WEBVTT 00:00:10.250 --> 00:00:16.489 Last week we spoke of the doctrine of assurance 00:00:16.489 --> 00:00:23.190 and its relationship with godliness. This week 00:00:23.190 --> 00:00:28.769 we speak of the doctrine of perseverance and 00:00:28.769 --> 00:00:34.509 its relationship with godliness in the life of 00:00:34.509 --> 00:00:38.119 the believer. Now I think it's important... Sometimes 00:00:38.119 --> 00:00:42.280 when we're doing consecutive exposition and we're 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:45.020 honing down on single verses or a couple verses 00:00:45.020 --> 00:00:48.200 here and there, it's important that we remind 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:52.719 ourselves of the surrounding context and that 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:57.200 we remember the reason that Peter is writing, 00:00:57.420 --> 00:01:01.619 what he's addressing, the issues he's dealing 00:01:01.619 --> 00:01:03.700 with. So there's a few things I think it's important 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:07.769 that we remind ourselves of this morning. as 00:01:07.769 --> 00:01:15.310 we focus on verse 10, where Peter says, Therefore, 00:01:15.409 --> 00:01:19.010 brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain 00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:21.090 about his calling and choosing you. And then 00:01:21.090 --> 00:01:24.049 here's the part of the verse we're going to focus 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:28.370 on today. For as long as you practice these things, 00:01:28.689 --> 00:01:33.730 you will never stumble. So before we jump into 00:01:33.730 --> 00:01:36.310 that text, let's remind ourselves of a few things. 00:01:37.230 --> 00:01:40.629 with reference to what Peter is addressing in 00:01:40.629 --> 00:01:46.750 the life of the church in 2 Peter. He's writing 00:01:46.750 --> 00:01:51.090 to address specific issues that the church was 00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:54.629 facing. We have to remind ourselves of the dangers 00:01:54.629 --> 00:01:59.930 that Peter's recipients faced. There was real 00:01:59.930 --> 00:02:06.340 threats to the church in Peter's letter. There 00:02:06.340 --> 00:02:09.740 were real threats to the church that Peter was 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:12.539 writing to. And one of the biggest threats, the 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:15.759 most significant threats that Peter was writing 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:20.659 to address was this, false teachers. We read 00:02:20.659 --> 00:02:23.520 in chapter 2, verse 1, but false prophets also 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:28.060 arose among the people, just as there will also 00:02:28.060 --> 00:02:32.939 be false teachers among you. Seemingly, many 00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:36.530 of these false teachers, were professing Christians 00:02:36.530 --> 00:02:41.349 who had departed or fallen away from the Christian 00:02:41.349 --> 00:02:49.169 faith. We read in 2 Peter 2, verses 14 -15, having 00:02:49.169 --> 00:02:53.270 eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, 00:02:53.509 --> 00:02:57.930 enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained 00:02:57.930 --> 00:03:02.789 in greed, accursed children, forsaking the right 00:03:02.789 --> 00:03:08.000 way. They have gone astray, having followed the 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.020 way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:16.759 wages of unrighteousness. They've forsaken the 00:03:16.759 --> 00:03:22.419 faith. They've departed the faith. And he goes 00:03:22.419 --> 00:03:27.099 on, and he says a little bit later in verses 00:03:27.099 --> 00:03:32.150 20 -22. For if after they have escaped the defilements 00:03:32.150 --> 00:03:39.169 of the world by the knowledge of the Lord, by 00:03:39.169 --> 00:03:49.930 the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 00:03:50.189 --> 00:03:54.150 they are again entangled in them and overcome 00:03:54.150 --> 00:04:00.300 the last... has become worse for them than the 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:03.819 first. For it would be better for them not to 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:06.939 have known the way of righteousness than having 00:04:06.939 --> 00:04:10.300 known it to turn away from the holy commandment 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:14.539 handed on to them. It has happened to them, according 00:04:14.539 --> 00:04:18.019 to the true proverb, a dog returns to its own 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:23.199 vomit, and a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:28.740 in the mire. The church was witnessing these 00:04:28.740 --> 00:04:33.720 events take place. False teachers were a danger 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:40.319 to Peter's recipients. They were exploiting the 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.819 people of God. We see this in 2 Peter 2 .3. They 00:04:43.819 --> 00:04:47.680 were introducing destructive heresies. They were 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:53.000 enticing unstable souls. We see this in 2 .14. 00:04:53.819 --> 00:04:58.220 They were enticing by fleshly desires, by sensuality, 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:02.100 those who barely escape from those who live in 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:08.139 error in 2 .18. They were promising freedom in 00:05:08.139 --> 00:05:11.680 and through iniquity and sin. They were saying, 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:16.899 come and enjoy true freedom. Come and know what 00:05:16.899 --> 00:05:19.540 it really means to be free. And how were they 00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:26.350 doing this? By promising them. By promising them 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:31.850 pleasure. By promising them transgressions and 00:05:31.850 --> 00:05:36.930 iniquity. In addition to this, they were mocking 00:05:36.930 --> 00:05:42.870 true godliness and true faithfulness in the life 00:05:42.870 --> 00:05:48.550 of believers. We read in 2 Peter 3. Know this, 00:05:48.550 --> 00:05:51.209 first of all, that in the last day mockers will 00:05:51.209 --> 00:05:54.689 come with their mocking, following after their 00:05:54.689 --> 00:05:59.149 own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of 00:05:59.149 --> 00:06:03.110 his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, 00:06:03.230 --> 00:06:06.329 all continues just as it was from the beginning 00:06:06.329 --> 00:06:12.730 of creation. Why are you being faithful? Why 00:06:12.730 --> 00:06:15.209 are you seeking after godliness and holiness 00:06:15.209 --> 00:06:18.430 in your life? Why are you so committed and diligent 00:06:18.430 --> 00:06:22.389 to the Lord Jesus Christ? Nothing's changed. 00:06:22.829 --> 00:06:26.470 He's not coming back. Where is the coming of 00:06:26.470 --> 00:06:29.529 your Lord, your so -called master, the so -called 00:06:29.529 --> 00:06:33.670 one that died for you? They're mocking the gospel 00:06:33.670 --> 00:06:38.509 and they're mocking faithfulness. I think we 00:06:38.509 --> 00:06:43.279 can all see. the dangers that were facing Peter's 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.579 recipients. They were experiencing onslaught 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:50.959 of temptation, trial, seduction, allurement, 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:55.300 and pressure from these carnal, worldly, wicked 00:06:55.300 --> 00:06:59.319 men and women around them that were pressuring 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:04.899 them. There was a world all around them that 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:06.939 was huddling around them and pressuring them 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:11.360 and applying this pressure to... They wanted 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:17.800 true saints to join in their filth. They wanted 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:22.579 those whom Christ died for to participate with 00:07:22.579 --> 00:07:30.220 them in their sinful deeds. Now, we see the danger, 00:07:30.259 --> 00:07:34.560 but it was even more than this. Peter's addressing 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:40.149 the fact that these... False teachers are aiming 00:07:40.149 --> 00:07:47.889 their temptations at the church. The reality 00:07:47.889 --> 00:07:51.410 that they are strategically aiming them at those 00:07:51.410 --> 00:07:56.490 who are weak and vulnerable in the body. They 00:07:56.490 --> 00:07:58.670 were being presented and proposed. They were 00:07:58.670 --> 00:08:02.810 dangling these realities in front of the weak, 00:08:02.870 --> 00:08:05.930 the struggling, and the vulnerable of the church. 