08.809 --> 00:42:13.400 of God. Who He is. What He's done. And as he's 00:42:13.400 --> 00:42:17.440 revealed in the person and the work of the Lord 00:42:17.440 --> 00:42:21.519 Jesus Christ. So these blessings are multiplied 00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:28.699 in or through the knowledge of God. Now it can't 00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:37.099 be mere head knowledge. It can't purely be intellectual 00:42:37.099 --> 00:42:43.230 content that Peter is talking about. Because 00:42:43.230 --> 00:42:50.010 it's possible for people to have a knowledge 00:42:50.010 --> 00:42:54.190 of the Bible as they have a knowledge of their 00:42:54.190 --> 00:43:00.690 physics textbook. It's possible for people to 00:43:00.690 --> 00:43:03.329 understand the things of God with their mind, 00:43:03.429 --> 00:43:07.510 yet never really understand God with their hearts. 00:43:09.449 --> 00:43:12.190 To have a true, deeper, spiritual, effective, 00:43:12.409 --> 00:43:17.010 transforming knowledge of God. So it has to be 00:43:17.010 --> 00:43:20.090 the knowledge of God that's deeper. There's something 00:43:20.090 --> 00:43:22.170 different about this knowledge that Peter's talking 00:43:22.170 --> 00:43:27.630 about. This knowledge does something to our very 00:43:27.630 --> 00:43:32.130 souls that it transforms us and changes us. It's 00:43:32.130 --> 00:43:38.369 not mere intellectual head knowledge. So what's 00:43:38.369 --> 00:43:41.190 he talking about? Well, he helps us in the second 00:43:41.190 --> 00:43:43.670 part of the verse. He says that these blessings 00:43:43.670 --> 00:43:46.989 aren't just multiplied in the general knowledge 00:43:46.989 --> 00:43:49.690 of God, but he says that these blessings are 00:43:49.690 --> 00:43:51.889 multiplied in or through the knowledge of God 00:43:51.889 --> 00:43:59.630 and of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And of Jesus, 00:43:59.949 --> 00:44:07.960 our Lord. So he's not simply talking about Head 00:44:07.960 --> 00:44:12.659 knowledge. He's talking about gospel knowledge. 00:44:13.780 --> 00:44:16.840 He's talking about the reality that somebody 00:44:16.840 --> 00:44:19.940 has to be in Christ and they have to be in possession 00:44:19.940 --> 00:44:25.119 of that God -given faith so that they can look 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:28.500 to God and they can seek to know God in and by 00:44:28.500 --> 00:44:33.099 and through faith. He's talking about the fact 00:44:33.099 --> 00:44:44.469 of gospel. Knowledge. Believers need to seek 00:44:44.469 --> 00:44:47.889 to know God. They need to give themselves to 00:44:47.889 --> 00:44:51.070 the knowledge of God. But brothers and sisters, 00:44:51.170 --> 00:44:53.949 the knowledge that we have and the knowledge 00:44:53.949 --> 00:44:59.409 that we gain concerning God and His Son, the 00:44:59.409 --> 00:45:01.530 knowledge we have from the Word of God, from 00:45:01.530 --> 00:45:04.409 His revelation, do you know what we have to do 00:45:04.409 --> 00:45:10.519 with it? We have to apply it to our lives. And 00:45:10.519 --> 00:45:14.420 we have to submit to Jesus Christ as we submit 00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:21.119 to His revelation as Lord. The knowledge we gain 00:45:21.119 --> 00:45:24.800 from the Word of God is useless to us if we do 00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:30.880 not submit to that knowledge. The knowledge that 00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:34.019 we gain from studying the Bible, from reading 00:45:34.019 --> 00:45:36.739 books, the knowledge that we gain about God and 00:45:36.739 --> 00:45:38.760 who He is and what He's done, it's pointless 00:45:38.760 --> 00:45:42.219 and vain if we don't give our lives to submitting 00:45:42.219 --> 00:45:44.539 to it and living in accordance with