Through the Bible - 2 Peter

We, Father, again, it is a blessing to be able to come together as Your people. Lord, a people who at one time were not a people, but now we are. We, at one point, did not receive mercy, but You've given us Your mercy. We thank You so much for Your mercy.

Tonight, as we look into this letter to the church from Peter, the second epistle, I pray, Lord, that You would continue to teach us and instruct us. I thank You for the last year and a half that we've had as we've gone through Your Word, a book a week, Lord. I know that I've been challenged and encouraged as I've read through Your Word and studied these passages. I know that my brothers and sisters have also been challenged to dig deeper, Lord. I pray that You would constantly be drawing us near, teaching us by Your Spirit as You promised to do. For we ask it in Jesus' name, and all God's people said, Amen.

Amen. Well, this second letter of Peter to the church is a little bit different than 1 Peter. In 1 Peter, as we went through last week, we saw that Peter was writing to a church and encouraging them in the midst of trial, difficulty, and coming persecution. That letter was written not too long before 2 Peter. Both of these letters were written during the time that Nero was emperor of Rome.

If you've studied a little bit of history, you know that during the time Nero was emperor, he was a madman. In his madness, he persecuted the church greatly. He is believed to have had many parts of Rome burned and set on fire, and then he blamed a lot of that on different groups, primarily the believers, the Christians. They were an easy minority to single out. As a result, the church was persecuted by Nero during this time.

Peter's writing to encourage and strengthen the church in 1 Peter. However, in the midst of this external persecution, there were also internal problems in the church. Very early on in the early church, heretical teachings were being spread.

A lot of times, we can look at the early church with a kind of glowing gaze and think that everything was perfect and flowing smoothly. However, that's not the case at all. When you study through the Book of Acts, it highlights many great things that were happening in the church, but it covers a period of about 30 years in only 28 chapters. There were many events and issues during that time.

For instance, we see Ananias and Sapphira and the problems they brought into the church in Acts chapter 5. This indicates that there were difficulties and issues. As we continue through the Book of Acts on Sunday mornings, we will also see the contention between Paul and Barnabas, as well as the issues within the church in Antioch and the church in Jerusalem regarding the Gentiles and the gospel being shared with them. Clearly, there were issues within the early church, including heresy being taught.

It is believed that the second letter that Peter wrote was composed around 64 to 66 AD. Prior to the Apostle Paul's martyrdom, which occurred somewhere between 66 and 68 AD, Peter mentions Paul in this letter, indicating that Paul was still alive at that time. This period is also close to Peter's own death, as he was killed in the late 60s AD. Tradition holds that he was crucified in Rome, but as he was being led out to be crucified, he did not want to die in the same manner as his Lord. He felt unworthy to die the same death that Jesus did, so they crucified him upside down, head down, while he professed his faith in the Lord.

You can still visit the area in Rome today, near St. Peter's Basilica, where it is believed that he was martyred, close to where Nero's games were held. This was just prior to his death, and during this time, heresies were beginning to infiltrate the church. One of the early heresies that started to emerge was Gnosticism. Gnosticism, or the Gnostics, comes from the Greek word "gnosis," which means knowledge.

It is interesting that when you read through this letter, you will notice that Peter speaks a lot about knowledge. A true understanding of who Jesus is is the best way to combat heresy. Four times in this letter, he tells the church that they need to be built up with the knowledge of our God and Jesus Christ, emphasizing the importance of knowing our Savior. The knowledge of the Lord is, therefore, very important.

Growing in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ is how we are strengthened against false doctrine and false teaching. In this letter, Peter references the emergence of false teachers, just as there were false prophets in Old Testament times. There are false teachers in the church age, and we see those false teachers even today. Here we are, 2,000 years later, and there are many false teachers within the body of Christ and within the church. They have deceived and led many people away. Peter mentions and speaks about this very same issue in his letter because he is calling the church to be on guard.

The only real way for us to be on guard against these outside or inside heresies, which are sometimes built up and brought in by the enemy, is to know the Scriptures and to know the Lord. You have probably heard the illustration used many times about counterfeit money. How does a banker or someone know what is counterfeit and what is not? They get to know the genuine, the real, very well. As they do, when a counterfeit bill is passed through their hands, they can recognize that something doesn't feel right or look right.