00:08:06.189 --> 00:08:12.589 Notice in... 2 .13. Peter says this. As they 00:08:12.589 --> 00:08:18.769 carouse with you. Meaning. These folks are among 00:08:18.769 --> 00:08:23.009 the people of God. These folks are with the people 00:08:23.009 --> 00:08:26.509 of God. They are fellowshipping with them. They 00:08:26.509 --> 00:08:30.810 are feasting with them. They've departed. But 00:08:30.810 --> 00:08:35.269 they remain. They've gone out. They've forsaken 00:08:35.269 --> 00:08:38.389 the faith. But they're still. with the church. 00:08:38.870 --> 00:08:43.789 We see in verse 18 that Peter says, we see in 00:08:43.789 --> 00:08:48.870 2 .14, Peter refers to enticing unstable souls. 00:08:50.029 --> 00:08:53.470 So these false teachers are going after not the 00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:59.370 strong in faith, but those who are unstable in 00:08:59.370 --> 00:09:02.990 their faith. Those who are weak. Those who are 00:09:02.990 --> 00:09:08.159 vulnerable. We read in verse 18, Those who barely 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:14.179 escape from the ones who live in error. They 00:09:14.179 --> 00:09:18.080 were targeting those in the church who are struggling 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.519 with issues in their own lives. They're targeting 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.720 those in the church who are wrestling with matters 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:29.440 in their own hearts. There were wolves seeking 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.899 to devour Christ's lambs in the people of God. 00:09:33.769 --> 00:09:36.250 They wanted to bite them. They wanted to devour 00:09:36.250 --> 00:09:38.809 them. They wanted to maul them for their own 00:09:38.809 --> 00:09:41.549 purposes, their own plans, their own pleasure, 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:46.830 and their own agendas. We see these dangers. 00:09:47.690 --> 00:09:50.049 And brothers and sisters, the first thing I think 00:09:50.049 --> 00:09:55.009 is that there is no better argument in the Bible 00:09:55.009 --> 00:10:00.210 for solid biblical church membership than this. 00:10:01.570 --> 00:10:06.159 We need... Solid church membership. Churches 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.919 need it, brothers and sisters. They have to embrace 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:13.440 it. We have to recognize, brothers and sisters, 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:19.500 that we are called as the church to love brothers 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:23.059 and sisters in Christ. We are called and commanded 00:10:23.059 --> 00:10:25.419 to love brothers and sisters in Christ. We are 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:27.740 called and commanded in the Word of God to love 00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:31.399 non -believers who do not know the faith. Who 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:33.820 do not know Christ by faith and repentance. And 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:36.940 we are called to love those around us. But listen 00:10:36.940 --> 00:10:40.879 brothers and sisters. We have to treat church 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:44.580 members as church members. And non -church members 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:49.919 as non -church members. Do you know why? Because 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:53.220 church membership is the first means of defense 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:57.159 against wolves that want to hurt the church of 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:03.679 God. It is vitally. Important. People who are 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:09.659 not members of this church have not covenanted 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:18.279 to walk in holiness with you at this body. They 00:11:18.279 --> 00:11:21.220 have not submitted themselves to the headship 00:11:21.220 --> 00:11:25.480 of Christ as expressed in the leadership of this 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:29.669 body. They don't have teeth. In the game, you 00:11:29.669 --> 00:11:32.269 could say, there's no way of holding them accountable. 00:11:33.389 --> 00:11:37.049 Brothers and sisters, this is why it's so vitally 00:11:37.049 --> 00:11:40.029 important that members be treated as members. 00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:45.070 And we love non -members, as Christians, as brothers 00:11:45.070 --> 00:11:49.330 and sisters in Christ. But we don't offer and 00:11:49.330 --> 00:11:53.649 give all the privileges and all the blessings 00:11:53.649 --> 00:11:59.820 of that membership to those individuals. Because 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:05.080 membership is meaningful and important, brothers 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:11.120 and sisters. It's meant for the health, the vitality, 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:17.500 the protection of God's people. It's meant to 00:12:17.500 --> 00:12:22.429 protect the souls of the saints. who have covenanted 00:12:22.429 --> 00:12:26.009 to worship here and to protect the purity of 00:12:26.009 --> 00:12:28.450 the people of God, that they might worship the 00:12:28.450 --> 00:12:33.269 one true living God as a pure and a holy people. 00:12:34.169 --> 00:12:37.570 This is why it's so vitally important. We are 00:12:37.570 --> 00:12:41.090 thankful and blessed that there are non -members 00:12:41.090 --> 00:12:43.470 and non -believers in our midst. But brothers 00:12:43.470 --> 00:12:47.860 and sisters, we can love non -members. Without 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:51.740 giving membership to them until they join the 00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:57.779 church. Peter is giving us a great basis and 00:12:57.779 --> 00:13:04.139 a great reason to value church membership. He's 00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:06.899 giving us a great reason to value the church. 00:13:08.139 --> 00:13:13.960 Now, we can see how these dangers would impact. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.580 the Christians there in that place. These threats, 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:23.820 these hardships, we can see how they would affect 00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:28.080 and influence the souls of the saints that Peter 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:31.100 is writing to. We can imagine that as the church 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:34.179 witnessed and underwent this deluge of trial 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:37.899 and temptation with these false teachers, the 00:13:37.899 --> 00:13:41.360 difficulty that this brought about in their own 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:46.919 souls. the hardship and the trial, the conflict 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:52.379 that it brought about in them. We read in 2 Peter, 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:57.139 where Peter's referencing Lot. Listen to his 00:13:57.139 --> 00:14:01.679 description concerning Lot. He says, For by what 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:07.899 he saw and heard, that righteous man, while living 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:13.159 among them, felt his righteous soul tormented. 