that knowledge 00:45:44.539 --> 00:45:48.039 and applying it to our situations and our lives 00:45:48.039 --> 00:45:52.860 by faith. Head knowledge is useless, but head 00:45:52.860 --> 00:45:55.000 knowledge is where it starts, and that knowledge 00:45:55.000 --> 00:45:57.840 has to make its way to our hearts in obedience 00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:01.800 and faith. I fear there are many, many people 00:46:01.800 --> 00:46:08.719 who know a great deal about Christianity. I fear, 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:10.619 brothers and sisters, that there are many, many 00:46:10.619 --> 00:46:12.659 people who have been raised in the church, who 00:46:12.659 --> 00:46:14.800 have grown up in the church, and they know about 00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:16.679 Christ, they know about God, they know about 00:46:16.679 --> 00:46:18.400 the world. They could tell you all the Bible 00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:23.500 quiz questions there are. But their hearts are 00:46:23.500 --> 00:46:26.880 not in submission to Jesus Christ as Lord, and 00:46:26.880 --> 00:46:30.869 their hearts are in rebellion. to His revelation. 00:46:33.230 --> 00:46:38.869 Therefore, they will not grow in the grace and 00:46:38.869 --> 00:46:45.329 peace of God. But if we give ourselves to the 00:46:45.329 --> 00:46:49.210 knowledge of God, and we take that knowledge 00:46:49.210 --> 00:46:53.130 and we apply it to our situations and our lives, 00:46:53.250 --> 00:46:55.909 what we know about Him and who He is in every 00:46:55.909 --> 00:47:01.340 situation, and we apply it, And we live by faith 00:47:01.340 --> 00:47:04.699 according to what he's revealed. That knowledge, 00:47:04.780 --> 00:47:10.219 brothers and sisters, will transform our souls. 00:47:11.639 --> 00:47:16.079 That knowledge will affect us. The Spirit of 00:47:16.079 --> 00:47:20.079 God will work in us and through us, transforming 00:47:20.079 --> 00:47:23.739 us. And how do we do these things? By faith. 00:47:24.539 --> 00:47:31.679 In 2 Corinthians chapter 3. If you recall, Paul 00:47:31.679 --> 00:47:35.719 is talking about Moses and the veil and glory 00:47:35.719 --> 00:47:37.900 and the old covenant. And he's talking about 00:47:37.900 --> 00:47:41.260 the new covenant. And then he talks about how 00:47:41.260 --> 00:47:44.739 new covenant people who have the Spirit of God 00:47:44.739 --> 00:47:49.489 are an unveiled people. He talks about the fact 00:47:49.489 --> 00:47:51.969 that the veil has been removed when they turned 00:47:51.969 --> 00:47:54.409 to the Lord. The veil has been taken away. And 00:47:54.409 --> 00:47:56.849 then he talks about how they're transformed into 00:47:56.849 --> 00:48:00.809 one image, the same image, Jesus Christ. But 00:48:00.809 --> 00:48:03.730 they're transformed from glory to glory. How? 00:48:04.250 --> 00:48:10.389 And by what? By beholding the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:48:11.570 --> 00:48:15.409 By beholding him. What is the beholding? It's 00:48:15.409 --> 00:48:20.329 faith. It's looking at Christ in the Gospel, 00:48:20.489 --> 00:48:25.030 in the Scriptures. And as we gaze at Christ by 00:48:25.030 --> 00:48:27.690 faith in the Scriptures, as He's made known, 00:48:28.010 --> 00:48:31.730 do you know what happens? Do you know what God 00:48:31.730 --> 00:48:34.690 does through His Spirit? Brothers and sisters, 00:48:34.789 --> 00:48:37.730 He transforms us from glory to glory. In chapter 00:48:37.730 --> 00:48:40.730 4, He talks about how we're renewed inwardly, 00:48:40.730 --> 00:48:46.260 day by day. He transforms us. He changes us. 00:48:46.300 --> 00:48:54.840 He sanctifies us. He renews us. He grows us in 00:48:54.840 --> 00:49:00.500 grace and the enjoyment of peace in our lives. 