Last week, we considered this great and this
glorious promise found in verse 8 of 2 Peter
that says, For if these qualities are yours and
are increasing, they render you neither useless
nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. We saw that there's a promise of
usefulness and fruitfulness in the Christian
life for those who are diligently pursuing and
walking in these qualities that Peter gives us
in verses 5 -7. This week we come to a warning
in the text. Not a promise, but a warning. for
the people of God, for professing Christians.
Now, the Bible is full of warnings. If we read
the Old Testament, especially the prophets, we'll
encounter warning after warning. Exhortation,
turn after exhortation. We'll see it over and
over and over. This is a good reminder that we
need the full counsel of God in our lives. We
need a well -rounded knowledge of the Word and
we need a well -rounded revelation. The Bible
has been given to us as a whole, singular deposit
of truth. And we need all of it for our up -building,
for our strengthening, for our assurance, for
our growth in grace. I think oftentimes our thinking
can get off if it's not regularly adjusted or
course corrected. Sometimes, brothers and sisters,
that adjustment and that correction comes by
way of promise. But other times, That adjustment
and that correction comes by way of warning or
exhortation like we have in the text today. In
God's eternal and good wisdom, he requires us
to hear the promises of God, but also to hear
his warnings. are necessary. Both are required
and both are edifying for our souls, brothers
and sisters. We must hear the promise of last
week of usefulness and fruitfulness. But listen,
Christian. You must also hear the warning of
the text today if you are to be a well -rounded
believer who... grows in godliness and grace
and their love for Christ. We need both. In some
ways, the reality that there are so many warnings
in Scripture, it reminds us of our sin. Everywhere
and all the time, the Bible assumes the sinfulness
of its readers. The fact that we are deceitful
even to ourselves because of the nature of our
hearts. It assumes presumptuous sins in the lives
of its readers. We need promises, but we need
warnings. I know with confidence that there are
people in this room that needed the promise from
last week and benefited from the promise last
week. But listen, brothers and sisters, I know
with confidence that there are people in this
room that need the warning from our text today.
They need to hear it. They need to open up their
ears and embrace the Word of God and to be transformed
and to be delivered from whatever it is that
they're struggling with, whatever it is that
they're facing, whatever sin they're wrestling
with. We need... Promises and we need warnings.
Today, in our text, we come to a time of warning.
So this week we're going to consider this somber
exhortation to professing Christians. Consider
first with me the nature of this somber warning.
When we come to verse 9, you'll notice that there's
a... There's a stark difference in the demeanor
of the verse. Everything in chapter 1 has been
overwhelmingly positive in 2 Peter so far. Do
this, be this, God has given this, God has done
this. But now we come to verse 9, and he says,
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or
short -sighted, having forgotten his purification.
from his former sins. Now, there's certain difficulties
in this text, and primarily because there's a
degree of uncertainty with regards to who Peter
is talking about. Is he talking about Christians
who are blind, short -sighted, and forgetful?
Or is he talking about non -believers who are
blind, short -sighted, and forgetful? Forgetful.
There's a certain ambiguity in the text, and
it seems that Peter leaves it open for either.
Whichever way you go, there's going to be difficulties
in the text. Now, part of this is resolved by
understanding that this is a warning that's hypothetical,
potential, and possible. We'll notice in the
text that, especially in verse 8, in verses 5
through 7 and 8, Peter's using you, you all,
your. But then when he gets to verse 9, he says,
for he who. Almost like this potential possible
situation. It's a warning and an exhortation.
He leaves it open. for Christian or non -Christian,
but they all fall under this category of professing
Christian. Now, in my mind, this is very, very
realistic. Do you know why, in my mind, this
is very realistic, brothers and sisters? Because
when we're dealing with people, things are not
always cut and dry. When we're dealing with people,
things are not always black and things are not
always white. Do you know why? Because people
are intricate. People are complex. And then you
add a sinful nature into that. You get all kinds
of disruptions in thinking. All kinds of disruptions
and desires and longings. People have a mind,
they have a soul, they have emotions, they have
a will, they have a body, they have morality,
a center of morality within them. And when you
add corruption into the midst of that, you get
all sorts of disruptions in that person, and
it becomes very, very complex. It's not just
here and there. And Peter knows this. But this
warning... is relevant for the most complex of
persons. This warning in verse 9 covers and encapsulates
every single type of person in the church. We
do know one thing with certainty about this text.