00:14:13.769 --> 00:14:20.029 Day after day by their lawless deeds. The dangers 00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:22.809 around Lot, the pressures around Lot, the temptations 00:14:22.809 --> 00:14:26.649 and the trials around Lot. What was it doing 00:14:26.649 --> 00:14:31.850 to Lot's soul? It was producing turmoil. It was 00:14:31.850 --> 00:14:36.750 tormenting him. It was tearing him up. Because 00:14:36.750 --> 00:14:39.769 he was witnessing lawlessness to his left and 00:14:39.769 --> 00:14:43.299 lawlessness. to his right. They were being confronted 00:14:43.299 --> 00:14:47.600 with inner conflict because of the pressures 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:51.279 outside of them. They were tormented in their 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:55.620 souls because of the pull of immorality around 00:14:55.620 --> 00:15:00.740 them. They were struggling and wrestling continually 00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:06.059 because of the temptations in front of them and 00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:11.769 being laid at their feet. Some, I'm sure, were 00:15:11.769 --> 00:15:15.129 led to hopelessness and despair as a result of 00:15:15.129 --> 00:15:19.409 some of this. Others seemingly were led to instability 00:15:19.409 --> 00:15:26.210 and lack of steadfastness or neglect or complacency 00:15:26.210 --> 00:15:30.889 and carnality and uselessness in the Christian 00:15:30.889 --> 00:15:34.269 life. We see this throughout the first chapter 00:15:34.269 --> 00:15:38.370 of 2 Peter. I'm sure that many of them are questioning 00:15:38.370 --> 00:15:44.240 themselves. asking, how do I know I'm saved? 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:48.039 Or how do I know I won't fall away one day like 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:52.480 those teachers did? How do I know that I won't 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:57.000 forsake the faith as so many around me have? 00:15:57.259 --> 00:16:03.370 How can I endure to the end? Some of us, quite 00:16:03.370 --> 00:16:06.309 possibly, have asked these similar questions 00:16:06.309 --> 00:16:10.470 in recent days as notable Christian leaders have 00:16:10.470 --> 00:16:15.769 fallen off of their ministries. As we've seen, 00:16:15.789 --> 00:16:19.149 men and women depart, potentially, from the faith 00:16:19.149 --> 00:16:21.950 or from faithfulness or from ministry because 00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:27.009 of sin and transgression in their lives. Many 00:16:27.009 --> 00:16:29.769 of us, I'm sure, have been led to ask the questions. 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.559 What if I stumble and fall into deep, gravest 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:41.820 sin? Or, if it has happened to them, can't it 00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:48.340 happen to me? If it's happened to him or her, 00:16:48.580 --> 00:16:53.919 what's keeping me from doing the same thing? 00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:57.639 Peter recognizes and he understands, brothers 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:02.559 and sisters, That dangers and sin outside of 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:07.980 the Christian have the potential to harm the 00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:12.960 Christian's soul. Now, this is what Peter is 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:16.779 addressing. These questions, these doubts, these 00:17:16.779 --> 00:17:20.019 struggles, this inner turmoil, this instability 00:17:20.019 --> 00:17:25.460 in the life of believers. He's dealing with the 00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:27.559 saints to encourage them and give them hope. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:31.160 with regards to the future of their salvation, 00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:35.000 and in the face of great trial and difficulty. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.500 But he's also writing to impress it upon their 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:44.519 hearts and their minds the significance of a 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:50.559 diligent pursuit of a life of godliness. So let's 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:54.619 consider Peter's presentation of perseverance 00:17:54.619 --> 00:18:00.779 to his readers. Peter says, for as long as you 00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:05.359 practice these things, you will never stumble. 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:11.099 We know from Scripture that salvation is by grace. 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:16.920 It's clear. It's unmistakable throughout the 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:19.960 pages of Scripture, and we see this clearly in 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:26.880 2 Peter 1. Peter stated earlier that we, Christians, 00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:31.480 have received a faith of the same kind. Meaning, 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:35.720 God has graciously provided us with faith that 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:38.539 lays hold of all the same blessings and all the 00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:41.279 same privileges, which is Christ and everything 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:44.859 that comes from the gospel. He's given every 00:18:44.859 --> 00:18:48.140 Christian the same kind of faith that receives 00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:51.960 the same benefits and the same blessings. That's 00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.079 grace, brothers and sisters. We have seen that 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:58.420 God's divine power has granted us everything 00:18:58.420 --> 00:19:02.880 pertaining to life and godliness in verse 3. 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:10.140 So if an individual enjoys godliness, if an individual 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:13.559 enjoys the work of grace in their souls, what's 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:17.000 the basis of that? What's the ground which that 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:20.500 it grows in? Brothers and sisters, that's gracious 00:19:20.500 --> 00:19:23.420 ground. That's the ground that God has given. 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:27.420 It's provided by His divine power and provision 00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:33.279 by grace. God has given these things to us. We 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:38.440 have seen that He has granted us His precious 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:44.980 and magnificent promises in verse 4. It is by 00:19:44.980 --> 00:19:50.519 these blessed promises, not reward for merit, 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:55.720 but promises. That God himself is freely made 00:19:55.720 --> 00:20:00.039 to his people and given to his people. It's by 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:03.460 these promises that we are conformed to the moral 00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:09.640 likeness of God. We are made partakers of the 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:13.619 divine nature. This means, brothers and sisters, 00:20:13.700 --> 00:20:20.390 listen, godliness is of grace. Godliness, assurance, 00:20:20.869 --> 00:20:24.549 perseverance, eternal life. Where does it find 00:20:24.549 --> 00:20:30.309 its source for the believer? God. It's grace. 00:20:30.609 --> 00:20:35.150 It's from Him. The ground upon which godliness 00:20:35.150 --> 00:20:40.089 and holiness are nurtured is ground purchased 00:20:40.089 --> 00:20:46.789 by the free grace of God in Jesus Christ. If 00:20:46.789 --> 00:20:50.259 we enjoy these realities, It's because God has 00:20:50.259 --> 00:20:55.440 been gracious. We've seen in verse 10 that his 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:00.680 calling and election are what we are to diligently 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:06.680 make certain of in our lives. These two blessed, 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:13.900 unconditional, unchanging works of God. That's 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:16.740 grace, brothers and sisters. That's the work 00:21:16.740 --> 00:21:21.170 of God. So when we read, for as long as you practice 00:21:21.170 --> 00:21:26.029 these things, you will never stumble. Peter is 00:21:26.029 --> 00:21:29.289 not teaching us that we are saved by our own 00:21:29.289 --> 00:21:32.990 works. He is not teaching us that it's by merit. 