Anchor of Our Lives, God So Loved, Let Me See Jesus, So Faithful

How do you remind yourself of important things you don’t want to forget or neglect?

¹Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; ³ seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. ⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ 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. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

There is a genuine search for the “real” and “authentic” in a time where “fakes” proliferate in the world. Because of hypocrisy, affluence, and pleasure, people don’t go to church as they used to. They may have religion but not a relationship with God –fake Christianity. How can we be sure that we are REAL Christians? How can we be sure that we will enter heaven one day, not just enter but enter gloriously? Peter gave reminders (2 Peter 1:12-13) to believers, knowing that he was about to “depart” and die (vv.14-15). He used the word “remember” at least 13 times in this book! He was “stirring up” people’s minds by “way of reminder” (2 Peter 3:1-2). We must remind each other that we must be true Christians.

1) RICHES OF TRUE SALVATION

Peter described himself as a bondservant (Gk. doulos) (2 Peter 1:1-2). As purchased by God through the blood of Christ, believers are also bondservants to Christ. We are slaves to Jesus, and our whole goal in life is to please our Master. The more you walk with God, the more you will live for His glory and His pleasure alone. The faith Peter had is the same faith we all have today – in Jesus Christ as God and Savior. That’s how rich our salvation is – even grace and peace can be multiplied in us based on the true knowledge of God and Jesus our Savior. Jesus defines eternal life: to know (experientially) the only true God and Jesus Christ who was sent (John 17:3).

Great riches of true salvation are experiencing “divine power” and given “everything pertaining to life and godliness” that we receive by grace to live according to His will and design (2 Peter 1:3). We need to claim and possess it by prayer and fasting, and intentionally gain knowledge of what Jesus has granted to us. He is the fulfillment of God’s “precious and magnificent promises” (v.4). Through Jesus is complete forgiveness, eternal life, immortality, and being with God forevermore! As we become “partakers of the divine nature,” we can change since we are given a new nature. Salvation without transformation is an oxymoron. The world is corrupt; its values and concept of right and wrong are crazy. We need Jesus! We are a new creation, and the old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17)! The richness of salvation is this new direction in life. In Christ, we have been made complete (Colossians 2:10)!

2) RESPONSE TO TRUE SALVATION

In response, we must apply all diligence and add 7 traits after having faith in Jesus – moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-6).  Just because we have faith, we shouldn’t stop working to give our 100% for Jesus. We are told to apply all diligence – to give our best effort. To our faith, we must make sure we have MORAL EXCELLENCE — Christlikeness. Some Christians stop growing because they think they have arrived. Coming to Christ does not mean you don’t pursue and make every effort to live like Christ.

We must rid ourselves of both obvious and hidden sins. Keep growing in KNOWLEDGE (2 Peter 3:18). The day we stop growing, we fail and falter. That salvation is by grace through faith, and even faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is not a result of works so that no one will boast. But real faith and real grace will compel us, and grace instructs us to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires” so that we can “live sensibly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11-12). He who began a good work in us will be the One to perfect it until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6)! We are told to work out our salvation – practice and live out our faith (Philippians 2:12-13). The most important thing about us is what we believe to be true about God (A.W. Tozer). We are to take full responsibility for our thought life – “to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).  We must also grow in SELF-CONTROL, to discipline our body and make it our slave (1 Corinthians 9:27), grow in PERSEVERANCE (Gk. Hupomone), endure like how Christ endured (Hebrews 12:1-2).  GODLINESS (Gk. Eusebia) means a life centered on God (1 Timothy 4:7-8). BROTHERLY KINDNESS (Gk. Philadelphia) is to show preference and respect for everyone (Romans 12:10). The last trait is LOVE (Gk. Agape). The love of God is the supernatural source that enables us to love others as He has loved us (1 John 4:7-8,19). We must show evidence of true salvation.

This is possible only through the power of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

3) RESULTS OF TRUE SALVATION

God’s Word + God’s Spirit + Problems + Prayer + Worship + God’s People + Time results in spiritual maturity, which is CHRISTLIKENESS, the evidence of true salvation.  If these qualities increase in us, we become “neither useless nor unfruitful” (2 Peter 1:8-9). If we lack the qualities mentioned, we are also warned that we are blind or short-sighted. 2 Peter 2:20-22 is a sharp reminder – if we have tasted the grace of God and “again entangled and are overcome,” falling away from God – it would have been better that we did not know of the gospel. It’s likened to a dog that returns to its vomit or a pig that returns to the mud.  True salvation results in TRANSFORMATION. We must practice living these truths out in all diligence so that we will not stumble (2 Peter 1:10-11). Stephen, when he was about to die, saw Jesus standing up to welcome him in heaven (Acts 7:56). The Apostle Paul looked forward to the reward (2 Timothy 4:8) upon a grand entrance. May we keep growing so that we will be welcomed by our King and Savior, Jesus Christ, in glory, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).

Let’s pray for everyone in our family and our friends, even church attendees, to experience true salvation.

Work out your salvation so that people will see the evidence of Christlikeness in you.

Share the gospel with others so that they can experience true salvation possible only through Christ.

• Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.

• Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.

• War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented; tension in the West Philippine Sea to be peacefully resolved.

• Continue to pray for the rest of Israeli hostages to be restored back to their families safely. Pray for Israel and the war with terrorists to end according to God’s purpose and for His glory.

• For the civil war in Syria to end peacefully, protection for Christians and other minorities; that there will be freedom from oppression for Syrians. Pray for the gospel to spread rapidly throughout the country.

• That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.

• Elders, pastors, dleaders, and families (holy, humble, harmonious, happy, heart-working).

• Ministries and churches expansion worldwide.

• Worship and Training Center

• Prayer Mountain

• Deeper intimate relationship with God.

• Righteous living.

• Salvation of family and friends.

10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.