That thing is that he's speaking of professing
Christians. We know this because at the end of
verse 9, Peter says this, having forgotten his
purification from his former sins. Now why is
that important? Why is that significant, brothers
and sisters? Because it shows that he's dealing
with individuals who have claimed to have been
pardoned. He's dealing with individuals that
claim to be forgiven of their sins. He's dealing
with individuals who say that they've been washed
by the blood of Christ. He's dealing with individuals
who have made a profession of faith at some point
in time, verbally, but also, brothers and sisters,
most likely through baptism and identifying publicly
with Christ. He's talking about people who are
in the Christian community. He's talking about
people who know things about Christ. He's talking
about people who are around the church, who are
a part of the church. We're dealing with professing
Christians. Now the thing about that term is
this. It doesn't just refer to false. hypocritical
Christians who make a profession yet don't actually
possess Christ, it's actually dealing with genuine
Christians as well. Because everybody in the
church ought to be a professing Christian. Everybody
in the church are professors. Meaning, if you
are part of the church, you are professing to
know the Lord Jesus. You are professing to believe
certain realities and certain truths. But false
Christians who don't genuinely and truly know
the Lord Jesus Christ do the same thing. Even
if they're doing it maliciously or if they're
doing it under deceit, they're doing the same
thing. Everybody in the Christian church ought
to be professors. But listen, that does not mean
that everybody in the church actually possesses
Jesus Christ by faith. There's a big difference.
And everybody here knows that. The difference
is between heaven and hell. The difference is
between salvation. and damnation, brothers and
sisters. That's a chasm. Do you actually have
Christ by faith? Have you been born again and
transformed? Are you living a godly life unto
the glory of God? Do you know Him truly and genuinely?
Do you love Him? And do you know that He loves
you? That's the genuine Christian who professes
to know Jesus Christ. Or there can be the professing
Christian who knows the language and the lingo,
who's been around church, who knows the traditions,
who knows the right answers, can talk about theology
or doctrine, can talk about the confession, can
talk about church practices, can talk about morality
and ethics and how we ought to live and how we
ought not to live. But all the while, they don't
actually know Jesus Christ by... Even though
they profess to know Jesus Christ by faith. I
think this helps us understand some of the ambiguity
in the text. Some of the difficulties in the
text. Peter's giving a warning to this group,
this category of professing Christian. Now, we
must also consider what prompted Peter to give
this warning. What prompted him to give such
strong words? What prompted him to say, for he
who lacks these qualities is blind or short -sighted,
having forgotten his purification from his former
sins? It's the reality that he's been talking
about the importance of the abiding presence
and growth of these realities in verses 5 through
7. These qualities spoken of in 5 through 7.
Try to recall them in your mind as we've talked
about them, as we've reviewed them, as we've
looked at them over the last several weeks. These
qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self
-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love. Or, as we've referred to
them, the realities of godliness. In verse 5,
Peter gives the encouragement, applying all diligence
in your faith, supply. He's encouraging his readers
to activity, work, and labor, and diligence in
the pursuit of a godly life. He's exhorting them
to ensure that these characteristics and these
traits are a settled, permanent part of their
characters and their lives. He's showing them
the significance of these traits. And he gives
this glorious promise of usefulness and fruitfulness
in the Christian life. He wants them to know
the significance, the importance of these qualities
and these traits. And he says that he now must
show them that it's just as important, that it's
just as significant, if you are a professing
believer and these characteristics and these
traits are absent. There is a neglect in the
pursuit of holiness. There is a neglect in going
after godliness in these traits. There is a neglect
in seeking Knowledge and moral excellence in
the Christian life. It's not there. You don't
want it and you don't care and you don't desire
it. There is a neglect in the diligent pursuit
of brotherly kindness and godliness and perseverance
and love. Peter is saying, if you're a professing
believer, these things are important to have.
But listen, it's also a big deal if they're not
there. It's significant. It's meaningful if those
things are absent in your life. And he says that
if they're absent, there's actually great cause
for concern in your life. There's great cause.
There's great reason to be worried about the
condition of your soul. Listen, brothers and
sisters. Holiness of life. is a big deal for
the professing Christian. But for the professing
Christian, the absence of a holy life is a big
deal also. For one who claims Jesus Christ, for
one who claims the cross of Calvary and the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, for one who claims
the righteousness of Jesus Christ in justification
by faith. For one who claims the resurrection
and the power and the newness of life that comes
with union with Christ in His death and in His
resurrection, for one who claims that, yet to
lack and to have an absence of holiness in their
life, that's a frightful thing. That's an important
thing. That's a big thing for one who professes
to be indwelt by the divine. Holy Spirit of God,
yet not to seek out perseverance, knowledge,
moral excellence, greater faith, brotherly kindness,
and love? Brothers and sisters, that's cause
for great concern. That's cause to take inventory
of our hearts, of our minds, of our lives. We
should be alarmed. If there's that inconsistency
in our lives. We should be concerned and worried
about our souls if there's that inconsistency.