00:49:00.800 --> 00:49:04.119 So if you're here today and you're a true born 00:49:04.119 --> 00:49:07.619 -again believer and you want to grow in grace, 00:49:08.650 --> 00:49:11.429 and you want to enjoy peace in greater ways and 00:49:11.429 --> 00:49:13.610 greater measures and greater degrees in your 00:49:13.610 --> 00:49:18.730 life, do you know what you need to do? Do you 00:49:18.730 --> 00:49:22.269 know what you need to do? You need to give yourself 00:49:22.269 --> 00:49:25.110 to the knowledge of God and submit yourself to 00:49:25.110 --> 00:49:27.750 Jesus Christ as Lord, and you need to apply the 00:49:27.750 --> 00:49:30.389 knowledge you have gained, the knowledge you 00:49:30.389 --> 00:49:36.449 have, to your life and your situation. That means... 00:49:37.099 --> 00:49:40.440 Now you go to the Word of God. And if you want 00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:43.679 to live by faith in your marriage, you know what 00:49:43.679 --> 00:49:47.320 you do? You go to the Word of God. You ask God 00:49:47.320 --> 00:49:50.039 for help. And you say, Lord, teach me. Help me 00:49:50.039 --> 00:49:52.139 to understand what you teach about marriage. 00:49:53.199 --> 00:49:55.519 You study the Scriptures. You see what this Scripture 00:49:55.519 --> 00:49:57.659 says. And you see what this Scripture says. And 00:49:57.659 --> 00:49:59.900 you find the principles. You take all of those 00:49:59.900 --> 00:50:01.760 texts and you draw out the principles of it, 00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:04.079 the teachings of it. And then what do you do? 00:50:04.760 --> 00:50:08.139 You take that knowledge. And you apply it to 00:50:08.139 --> 00:50:13.619 your life and you live in like manner. And whenever 00:50:13.619 --> 00:50:17.820 the carnal and the fleshly desires pop up, whenever 00:50:17.820 --> 00:50:22.980 the flesh seeks to rebel against God, you submit 00:50:22.980 --> 00:50:27.619 to Christ because He's Lord. Do you know what 00:50:27.619 --> 00:50:34.860 we call that? Living by faith. You apply what 00:50:34.860 --> 00:50:39.550 you know about... God. Give yourselves to reading 00:50:39.550 --> 00:50:42.750 your Bibles, brothers and sisters. We live and 00:50:42.750 --> 00:50:49.510 die by the Word of God. Take time to be with 00:50:49.510 --> 00:50:55.849 God. To seek Him out. Give yourself to good books. 00:50:56.929 --> 00:50:59.190 Give yourself to discussions where the knowledge 00:50:59.190 --> 00:51:05.130 of God is on display and actively at work. There's 00:51:05.130 --> 00:51:07.920 a tendency. When people are talking about the 00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:12.980 things of God. For certain individuals. All over 00:51:12.980 --> 00:51:17.860 the place. To hear what's taking place. And to 00:51:17.860 --> 00:51:21.699 remove themselves. To a more practical. More 00:51:21.699 --> 00:51:26.900 pleasurable. Or an easier discussion. But brothers 00:51:26.900 --> 00:51:30.000 and sisters listen. You know what's good for 00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:33.059 your soul? You know what's good for your heart? 00:51:33.820 --> 00:51:39.039 The knowledge of God. Give yourselves to learning 00:51:39.039 --> 00:51:42.579 about who Christ is. About what God has done 00:51:42.579 --> 00:51:49.800 for us. God has saved our sins. Saved us from 00:51:49.800 --> 00:51:53.920 our sins. He saved us from His wrath. He saved 00:51:53.920 --> 00:51:58.500 us from hell. He has given us everything that 00:51:58.500 --> 00:52:02.349 God can give. He has been abundantly merciful. 