00:21:33.210 --> 00:21:36.730 He is not teaching us that we earn heaven and 00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:41.509 that we further our salvation. What is he teaching 00:21:41.509 --> 00:21:47.069 us? Well, what else is clear in Peter, in 2 Peter? 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:51.500 is not just the gracious basis for godliness 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:53.839 and perseverance and assurance and all of these 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:57.079 blessed realities, but it's also clear that grace 00:21:57.079 --> 00:22:03.980 is powerful and effective. That grace is productive 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:09.700 and brings about transformation in the life of 00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:16.460 the believer. It has results that always manifest 00:22:16.460 --> 00:22:21.009 themselves. It works in the life of believers. 00:22:21.470 --> 00:22:27.150 God's grace provides men and makes men and gives 00:22:27.150 --> 00:22:31.809 men the ability to obey and carry out their responsibilities 00:22:31.809 --> 00:22:38.470 and duties in the pursuit of Jesus Christ on 00:22:38.470 --> 00:22:44.730 the grounds of grace. Hence, the reality of godliness, 00:22:44.809 --> 00:22:49.640 holiness, usefulness, and fruitfulness and assurance, 00:22:50.140 --> 00:23:00.759 hence the reality of perseverance. It is the 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:07.700 gracious preservation and work of God which enables 00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:14.059 and empowers the saint to persevere and endure 00:23:14.059 --> 00:23:18.730 in this life. Peter is not teaching, and we have 00:23:18.730 --> 00:23:23.470 to be clear about this, he is not teaching that 00:23:23.470 --> 00:23:29.109 we are saved future and finally or justified 00:23:29.109 --> 00:23:36.369 by our work, by our effort, our godliness, or 00:23:36.369 --> 00:23:40.470 our own perseverance. Peter is demonstrating 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.619 That those who do persevere in practicing godliness 00:23:45.619 --> 00:23:50.500 over the course of their lives have experienced 00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:56.700 a saving work of grace in their lives. They are 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:00.019 proving, they are demonstrating, they are trying, 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:05.480 they are manifesting that God has, in fact, called 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:12.829 them and chosen them by His sovereign will. This 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:14.990 is what godliness is. This is what perseverance 00:24:14.990 --> 00:24:21.289 is. It's not us furthering our salvation by our 00:24:21.289 --> 00:24:24.390 own effort and our own work. There's a gracious 00:24:24.390 --> 00:24:29.009 basis for everything in the Christian life, brothers 00:24:29.009 --> 00:24:33.630 and sisters. Everything. Every good and blessed 00:24:33.630 --> 00:24:40.029 thing that we enjoy as a result of Christ, it's 00:24:40.029 --> 00:24:44.380 the result of grace. Every blessed and wonderful 00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:47.240 time we have the motions of the Spirit in our 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:50.599 soul. Every blessed time we move toward Christ. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:57.759 What's the basis? Grace. Brothers and sisters, 00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:00.940 every good work that we perform and we offer 00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:03.599 up to God, every sacrifice we make, what's the 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:09.619 basis of it? Grace. The grace of God. not our 00:25:09.619 --> 00:25:13.079 own merit, our own worth, or our own goodness. 00:25:13.220 --> 00:25:17.759 Peter is clear about this in his letter. So what 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.700 is Peter teaching us about perseverance in this 00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:25.819 text? He is teaching us that perseverance affords 00:25:25.819 --> 00:25:30.140 the believer or the saint stability in life. 00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:34.799 The word stumble can mean several different things. 00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:41.980 It can mean sin. It can mean apostasy, to fully 00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:44.859 and finally depart from the faith. Or it can 00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:51.460 mean misfortune, ruin, or disaster. Now, some 00:25:51.460 --> 00:25:55.960 translations include the word sin in this sentence 00:25:55.960 --> 00:25:59.759 or in this phrase. But it's important to recognize 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.180 the word sin is not present in this text right 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:09.359 here. Peter's using the word stumble. Considering 00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:12.660 the context, I believe that Peter is teaching 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:15.940 that saints who apply themselves to diligently 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:21.839 pursuing a godly life are afforded a life of 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:27.579 stability free from grievous, overt, disastrous, 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:35.079 life -ruining sin. Now, he's not teaching perfectionism. 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:39.299 The Bible has nothing to do with that. He's not 00:26:39.299 --> 00:26:42.579 teaching that the Christian or that Christians 00:26:42.579 --> 00:26:47.279 can be free of sin. There is always a remnant 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:52.819 of sin in the believer until we go to be with 00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:59.099 the Lord. But he is teaching that it is possible 00:26:59.099 --> 00:27:03.400 for believers to live free of besetting sin. 00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:09.059 He is teaching that it's possible. for believers 00:27:09.059 --> 00:27:13.119 to live in such a way and to enjoy steadfastness 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:15.880 in the truth, a life of balance, a life of consistency, 00:27:16.180 --> 00:27:19.940 a life of contentment and satisfaction in Jesus 00:27:19.940 --> 00:27:24.779 Christ. Brothers and sisters, a Christian can 00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:27.000 never be free of sin in this life, but a Christian 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:33.880 can be free of overt, outward, grievous sin that 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:36.960 destroys their life, brings shame on Christ, 00:27:37.289 --> 00:27:40.910 There are degrees of sin. Everybody needs to 00:27:40.910 --> 00:27:46.609 understand that. Some sins are much more heinous 00:27:46.609 --> 00:27:54.210 than other sins. Just as there is degrees of 00:27:54.210 --> 00:27:57.269 punishment in hell, brothers and sisters, which 00:27:57.269 --> 00:28:01.930 demonstrates and proves degrees of sin and transgression, 00:28:02.210 --> 00:28:08.279 there are degrees of reward. and eternity for 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:14.440 the work of the saint as a believer and a member 00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:19.859 of the kingdom of the living God. It goes both 00:28:19.859 --> 00:28:24.880 ways. The believer does not have to be unstable 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:29.640 in this life. The believer doesn't have to be 00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:32.720 off -kilter the whole of their course in this 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:37.390 world. We don't have to be one who barely escapes 00:28:37.390 --> 00:28:46.630 from the ones who live in error. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 00:28:46.630 --> 00:28:51.410 3, talks about the foundation in Christ and work 00:28:51.410 --> 00:28:53.890 on the foundation, and he's talking about believers. 00:28:54.910 --> 00:28:58.109 And he refers to one, he says, the man will be 00:28:58.109 --> 00:29:06.920 saved, but it will be as... Through fire. He's 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:10.059 talking about a believer. He's talking about 00:29:10.059 --> 00:29:12.400 a Christian that's going to eternal life, brothers 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:16.519 and sisters. The believer in Jesus Christ can 00:29:16.519 --> 00:29:23.460 live a steadfast life in the truth of God's word. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:27.880 Brothers and sisters, when you consider your 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:32.640 times of weakness, Your times of instability, 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.980 transgression, lingering frustration and bitterness, 00:29:38.359 --> 00:29:42.559 hardness of heart, unbelief, lack of power, lack 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:46.700 of vitality, lack of joy, lack of contentment, 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:52.500 and lack of desire for God. I dare say that there's 00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:56.680 almost always a correlation between that and 00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:01.710 neglect. of a diligent pursuit of godliness in 00:30:01.710 --> 00:30:07.430 your life. Consider your life. Consider how you 00:30:07.430 --> 00:30:11.750 live before God. Is there a correlation between 00:30:11.750 --> 00:30:18.250 the neglect of godliness and the means of grace 00:30:18.250 --> 00:30:22.829 in your life and the low points and the instability 00:30:22.829 --> 00:30:26.130 and the bitterness and the anger and the frustration 00:30:26.130 --> 00:30:29.500 and the hardness of heart? But now consider your 00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:32.200 life, brothers and sisters. Lay your life before 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:36.339 the living God. What about those times where 00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:38.359 you feel as though you could raise your fist 00:30:38.359 --> 00:30:43.220 and say, bring on what you will? What about those 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:45.859 times where you feel as though you're on the 00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:48.880 heights of a mountain and you could face anything 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:51.619 because of your Lord and your Savior who stands 00:30:51.619 --> 00:30:56.240 at your side? Were you neglecting grace? Were 00:30:56.240 --> 00:30:58.680 you neglecting the Word of God? Were you neglecting 00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:01.279 prayer? Were you neglecting the church of the 00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:04.339 living God? Brothers and sisters, God has made 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:07.039 a world of means. We have to understand that. 00:31:07.940 --> 00:31:11.200 And we live in a world of means. We are people 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:15.799 of means. If we choose not to utilize the means 00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:18.259 that God has given to grow in grace, to grow 00:31:18.259 --> 00:31:20.299 in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:25.369 will not grow as we ought to grow in grace. God 00:31:25.369 --> 00:31:28.190 has given us means to grow. Lay hold of those 00:31:28.190 --> 00:31:30.490 means and get back to the top of the mountain 00:31:30.490 --> 00:31:34.369 with assurance, power, boldness, and certainty. 00:31:36.509 --> 00:31:39.809 What's the path? What's the path up the mountain? 00:31:41.970 --> 00:31:47.309 Godliness. It's holiness. It's the way of righteousness. 00:31:47.410 --> 00:31:51.410 It's the ancient paths that Jeremiah spoke about. 00:31:51.470 --> 00:31:57.000 We walk that ancient path. That's the means forward. 00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:01.819 Perseverance provides and affords the believer 00:32:01.819 --> 00:32:07.599 stability and firmness and steadfastness in this 00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:11.680 life, in their soul, in their heart, and regardless 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:16.319 of circumstances. They can possess and enjoy 00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:20.339 this regardless of what's taking place in their 00:32:20.339 --> 00:32:26.069 life or around them. Is that not a great encouragement 00:32:26.069 --> 00:32:33.390 to seek a settled, consistent life of godly living? 00:32:34.529 --> 00:32:39.630 To enjoy these great blessings that God has given 00:32:39.630 --> 00:32:47.170 us by His grace? So Peter is teaching that perseverance 00:32:47.170 --> 00:32:49.529 affords the saints stability, but Peter is also 00:32:49.529 --> 00:32:51.490 teaching, and he's not just teaching stability. 00:32:52.529 --> 00:32:57.079 He's also teaching. that true saints will fully 00:32:57.079 --> 00:33:02.539 and finally persevere in this life. Every single 00:33:02.539 --> 00:33:06.140 one. The true Christian, the genuine believer, 00:33:06.259 --> 00:33:12.019 brothers and sisters, will never fall away. That's 00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:15.799 an absolute statement. I can say that with 100 00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:18.700 % certainty because that is what the Word of 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:23.039 God teaches. The true believer will never... 00:33:24.020 --> 00:33:30.579 Fully forsake the faith. Though. They can fall 00:33:30.579 --> 00:33:36.220 into sin. Though. The true saint will never forsake 00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:39.380 the faith. They can get off the path. And come 00:33:39.380 --> 00:33:46.059 back the hard way. In the end. Because of God's 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:49.680 grace and his mercy. The believer who has experienced 00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:54.740 the grace of God. Will endure. To the end. We 00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:58.619 read elsewhere in Jude. Now to him who is able. 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:04.319 To keep you from stumbling. And to make you stand. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:07.740 In the presence of his glory. Blameless. With 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:13.340 great joy. The believer perseveres. Not because 00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:17.860 of their work. In perseverance. But because of 00:34:17.860 --> 00:34:22.119 the grace of God. Which sustains them. And energizes 00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:27.079 them. and propels them forward. But they will 00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:31.380 persevere. From the time of one's calling and 00:34:31.380 --> 00:34:34.280 regeneration to the time of one's death at the 00:34:34.280 --> 00:34:39.840 end of their life, the saint will make progress. 00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:44.239 And they will be renewed progressively by the 00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:50.760 Spirit of God. They will never stumble out of 00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:55.250 the faith. Because of him who is able to keep 00:34:55.250 --> 00:35:01.190 you in the faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's 00:35:01.190 --> 00:35:04.590 possible, brothers and sisters, for the believer 00:35:04.590 --> 00:35:06.630 to be confident and certain of this reality. 00:35:07.489 --> 00:35:11.210 To know this reality. This is going back to what 00:35:11.210 --> 00:35:15.389 we spoke of last week with assurance. You can 00:35:15.389 --> 00:35:21.710 know that you are not going to apostatize. You 00:35:21.710 --> 00:35:25.510 can know with certainty that you are never going 00:35:25.510 --> 00:35:28.309 to leave the faith because you can have a divine 00:35:28.309 --> 00:35:31.670 and supernatural assurance of God that you are 00:35:31.670 --> 00:35:35.570 in possession of these realities. You can know 00:35:35.570 --> 00:35:39.489 that though life is going to be difficult and 00:35:39.489 --> 00:35:41.750 hard and though we're going to have struggles 00:35:41.750 --> 00:35:44.090 and difficulties, we are going to persevere to 00:35:44.090 --> 00:35:46.349 the end and we are going to bring honor and glory 00:35:46.349 --> 00:35:52.889 to our Lord at our death. because assurance is 00:35:52.889 --> 00:35:57.829 possible, just as perseverance is guaranteed 00:35:57.829 --> 00:36:02.250 for the believer. So what does Peter say about 00:36:02.250 --> 00:36:05.849 perseverance, assurance, and godliness? Because 00:36:05.849 --> 00:36:09.630 he says, as long as you practice these things. 