If it's present. How much greater concern for
those who are not simply lacking these qualities
yet, still living a moral life. But how much
greater concern for those who are professing
Christians, yet living in open, willing transgression
of God's law. Those people who profess to know
Christ, yet they willingly partake of that which
Christ died for. Those people... who transgressed
God's holy law freely while professing to love
Christ with their mouths. I'm reminded of Hebrews
10 .31. It is a terrifying thing to fall into
the hands of the living God. Brothers and sisters,
this is what prompted Peter's warning. Love for
the souls of those that he is writing to. He
cares about their eternal, never -dying, immortal
soul. He cares about the condition of their heart,
the condition of their lives, and he knows that
it's no small thing to profess Christ and to
neglect a godly life. Let's move on to another
consideration. The content of this warning. The
text reads, he who lacks these qualities is blind
or short -sighted, having forgotten his purification
from his former sins. Essentially, Peter is saying
this. If these qualities, these traits aren't
true of you. then here is what's true of you.
If these aren't true of you, then these are true
of you. He says that those who lack such qualities
are blind or nearsighted. He's most likely, when
he's doing this, when he says blind or nearsighted,
when he says nearsighted, he's saying this is
the kind of blindness you have. He's saying you're
blind and here's the kind of blindness you have.
You're nearsighted. It's actually where we get
the word myopic. The inability to see far away.
I know it's a disease. I don't know too much
about it. But it's also used in a metaphorical
sense for lack of discernment, lack of foresight,
lack of forward thinking, far off thinking. Peter's
saying that those who lack godliness in their
life yet profess to know Christ only see what's
directly in front of them. He's saying they're
ignorant of what comes after their sight. He's
saying that they're constrained, they're limited
in their sight to what's right here. To that
which is immediately affecting them. They don't
look beyond that. They can't see through that.
This word always, always has negative connotations.
Always. It has to do with ignorance, unbelief,
and slowness to understand and comprehend or
to grasp something. Professing Christians who
do not diligently seek after godliness, Peter
is saying that they are consumed with what is
right in front of them. They only focus on the
things which immediately concern them, worldly,
carnal, earthly, temporal, physical, material
realities, the things of this world that have
to do with them. I think Peter would agree with
me saying this. They're ultimately pragmatic
people. They have to deal with what they have
to do in life. They have to deal with the stuff
of life, with their lives and being successful,
and the things that really matter. Their focus
is on immediate circumstances, pleasures, indulgences,
and needs. If you look at 2 Peter 2, I think
Peter gives you a great example of what it looks
like to be nearsighted. Those people who enjoy
the things of the flesh with no thought to the
consequences of those actions. Things which are
only bound to this world. Consider what Paul
says. In 2 Corinthians 4, 17 -18, in contrast
to what Peter is saying, he says in 17 -18, For
momentary light affliction is producing for us
an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison,
while we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are temporal, but the things
which are not seen are eternal. Paul proclaims
loud and clear that he looks at far off, distant
realities, eternal, invisible, spiritual, promised
realities that are yet to come. He's not looking
at the things of this world, the earthly realities.
He's looking at far -off realities, distant realities.
Christians are called to be like those saints
of old in Hebrews chapter 11. Do you remember
the saints in Hebrews chapter 11? One of my favorite
chapters in the whole Bible, brothers and sisters.
These great and mighty examples of faith. These
men and women who suffered. These men and women
who were aliens in this world. They were pilgrims
in this world. But all the while, because of
their faith, they found approval and they were
pleasing to God. And they were looking to a reward
that was outside of this world. What were they
looking at? Where was their gaze? What were their
eyes set upon? Was it set upon earthly kingdoms?
Was it set upon earthly wealth? Was it set upon
earthly power? Was it set upon the things of
this world? No, brothers and sisters, it was
set on the promises of God. It was set upon far
off, distant, far away things. Christians are
those who make it clear that they are seeking
a country of their own that is a heavenly one.
