Introduction
I wonder how many of you have had this happen. You are driving to go somewhere and you take a turn thinking you know exactly where you are going or you are just cruising in a neighborhood looking for a certain street and then you see a sign which is a huge pain. The sign says, “No outlet.” That is really worse than dead end because you know there may be other turns up ahead but none of them lead away from where you are. You are stuck unless you turn around which means you are losing ground or backtracking.
Too many followers of Christ Do things like this spiritually.
Instead of a plan that keeps us in the word of God, we just drive around spiritually and eventually we hit an area in our lives where there is no outlet. We have to turn around and begin to find our spiritual route all over again.
Describing the Biblical Text
In this chapter of 2 Peter, he is just getting through with the introduction of the letter and he jumps right into a section of growing in the faith.
It describes how we as followers of Jesus Christ can live lives of Christian virtue and mature as followers of Jesus Christ.
It tells us he can be fruitful in our service to Christ, his church, and the world around us.
Narrate the Contextual application
Peter is telling us what we need to add to our lives in order to be useful and fruitful and to be growing in the true knowledge of Jesus.
Life Application (thesis)
Growing in our faith is that which enables us to be useful in the kingdom.
When a pond or a creek stagnates, it cannot sustain life and the fish, frogs, and other life that relies on the fresh water will simply die or move to better water.
We must not allow our lives to stagnate either.
Spiritual stagnation is like a subdivision with no outlet.
You drive and use gas, very expensive gas, and end up going nowhere very fast.
The road best traveled is the road that enables us to grow in our faith.
SO WHAT!! (Outline)
As we explore this text this morning, we will look at 3 road signs that will direct us to the road best traveled.
We have become partakers of the divine nature.
I remember my ordination exam. I got through the first 2 questions really easily. Do you like fried chicken? Does Valerie play the piano?
But, later on came the kicker. Do people retain their sinful nature after they have trusted Christ?
I was ready. Of course not and I quoted a passage out of 2 Corinthians 5 as my text to affirm my answer. My pastor and convener of the council looked at the deacon who asked the question and simply said, “Do you want him or can I have Him?” Of course, they straightened me out from Romans 7 very quickly.
Yet in my original answer from 2 Corinthians, something there was very apparent.
Our nature is renewed.
If any man be in Christ, he is become a new creation. Behold the old things pass away and new things come and these things are from God.
In our new creationship, we become partaker of the divine.
If you think about it, that is how it has to work.
If we are saved by grace, it is not by any work or any acquiescence that we do or perform.
Something then must do the work of regeneration since we cannot.
Jesus called that work the new birth.
Unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
There is a spiritual birth that takes place when become followers of Jesus Christ.
It is something that God does in us, to us and through us to make us His child.
If we are totally depraved, then there is nothing good in us and then God bestows upon us the divine nature and we become a follower of Jesus Christ.
Look at verses 3-4
Now,
Did you see the power that came having that?
It helps us to avoid the lust of the world and the sin that is in the world.
We need that because we do not lose the sin nature when we are saved but it does compete with the spirit.
The Spirit is infinitely stronger yet the lust the eye, the lust of the flesh and pride of life are always there to trip us up as it were.
This divine nature is in us and it accomplishes several things.
The first is that it demonstrates the righteousness of God in our salvation.
It prepares and enables us to face a sinful world,
It prepares us for a divine inheritance which is to come to us in Christ Jesus.
Let’s look at our next sign
We are called to live effectively and fruitfully for the Lord.
As we look at the life we are called to live, we are to apply diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance and godliness.
These are the things that make the Christian life better and better.
As we grow in our faith, these things will tend to grow with us.
We can learn some very practical lessons as we seek to apply these teachings.
Think about a diligent faith.
That means it is dependable.
It is regular and we do not get slack with things like prayer devotions and loving our fellow believers.
Moral excellence means that your thoughts and passions are under control.
Lust does not burn in you just because you see or someone brings to mind a tempting image.
Knowledge in this case is the gaining of information that leads to a stronger faith in Christ.
We don’t get knowledge that is useful to our faith from worldly sources.
I meet with a group of reformed pastors once a month and we share our thoughts on certain Biblical ideas, doctrine, and other stuff and we discussing false teaching and how to recognize it.
Our conclusion was that we try to be so faithful in teaching sound doctrine that the false doctrine is self evident.
Self-control is actually a fruit of the Spirit of God.
God gives us the ability to keep our vessel under control.
The idea is related to moral excellence but it goes a step farther than that.
It encompasses all of life and not just our behavioral decisions.
Self control impacts the way we think and the way we feel.
It keeps us from having that angry outburst as well as that 3rd piece of chicken.
Perseverance is the idea that we will finish what we started with God.
We know that God will finish what he has started with us.
Philippians 1 tells that God will finish the good work He has begun in us.
The question is, “Are we sticking it out for Him?”
When things are tough or we are facing tribulation or persecution, are we being faithful in our service.
Godliness is the capacity to represent God in our lives and in our sphere of influence.
There used to be a bumper sticker that asked the question, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
This is the sign of godliness.
People around us know where we stand and what we believe because our lives reflect God and His values in our lives.
Brotherly kindness is simply the word Philadelphia which means brotherly love.
And finally on this list, we see love.
This is the word agape which as we know is the self giving self sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated when died on the cross.
He was willing to take our place and to receive our punishment for sin simply because he loves us.
Don’t you love what v. 8 says?
For if these qualities are yours and increasing than you are not useless and unfruitful.
You are fulfilling God’s purpose for your life and you are bearing fruit as a useful implement in the holy hand of God.
Our third sign is this.
We are to know a sure election and calling.
Look at verse 10
Simply living the Christian life in the way that God prescribes it will confirm the saving work that God has done in our lives.
The Holy Spirit is like God’s pledge to us for an eternity in Glory.
Our Christian lives are like a receipt that proves that God has purchased us by His blood on the cross and the tomb that was emptied on the third day.
A faithful life is a useful life that bears fruit for God and is lived effectively for Him.
Think about your life today.
Nothing is more certain than God’s election in that you were chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world.
Nothing is more certain than God’s call that brought you effectually or irresistibly into the kingdom of God.
The question remains what are we doing to solidify the calling of God in our own lives and in our own minds?
That happens when we are growing in our faith.
That happens when our lives are fruitful and effective in our service to Christ
That happens when we are on the road best traveled living a useful life.
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