00:36:11.210 --> 00:36:15.269 Last week we considered the reality that saints 00:36:15.269 --> 00:36:20.769 are duty -bound to pursue assurance. In their 00:36:20.769 --> 00:36:27.110 life. A certain sure. Conscious knowledge. Of 00:36:27.110 --> 00:36:32.730 eternal. Realities. That you know Christ. And 00:36:32.730 --> 00:36:37.409 that Christ. Knows you and loves you. In absolute 00:36:37.409 --> 00:36:42.090 certainty. That you are in. A state. Of saving 00:36:42.090 --> 00:36:47.429 grace. In this text. Peter is linking. One's 00:36:47.429 --> 00:36:50.460 perseverance in life. You will never stumble. 00:36:50.659 --> 00:36:57.440 In verse 10. He's linking perseverance. To practical 00:36:57.440 --> 00:37:02.000 godliness. As long as you practice these things. 00:37:02.219 --> 00:37:04.820 But he's taking both of those brothers and sisters. 00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:10.880 And he's linking them to assurance. So he says. 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:16.750 For. At the beginning of this section. for as 00:37:16.750 --> 00:37:20.210 long as you practice these things. He's connecting 00:37:20.210 --> 00:37:24.650 it back to making our calling and election sure. 00:37:26.710 --> 00:37:30.809 He's bringing us back into the realm of assurance. 00:37:32.250 --> 00:37:36.869 Peter is saying that the diligent pursuit of 00:37:36.869 --> 00:37:41.329 practical godliness in one's life is a primary 00:37:41.329 --> 00:37:48.050 means of strengthening one's assurance of salvation. 00:37:48.789 --> 00:37:52.269 Or we could say it another way. I think this 00:37:52.269 --> 00:37:54.130 makes it a little bit more clear in our minds 00:37:54.130 --> 00:37:58.130 what we're talking about. Those who continue 00:37:58.130 --> 00:38:03.190 to persevere and walk in holiness and godliness 00:38:03.190 --> 00:38:10.090 in this life can be certain of God's calling 00:38:10.090 --> 00:38:16.360 and election of them. They can in fact have great 00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:21.340 hope for the future of their souls. They can 00:38:21.340 --> 00:38:23.860 have great confidence for their own souls and 00:38:23.860 --> 00:38:26.119 the holiness of life that they can have in the 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:31.380 future. Because these testify of God's grace 00:38:31.380 --> 00:38:38.539 actively working in them. As godliness is enjoyed 00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:43.639 and exercised and sought out, we also enjoy the 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:49.519 grace of God at work in us to provide and produce 00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:53.619 and to work alongside of these realities. So 00:38:53.619 --> 00:38:55.880 when we know godliness in our lives, brothers 00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:59.699 and sisters, what else can we know? God's grace 00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:07.380 actively working in and through us. Consider 00:39:07.380 --> 00:39:11.750 the dangers. Once again, That the readers were 00:39:11.750 --> 00:39:16.269 facing. These things that were taking place around 00:39:16.269 --> 00:39:18.090 them. What they were seeing. What they were witnessing. 00:39:18.409 --> 00:39:20.889 The struggles and the difficulties that were 00:39:20.889 --> 00:39:24.929 brought about. In their souls. The turmoil that 00:39:24.929 --> 00:39:28.929 was induced in their souls. Now for Peter. What 00:39:28.929 --> 00:39:36.429 is the solution? For Peter. What is it. That 00:39:36.429 --> 00:39:43.110 we must give ourselves to. For stability, steadfastness, 00:39:43.230 --> 00:39:50.369 strength, assurance of life and eternal realities. 00:39:50.530 --> 00:39:56.710 What is the solution for Peter? It is to walk 00:39:56.710 --> 00:40:00.230 in a more settled godliness and a stronger and 00:40:00.230 --> 00:40:07.110 more thorough holiness of life. Because as the 00:40:07.110 --> 00:40:12.260 saint continues, To enjoy and experience godliness 00:40:12.260 --> 00:40:17.920 that they continue to derive comfort, peace, 00:40:18.199 --> 00:40:24.960 satisfaction, hope, joy from their assurance 00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:30.199 of salvation. As the saint grows more certain 00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:32.539 of the truthfulness and the reality of heaven, 00:40:32.619 --> 00:40:34.699 brothers and sisters, do you know what happens 00:40:34.699 --> 00:40:36.780 to their gaze and their focus in this world? 00:40:37.710 --> 00:40:39.630 Do you know what happens to the glimmer and the 00:40:39.630 --> 00:40:42.510 gleam of the things of this world as our assurance 00:40:42.510 --> 00:40:45.210 of eternal realities becomes more and more certain? 00:40:46.530 --> 00:40:49.610 The things in this world, their glitter and their 00:40:49.610 --> 00:40:54.130 gleam, they start to diminish. They start to 00:40:54.130 --> 00:40:58.030 get little. They start to become less appealing 00:40:58.030 --> 00:41:01.230 because as our assurance is strengthened and 00:41:01.230 --> 00:41:07.380 bolstered, these realities become greater. more 00:41:07.380 --> 00:41:12.559 worthy, more valuable, those things which we 00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:17.260 ought to pursue and seek out. As the truthfulness 00:41:17.260 --> 00:41:21.659 of heaven, hell, sin, redemption, the work of 00:41:21.659 --> 00:41:25.199 Christ, and one's own union with the Lord Jesus 00:41:25.199 --> 00:41:29.760 Christ, what happens to the temptations in front 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:36.349 of us? They start to shrink. and grow smaller 00:41:36.349 --> 00:41:41.630 and grow dim. As one grows in their certainty 00:41:41.630 --> 00:41:47.090 of who Christ is, their doubt concerning His 00:41:47.090 --> 00:41:51.289 ability to sustain them in this life starts to 00:41:51.289 --> 00:41:57.510 fade away. Do you know, the more you come to 00:41:57.510 --> 00:42:01.690 know who Christ is, the more you will trust Him? 00:42:02.570 --> 00:42:05.750 Because you will start to think and start to 00:42:05.750 --> 00:42:09.690 see the reality that He is good, He is faithful, 00:42:09.909 --> 00:42:13.110 He is merciful, and He is sovereign, and He is 00:42:13.110 --> 00:42:16.050 able to save to the uttermost, brothers and sisters. 00:42:16.750 --> 00:42:20.949 And as your gaze is set upon that, and as your 00:42:20.949 --> 00:42:24.110 assurance of salvation in those realities increases 00:42:24.110 --> 00:42:29.550 and grows and expands, your confidence and your 00:42:29.550 --> 00:42:38.099 faith in Him. grows stronger. The more certain 00:42:38.099 --> 00:42:42.079 you are of Christ's work on the cross, the less 00:42:42.079 --> 00:42:48.320 likely you are to despair of hopelessness and 00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:53.599 your own strength. You know why? Because as you 00:42:53.599 --> 00:42:57.260 start to see the excellence and the perfection 00:42:57.260 --> 00:43:02.329 of his righteousness, you start to realize how 00:43:02.329 --> 00:43:06.429 pathetic your own is. As you see how perfect 00:43:06.429 --> 00:43:09.510 His holiness and His life and His obedience to 00:43:09.510 --> 00:43:12.130 the law of God is, you start to realize, brothers 00:43:12.130 --> 00:43:14.809 and sisters, that that's the only way that you're 00:43:14.809 --> 00:43:16.809 ever going to be saved. And you have to trust 00:43:16.809 --> 00:43:23.030 that and that alone for eternal life. For standing 00:43:23.030 --> 00:43:28.590 with God. It drives you to Christ. It shows us 00:43:28.590 --> 00:43:31.590 the weakness and the inability of carnality works 00:43:31.590 --> 00:43:36.269 in the flesh. And it increases his ability, his 00:43:36.269 --> 00:43:40.849 strength, and his might. Once we get our eyes 00:43:40.849 --> 00:43:43.670 off of ourselves a lot of times and get our eyes 00:43:43.670 --> 00:43:47.409 on the Christ, a lot of our solutions, a lot 00:43:47.409 --> 00:43:52.110 of our problems, start to get resolved real quickly. 