They are those looking for the city which has
whose architect and builder is God. Brothers
and sisters, believers are those called to look
by faith at things not yet realized. Things which
are promised and not yet culminated. Things which
are to come at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The exhortation in this is to open our eyes,
isn't it? To peel off the scales and to look
at what we need to be looking, to set our gaze
on the things which we ought to be gazing. It's
the essence of short -sightedness and ignorance
to profess To have all these glorious gospel
promises. And to never look at them. To have
all these glorious promises by Christ. Every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ. Everything that we have in Christ. And
everything that is coming for the Christian.
And the new heavens and the new earth. A resurrected
body. And yet, all we do is look at the things
of this world. Sliding those eternal, invisible,
spiritual, and glorious realities. It's such
people. It's because of this that people do not
care for godliness. Because their focus and priority
is not eternal. Their focus and priority is here
and now, what's directly in front of me. Peter
says that this is true of you, professing Christian,
if you do not possess these qualities. He says
that this is true of you, professing Christian,
If you are not diligently pursuing, seeking,
and walking in these realities he's put forth
in verses 5 -7. He says that those who lack such
qualities are forgetful, not just blind or short
-sighted. They are not mindful or conscious of
the gospel and what Christ has done for them.
They don't see their need for repentance. They
don't see their need for forgiveness of sins.
They don't see their need for the blood of Christ
anymore. They're content with being mindful of
their own lives, their own circumstances, their
own needs, their own situations. The work of
Jesus Christ and the implications of his completed
work on the cross. It has no deep root in their
heart or in their mind. And do you know why?
Because there's no room. It's so full of weeds.
It's so full of everything that involves in this
life. It's so full of the things of this world
that there's no room for the things of Christ.
It's pushed out. These truths about Christ have
no room to blossom in their hearts because it's
always suffocated by the mindfulness of everything
else in their life. Peter says that this is true
of those individuals who don't walk and live
in godliness. We can start to get a picture and
get a sense of the portrait that Peter is painting,
can't we? The type of individual that he's painting.
A professing Christian who lacks these vital
qualities of holiness and godliness and heart
in life. And it demonstrates what they prioritize
and ultimately... value the most. Worldly things,
earthly things, not eternal, spiritual things,
not godliness. They care more for their well
-being and their present life, their income and
their status, their needs, their pleasure, their
standing with men. Then they do, they're never
dying eternal soul. Consider that. Think about
that. Never dying eternal soul, brothers and
sisters, or the things of this world. Which ought
we to value more? Which ought we to care more
about? Which ought to consume our minds and our
thoughts and our hearts? What ought to motivate
and drive and compel us? Which one? You can't
tell me that that's not messed up thinking. If
you value a home which is made of wood, that
can burn down and will never go into eternity,
more than your never dying immortal soul that
must stand before Jesus Christ and give an account.
If you care more about the pleasures of this
life than you do about pleasing Christ, is that
not messed up? Is that not backwards? That's
what sin does. It messes up our hearts. It messes
up our desires. It messes up our longings. It
makes us... Blind and nearsighted and forgetful,
brothers and sisters. Peter's writing to wake
up his readers. He's writing to shake them out
of the slumber that they are in. He knows it's
a dangerous game to play. And we ought to never
play games with our souls. God doesn't. He won't.
He never has and he never will, and you ought
not either. We ought to take these things serious.
This kind of person manifests their blindness,
and it works itself out in shallow, superficial,
ineffective, useless, unfruitful Christianity
that has no vital power, Or life. Peter says.
That if you are not. Diligently seeking. Desiring.
Pursuing. And walking in. These qualities. That
this is true. Of you. Professing Christian. Hear
the warning. Listen to what Peter is saying.
Consider your life. Consider your soul. Now,
why did Peter write this warning? Why is he giving
this warning to the people of God? Well, we've
already seen that it's because he loves them.
And we recognize that and we know that. So we
must conclude that this is a gracious, a merciful,
and a loving act on Peter's part. He warns them
because he loves them. It's gracious of God to
warn us of our sin and its consequences. This
is meant to bring men and women, professing Christians,
to a place of examination and repentance in their
lives. As we noted, and this is important, this
is a warning for the professing Christian. Who
is neglecting godliness or it's absent in their
life. It's not a settled, permanent, and growing
part of their character and of their life. Peter's
warning his beloved Christians, his beloved people,
because he knows and he understands that there
is an unbreakable bond. There is an unbreakable
connection and link between the work of Christ
on the cross and the possession and experience
of vital godliness in one's life. This is why
he brings up purification at the end of the verse.