00:52:02.590 --> 00:52:05.690 He has given us every spiritual blessing in the 00:52:05.690 --> 00:52:10.869 heavenly places. Learn about that God who has 00:52:10.869 --> 00:52:14.309 been so gracious in Christ. Learn about that 00:52:14.309 --> 00:52:17.130 God who has been so merciful to you and your 00:52:17.130 --> 00:52:20.750 soul. The God who will guide you unto death and 00:52:20.750 --> 00:52:23.750 even beyond the grave. The God who will raise 00:52:23.750 --> 00:52:26.269 you in glory. Study and give yourself to that 00:52:26.269 --> 00:52:28.570 God. Learn about Him. Praise Him and worship 00:52:28.570 --> 00:52:34.460 Him as a result of That study. And obey and submit 00:52:34.460 --> 00:52:40.099 to those glorious realities. Put down the flesh. 00:52:40.219 --> 00:52:44.739 Mortify sin and the lust of the flesh. Love God 00:52:44.739 --> 00:52:51.159 more than people you shouldn't be loving. Set 00:52:51.159 --> 00:52:56.139 your affections on Him. Choose Him in every situation, 00:52:56.239 --> 00:53:00.440 in every way, in everything. Brothers and sisters, 00:53:00.619 --> 00:53:06.400 it's faith and obedience. There's a real danger. 00:53:06.820 --> 00:53:11.420 We have to understand this. There's a real danger 00:53:11.420 --> 00:53:22.619 in always learning and never applying and never 00:53:22.619 --> 00:53:30.320 submitting. That's a real danger. Because that 00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:34.139 says something about your heart. That says something 00:53:34.139 --> 00:53:37.559 about your soul. Are you taking in information? 00:53:38.820 --> 00:53:43.360 Are you learning about who God is? Yet you're 00:53:43.360 --> 00:53:46.239 unwilling to submit to those glorious realities 00:53:46.239 --> 00:53:49.519 in your heart. That's a dangerous place to be, 00:53:49.579 --> 00:53:53.199 brothers and sisters. It's a scary place to be. 00:53:55.139 --> 00:54:01.480 We must learn. and live by faith, and submit 00:54:01.480 --> 00:54:07.599 to Christ as Lord. And don't ever forget that 00:54:07.599 --> 00:54:12.920 our peace in life is bound up with our knowledge 00:54:12.920 --> 00:54:19.179 of God and our submission to Him. It's not just 00:54:19.179 --> 00:54:24.179 grace. Remember, it's the enjoyment of peace 00:54:24.179 --> 00:54:31.909 in our life as well. I dare say, That those who 00:54:31.909 --> 00:54:34.469 are bitter and angry and frustrated in life, 00:54:34.610 --> 00:54:39.610 that those who have tumult in their soul, and 00:54:39.610 --> 00:54:43.590 those who are discontent and angry in life, those 00:54:43.590 --> 00:54:47.409 who are miserable in circumstances, brothers 00:54:47.409 --> 00:54:52.250 and sisters, one of two things. They're not growing 00:54:52.250 --> 00:54:57.159 in their knowledge of God. Or they're not submitting 00:54:57.159 --> 00:55:01.840 to Christ as Lord in their life. But listen, 00:55:01.960 --> 00:55:08.860 if we give ourselves to growing in the knowledge 00:55:08.860 --> 00:55:13.659 of God, and we are actively submitting our lives, 00:55:13.719 --> 00:55:16.079 our hearts, and our souls to the risen Lord Jesus 00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:21.280 who died for us and gave Himself for us, then 00:55:21.280 --> 00:55:23.539 brothers and sisters, the Spirit of God will 00:55:23.539 --> 00:55:27.340 cause your soul to flourish. The Spirit of God 00:55:27.340 --> 00:55:30.159 will cause your soul to grow and multiply in 00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:34.280 grace and peace. And you will enjoy a greater 00:55:34.280 --> 00:55:37.159 measure of peace in your life. You will enjoy 00:55:37.159 --> 00:55:39.940 a greater degree of peace in your circumstances. 00:55:40.500 --> 00:55:43.980 You will have more joy and more contentment and 00:55:43.980 --> 00:55:46.900 more fulfillment and more satisfaction in Christ. 00:55:48.300 --> 00:55:51.139 But brothers and sisters, we have to submit and 00:55:51.139 --> 00:55:53.599 we have to grow in the knowledge of the Lord 00:55:53.599 --> 00:55:57.940 Jesus. So we've considered the blessings that 00:55:57.940 --> 00:56:00.480 are to be multiplied and we've considered the 00:56:00.480 --> 00:56:03.659 means of these blessings being multiplied.