00:43:53.070 --> 00:43:59.789 As we look to him. We begin to recognize that 00:43:59.789 --> 00:44:04.989 our standing with God, our usefulness in life, 00:44:05.170 --> 00:44:10.269 our effectiveness as parents, as brothers and 00:44:10.269 --> 00:44:12.530 sisters in Christ, as ministers of the gospel, 00:44:12.650 --> 00:44:17.349 as Christians, brothers and sisters, it's all 00:44:17.349 --> 00:44:23.510 of Him. It's all dependent on Him. What happens 00:44:23.510 --> 00:44:26.429 when our assurance grows and increases? with 00:44:26.429 --> 00:44:28.469 regards to the holiness and the character of 00:44:28.469 --> 00:44:36.889 God. What does that do to the allurements? What 00:44:36.889 --> 00:44:43.469 does that do to the appeal of pleasure and worldly 00:44:43.469 --> 00:44:48.429 and carnal things? When we grow more certain 00:44:48.429 --> 00:44:52.690 and more sure of the holy character of God, what 00:44:52.690 --> 00:44:58.139 happens to us? When sin is set right in front 00:44:58.139 --> 00:45:01.519 of us, and the believer is given the opportunity 00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:04.019 to lay hold of it, to sink their teeth into it, 00:45:04.039 --> 00:45:09.719 and enjoy the moment. But God is holy. God is 00:45:09.719 --> 00:45:13.880 righteous. God is good. He has no sin in Himself. 00:45:14.059 --> 00:45:17.619 What happens to the believer? We don't want to 00:45:17.619 --> 00:45:21.079 sin because we know God is holy. We want to reject 00:45:21.079 --> 00:45:24.519 that because we want to please Him. Brothers 00:45:24.519 --> 00:45:27.960 and sisters, we start to realize as the love 00:45:27.960 --> 00:45:31.539 of God grows more certain in our hearts that 00:45:31.539 --> 00:45:37.179 His providences are not for evil. We can endure. 00:45:37.559 --> 00:45:40.679 We can stand. We can be sure. We can be steadfast 00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:43.380 in the midst of difficulty and hardship because 00:45:43.380 --> 00:45:48.099 we know His love is set upon us. And that these 00:45:48.099 --> 00:45:50.460 things which are hard and difficult and trying, 00:45:50.659 --> 00:45:57.079 they're for our good. We are less inclined to 00:45:57.079 --> 00:46:03.219 certain things as our assurance grows and is 00:46:03.219 --> 00:46:06.780 strengthened. We must do the work of holiness 00:46:06.780 --> 00:46:09.199 and godliness in our lives, brothers and sisters, 00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:16.340 that we might derive comfort from assurance of 00:46:16.340 --> 00:46:21.019 salvation. Peter is straightforward in this text. 00:46:21.960 --> 00:46:26.500 He says, That it's the practice of these things 00:46:26.500 --> 00:46:32.960 by which we gain this comfort. We've seen already 00:46:32.960 --> 00:46:37.340 that Peter is very, very straightforward and 00:46:37.340 --> 00:46:41.239 he's very, very practical with regards to how 00:46:41.239 --> 00:46:45.199 he speaks and how he addresses issues in the 00:46:45.199 --> 00:46:52.389 life of the church. I'm reminded of... Philippians 00:46:52.389 --> 00:46:56.889 2, 12 -13 So then, my beloved, just as you have 00:46:56.889 --> 00:47:01.050 always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but 00:47:01.050 --> 00:47:04.090 now much more in my absence, work out your salvation 00:47:04.090 --> 00:47:08.329 with fear and trembling. For it is God who is 00:47:08.329 --> 00:47:15.750 at work in you, both to will and to work for 00:47:15.750 --> 00:47:22.039 His good pleasure. This is what Peter means by 00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:26.980 practice. This is what Peter means by practice 00:47:26.980 --> 00:47:36.099 these things. True godliness is practical godliness. 00:47:36.920 --> 00:47:42.920 It affects and impacts our lives and the way 00:47:42.920 --> 00:47:49.679 we live. It means... Implement, carry out, and 00:47:49.679 --> 00:47:54.320 apply to one's life. It means to have follow 00:47:54.320 --> 00:47:56.559 -through, brothers and sisters, with regards 00:47:56.559 --> 00:48:02.900 to conviction in our lives. True godliness is 00:48:02.900 --> 00:48:06.639 always practical, so it's really important that 00:48:06.639 --> 00:48:10.239 the believer understand what it means to practice 00:48:10.239 --> 00:48:14.519 these things, these characteristics, these traits 00:48:14.519 --> 00:48:18.219 of godliness that we've been examining. What 00:48:18.219 --> 00:48:21.400 I mean is this. What I want to share briefly 00:48:21.400 --> 00:48:25.940 here is this. There are several hindrances to 00:48:25.940 --> 00:48:30.139 practical godliness. But there's also many helps 00:48:30.139 --> 00:48:34.219 for practical godliness in the life of the believer. 00:48:34.920 --> 00:48:38.760 Some hindrances to practicing these things, and 00:48:38.760 --> 00:48:43.639 some of the main reasons, I think, is superficiality 00:48:43.639 --> 00:48:48.489 and shallowness regarding... Godliness. What 00:48:48.489 --> 00:48:51.130 I mean by this, brothers and sisters, is that 00:48:51.130 --> 00:48:57.210 believers are often so busy, so distracted, or 00:48:57.210 --> 00:49:04.170 so focused that they never take the time to deal 00:49:04.170 --> 00:49:10.489 with the deep issues of life. They never take 00:49:10.489 --> 00:49:13.449 the time to deal with the deep issues of their 00:49:13.449 --> 00:49:18.250 heart that they know they have. that they know 00:49:18.250 --> 00:49:23.030 are present, but because of the busyness of life, 00:49:23.190 --> 00:49:27.389 they don't take the time to deal with them. For 00:49:27.389 --> 00:49:33.309 example, how many people have been in worship? 00:49:34.449 --> 00:49:36.829 They've been participating in the worship of 00:49:36.829 --> 00:49:40.250 God. They've come under the conviction of sin. 00:49:41.070 --> 00:49:43.389 The Spirit of God is working on their heart. 00:49:43.449 --> 00:49:46.170 The Spirit of God is shining His divine illumination 00:49:46.170 --> 00:49:48.570 into their hearts and their minds to help them 00:49:48.570 --> 00:49:53.050 understand they need to repent of this sin. They 00:49:53.050 --> 00:49:56.190 need to turn their ways. They need to change 00:49:56.190 --> 00:49:58.989 this. They need to start doing this. They need 00:49:58.989 --> 00:50:01.690 to reconcile. They need to repent. They need 00:50:01.690 --> 00:50:06.099 to do any number of things. They sit under that. 00:50:06.139 --> 00:50:08.079 They experience that. They have that in their 00:50:08.079 --> 00:50:10.420 heart and in their mind. And they sing the last 00:50:10.420 --> 00:50:15.380 song. The worship of God finishes. And immediately, 00:50:15.579 --> 00:50:21.579 they rush over to start socializing. The issue's 00:50:21.579 --> 00:50:25.460 still there. But there's no follow -through. 00:50:25.519 --> 00:50:28.380 The issue's actually completely neglected and 00:50:28.380 --> 00:50:33.239 overlooked, and it's never dealt with. That's 00:50:33.239 --> 00:50:37.860 superficial Christianity. That's shallow godliness, 00:50:37.900 --> 00:50:41.820 brothers and sisters. Listen, I'm guilty of the 00:50:41.820 --> 00:50:44.360 same thing. Every one of us is guilty of the 00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:49.039 same thing. If God is working on our hearts, 00:50:49.219 --> 00:50:53.400 practical godliness demands, brothers and sisters, 00:50:53.519 --> 00:50:57.239 that we deal with the issue, that we address 00:50:57.239 --> 00:51:03.949 the issue, that we work it out. We must implement 00:51:03.949 --> 00:51:07.550 the work and the desires and the will that God 00:51:07.550 --> 00:51:12.530 is working in us. Or we could think of others 00:51:12.530 --> 00:51:16.190 who know that they are neglecting the means of 00:51:16.190 --> 00:51:19.829 grace. They're neglecting the Word of God and 00:51:19.829 --> 00:51:22.829 prayer. The meditation of the Scriptures, they're 00:51:22.829 --> 00:51:26.789 neglecting to walk with God. They know it and 00:51:26.789 --> 00:51:29.090 they're conscious of it. They're aware of it. 00:51:32.039 --> 00:51:34.679 And they understand that these are shortcomings 00:51:34.679 --> 00:51:38.400 in their life. But they don't deal with the issues 00:51:38.400 --> 00:51:46.880 because there's more pressing matters. There's 00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:52.320 more urgent things to deal with in that moment. 