Or we could say the forgiveness of sins. He's
bringing in the objective, completed work of
Christ and connecting it to vital godliness or
the absence thereof. Why is he doing that? Because
he's saying there's something much more deep.
There's something much deeper. There's something
much more serious that's going on beneath the
surface. This could point to, this could show
something much more significant. He knows that
there's this unbreakable link. Sin creates a
two -fold need in our lives, brothers and sisters,
with regards to redemption and salvation. The
first is the need for deliverance, forgiveness,
freedom from the guilt of sin. That's dealt with
on the cross. That's dealt with in the death
of Jesus Christ, in justification, and God declaring
us righteous in his sight. It's objective, it's
completed, it's done. It's outside and separate
from our experience. But there's another need
that's created because of sin. And that is for
cleansing from sin in us. That work is completed
in the sinner's life. That work is a gradual,
progressive, experiential work of renewal and
sanctification. Where we progressively are made
more like the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason I
say these two things is because Peter wants us
to understand this link, this bond between the
objective and completed work of Christ, the forgiveness
of sins, and vital godliness or the lack thereof.
It's important to understand, brothers and sisters,
that the work of Christ on the cross cannot be
disconnected from sanctification. The very reason
that Christ died on the cross was that we might
be sanctified and that we might be delivered
in the coming day. The work of Christ is made
effective in the life of the believer, in the
life of the sinner, when it's applied to them
in calling, regeneration, and Sanctification.
So the work of Christ that he's accomplished
in redemption is applied to the individual's
life in this capacity, in this way. The two can't
be torn apart. They can't be separated. It's
out of sanctification and calling and conversion
that godliness works itself out. It comes from,
it results from, it blossoms as a result of that
renewal, that sanctification, that transformation
that the Spirit of God works into us. So, it's
this. If Christ has forgiven you, Christ will
sanctify you. If Christ has justified you by
His righteousness, you will be taught to walk.
in practical righteousness in this life. If Christ
has died for you, you will be cleansed and purified
of sin, not wholly and not completely. Don't
hear me saying that. We will have a remnant of
sin in our lives all the days of our life until
our death. But you can't remove the subjective.
work of sanctification from the objective, completed
work of Christ on the cross and the forgiveness
of sins. So, why do I go down this road, brothers
and sisters? To show you that if you don't have
vital godliness in your life, it brings into
question the validity of your forgiveness of
sins. If you don't have vital godliness in your
life, it brings into question whether a true
work of grace has actually really taken place
in your soul. Because godliness is the fruit
and the result and the outcome of sanctification.
And sanctification is bound to Christ's work
on the cross. That's why this is so important.
Because there are eternal souls at stake and
Peter knows it. Peter knows that the presence
or absence of these qualities is evidence of
a work of grace or concern that no such work
has ever taken place. The warning is meant to
show man one of two things. This is for the professing
Christian. It's meant to show them either They
are a professing Christian who is backslidden
in the faith and in desperate need of repentance.
And if that is you today, listen, brother, listen,
sister, return to Christ. Give up the sin. Forsake
the pleasure. Forsake the bitterness. Forsake
the hatred and the envy. Give up the hardness
of heart. Give up the frustration. Give up the
pleasure and the love of self and return to your
Heavenly Father who still loves you with the
same love that He has for Jesus Christ. Give
up the things of this world and your affections
being set upon them and return to the Lord Jesus
Christ in repentance and faith. Plead with Him
for strength and life. and preservation, and
diligence, and power to walk in godliness and
holiness, to honor His name. That's one option.
What's the other option? What's the other potential
outcome for the professing believer who lacks
these qualities and has no vital godliness in
their life? That they are professing Christian
who is hypocritical. A false believer that has
never known the grace of God. If this is the
case, this individual is still in their sins
and under the wrath of the living God. They are
waiting for judgment and they ought to expect
a harsher judgment. Greater, more severe judgment.
Do you know why? Because of the knowledge of
the gospel that they possess and they have and
they have professed to known. You're either a
professing Christian and you're backslidden or
you're a professing Christian and you're no Christian
at all if you have no godliness in your life.
If you are a professing believer. and you're
sitting in the pew as a hypocrite, and you have
no desire, no longing, no interest in the things
of God, in the things of Christ, and these glorious
realities that He's described, that righteous
life in Matthew 5 -7, then listen. Run to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Flee from the wrath to come.
Turn from your sin now and look to the Lord Jesus
for life and power and godliness.