00:51:53.179 --> 00:51:56.519 There's things which have to be taken care of. 00:51:58.099 --> 00:52:02.010 There's things which have to be dealt with. in 00:52:02.010 --> 00:52:05.969 that moment, at that time. There's greater pressures 00:52:05.969 --> 00:52:10.150 and there's greater pulls on our soul and on 00:52:10.150 --> 00:52:12.570 our hearts and on our lives to deal with these 00:52:12.570 --> 00:52:19.809 matters, but not these matters. That's superficial, 00:52:20.190 --> 00:52:26.989 shallow godliness. The Word of God requires us 00:52:26.989 --> 00:52:32.380 to deal with the issues in our hearts. Godliness 00:52:32.380 --> 00:52:35.079 is skin deep oftentimes, brothers and sisters, 00:52:35.219 --> 00:52:39.920 because everything else in our life is so deep 00:52:39.920 --> 00:52:44.059 in our soul. The reason we don't deal with the 00:52:44.059 --> 00:52:45.880 deep issues of our life, brothers and sisters, 00:52:45.900 --> 00:52:49.860 oftentimes because we're so concerned with the 00:52:49.860 --> 00:52:54.079 lesser significant realities of this life and 00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:58.079 of this world. For godliness to be practical, 00:52:58.380 --> 00:53:04.010 there must be Follow through. With regards to 00:53:04.010 --> 00:53:08.570 conviction of sin. And issues of the heart. This 00:53:08.570 --> 00:53:13.789 means. That brothers and sisters. Take care. 00:53:14.650 --> 00:53:19.170 Of the thing that's pricking you. Deal with the 00:53:19.170 --> 00:53:22.989 problem in your soul. Pray and go to the throne 00:53:22.989 --> 00:53:27.570 of grace. Don't get distracted. Don't lose your 00:53:27.570 --> 00:53:31.590 focus. It means. Stay in the pew. Pray to God. 00:53:31.690 --> 00:53:33.550 Deal with the issue in your heart if you have 00:53:33.550 --> 00:53:37.989 to. It means don't talk to somebody if that's 00:53:37.989 --> 00:53:40.449 what it requires. Go home. Get by your bed. Pray 00:53:40.449 --> 00:53:42.929 to God. Wrestle with Him. Deal with Him. Take 00:53:42.929 --> 00:53:49.769 care of the issue. It means going to a person 00:53:49.769 --> 00:53:51.690 and talking to them even if it's awkward and 00:53:51.690 --> 00:53:54.829 hard. Go to the person and talk to them even 00:53:54.829 --> 00:53:58.869 if it's hard. Deal with the issue. Deal with 00:53:58.869 --> 00:54:02.190 the heart problem. If it means confessing sin, 00:54:02.389 --> 00:54:05.349 repenting of sin, confess the sin, and repent 00:54:05.349 --> 00:54:12.570 of the sin, act. That is practical godliness. 00:54:13.429 --> 00:54:17.030 If you have to shut yourself in a room with the 00:54:17.030 --> 00:54:21.070 word of God and refuse to come out until you 00:54:21.070 --> 00:54:23.789 have been reconciled to your maker, then do it. 00:54:25.099 --> 00:54:28.639 True godliness requires wrestling with ourselves 00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:34.699 and wrestling with God and ending where we submit 00:54:34.699 --> 00:54:40.199 to him. That's how we make progress in the Christian 00:54:40.199 --> 00:54:47.619 life. It requires time. And that is a precious 00:54:47.619 --> 00:54:52.579 commodity. Brothers and sisters, godliness requires 00:54:52.579 --> 00:54:57.099 time. Now there's another aspect that can be 00:54:57.099 --> 00:55:00.159 a hindrance. Not just superficial Christianity. 00:55:01.900 --> 00:55:05.039 Many are hindered from practicing these things 00:55:05.039 --> 00:55:10.860 because they incorrectly see godliness as a part 00:55:10.860 --> 00:55:15.960 of their life. They understand that you have 00:55:15.960 --> 00:55:20.059 to read your Bible. You have to say your prayers. 00:55:21.860 --> 00:55:26.809 You should probably go to church. But then you 00:55:26.809 --> 00:55:29.090 move on with that and you go on your day and 00:55:29.090 --> 00:55:32.989 you do what you have to do. You live your life 00:55:32.989 --> 00:55:35.210 and you don't really think about the scriptures. 00:55:36.369 --> 00:55:39.789 You don't pray as you go. You don't pray in the 00:55:39.789 --> 00:55:43.150 spirit. You focus on what's in front of you. 00:55:44.309 --> 00:55:49.429 You deal with the issues of your life. We don't 00:55:49.429 --> 00:55:51.610 consider it. We move on and we live our life. 00:55:52.909 --> 00:55:58.320 And it doesn't really affect us. That much. It's 00:55:58.320 --> 00:56:00.079 almost like we just need to make sure we read. 00:56:01.260 --> 00:56:03.900 We need to make sure we speak and say a few words. 00:56:05.320 --> 00:56:08.300 And we go and be with a couple people on the 00:56:08.300 --> 00:56:11.960 weekend. That's not godliness, brothers and sisters. 00:56:13.420 --> 00:56:16.980 That is not a well -rounded holiness of life. 00:56:19.719 --> 00:56:25.159 We must always remember. and preach to our own 00:56:25.159 --> 00:56:32.420 soul that we are talking about a life of godliness. 00:56:33.260 --> 00:56:39.760 A whole life of godliness for the duration of 00:56:39.760 --> 00:56:44.380 our earthly pilgrimage. Godliness is not simply... 00:56:44.750 --> 00:56:47.929 People who read their Bible and pray. You don't 00:56:47.929 --> 00:56:50.949 just add those things on. Listen, brothers and 00:56:50.949 --> 00:56:53.389 sisters. What the Lord requires with regards 00:56:53.389 --> 00:56:56.449 to holiness and godliness and worship of him 00:56:56.449 --> 00:57:04.630 is this. Settled, growing, consistent, reverential 00:57:04.630 --> 00:57:12.650 life lived before his holy face. That's godliness. 00:57:14.190 --> 00:57:16.449 And when you look at it like this, brothers and 00:57:16.449 --> 00:57:21.969 sisters, this means that everything has to be 00:57:21.969 --> 00:57:27.170 tethered to the word of God in prayer. It's not 00:57:27.170 --> 00:57:29.250 just a little time where you read and you pray. 00:57:30.530 --> 00:57:33.670 But brothers and sisters, we can't live, we can't 00:57:33.670 --> 00:57:36.210 work, we can't continue throughout our day without 00:57:36.210 --> 00:57:40.409 help from heaven. It's walking before the face 00:57:40.409 --> 00:57:44.210 of the living God day in and day out. It's coming 00:57:44.210 --> 00:57:47.349 to our homes and our wives and our children and 00:57:47.349 --> 00:57:50.349 recognizing that God is in my midst and I have 00:57:50.349 --> 00:57:52.849 obligations and duties and I have the privilege 00:57:52.849 --> 00:57:59.010 of walking with Him. That He is with me and that 00:57:59.010 --> 00:58:03.530 I must continually set the Lord before me. This 00:58:03.530 --> 00:58:07.909 is the source of steadfastness. This is the thing 00:58:07.909 --> 00:58:12.110 which will enable us to stand As temptations 00:58:12.110 --> 00:58:15.150 are out here and trials are over here and this 00:58:15.150 --> 00:58:18.309 deluge of allurement and seduction is in front 00:58:18.309 --> 00:58:24.469 of us. It's not Bible reading and prayer. It's 00:58:24.469 --> 00:58:29.050 a life lived in reverential awe that's settled, 00:58:29.289 --> 00:58:33.010 that's consistent, that's steady, and it's done 00:58:33.010 --> 00:58:38.210 before the face of the Holy Sovereign God. Brothers 00:58:38.210 --> 00:58:44.239 and sisters, Can we not face circumstances and 00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:49.900 trials and difficulties when we are walking with 00:58:49.900 --> 00:58:55.400 a God who is sovereign, the maker and sustainer 00:58:55.400 --> 00:58:59.260 of all things? Can we not face tomorrow and the 00:58:59.260 --> 00:59:01.840 difficulties and trials ahead of us? Can we not 00:59:01.840 --> 00:59:04.739 face the future and the temptations that we will 00:59:04.739 --> 00:59:08.989 come in contact with? when the sovereign holy 00:59:08.989 --> 00:59:13.590 God is with us, and we are walking before Him 00:59:13.590 --> 00:59:19.989 and with Him, this is godliness. This is holiness. 00:59:21.090 --> 00:59:29.409 Living before the face of God. So we've seen, 00:59:29.469 --> 00:59:34.710 brothers and sisters, there's these dangers. 00:59:36.329 --> 00:59:38.690 We've seen that they affect us and they influence 00:59:38.690 --> 00:59:44.809 us. But Peter addresses them. Peter confronts 00:59:44.809 --> 00:59:48.969 them. And he shows us the importance of godly 00:59:48.969 --> 00:59:53.769 living with relation to assurance, but also with 00:59:53.769 --> 00:59:56.889 relation to perseverance, brothers and sisters.