There are so many different counterfeiters out there. In fact, when we had our coffee shop in Escondido, there were a number of counterfeit bills that came through during that time. We spoke with one of the police officers, and there was an issue with a lot of counterfeiting in that area. A lot of times, we don't realize it. I remember one time when Jason, our manager, was counting through the money. He was incredibly quick; I had never seen someone count money so fast. As he went through the $20 bills, he suddenly paused and said, "Whoa, wait a minute, something doesn't feel right." He counted through them again and pulled out one bill, saying, "I think this is counterfeit." When he brought it to the bank, they confirmed it was indeed counterfeit.

You need to get to know the genuine to be able to recognize the counterfeit. This is something that many people in our age have a difficult time with. They often take world religions classes or study other religions to identify the errors and inconsistencies in Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and other groups. They try to figure out how to combat these groups, which is fine and good. However, I would encourage people to dig into the Word of God and get to know it in such a way that when you encounter a heresy or something that is wrong or not doctrinal, you will be able to say, "Wait a minute, that doesn't stand up to this. That doesn't fit with what the Bible says."

And so, while it can be helpful sometimes to know what these other faiths believe, I think it's more important to know what you believe and to be built up in and stand upon the true Word of God. We should focus on growing in godly character and in who we are in Christ. This letter, being three chapters long, is divided up as three chapters in our Bibles. It divides up really well along those chapter lines. Sometimes, when you're reading through a book in the Bible, the chapter lines don't seem to make sense; it feels like it cuts off right in the middle of a thought. However, with this letter, the outline fits pretty well with the chapters.

In the first chapter, we really look at the development of Christian character and how we are to grow in character in Christ. Both Paul and Peter, as well as John, were focused on people growing in godly character. The reason for that is the Great Commission that our Lord gave. Jesus did not say to go and make converts; He said to go and make disciples. These men, who were apostles—not just Peter, James, and John, but the rest of the body of Christ as well—were focused on developing those who truly knew and understood the Word of God.

In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews states that by now, you ought to be teachers. He is writing to the church, indicating that everyone should be in a position where they know and understand these things by now. Jesus said to go into all the world and make disciples. As He continued in the Great Commission, He instructed us to teach them to observe everything that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

We need to ensure that we are instructing, teaching, and discipling people, raising them up in their understanding of the Word of God. This is the best way to combat false doctrine and heresy. There were false prophets in the Old Testament, and there were ways to identify a false prophet. Remember the book of Deuteronomy? It states that if a prophet comes among you and says you are to move in a certain direction or depart from the Lord, you should not listen to him. The key thing to look for in a prophet is whether he speaks the truth, if it aligns with the Word of God, and if his prophecies come to pass. If they do not, then he is not a true prophet; he is a false prophet.

The same principle applies to false teachers. If they are teaching anything that is outside of what the gospel declares, we are to say no; this is anathema. That person is to be accursed. If you would just flip over to Galatians chapter 1 briefly, Paul speaks to this principle in Galatians 1, verse 8.

Actually, we'll start in verse 6, because it kind of flows from there. Paul says to the church at Galatia, and this is very likely Paul's first letter. You can imagine that this was pretty early on in the church. He says, "I marvel," in verse 6 of Galatians 1, "that you are so soon removed from him that calls you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another. But there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed. As I said before, so say I now again: if any man preaches another gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be accursed."

Twice Paul emphasizes the importance of this message. If anyone comes in teaching anything else other than what you've already received from the Word of God, let him be accursed. The Greek word "anathema" is used here, and it speaks of damnation. That is a pretty heavy thing to say. Jesus said of false teachers that it would be better to have a millstone hung around your neck and be cast into the depths of the sea than to teach one of these little ones something false and lead them astray.

False teaching, false doctrine, and false prophets represent an extremely dangerous area because they lead people astray. They divert individuals from the truth of the gospel and lead them into damnation. There have been many, and perhaps "ignorant" may not be the nicest word to use, but many ignorant people have been led astray and have died in their sins because they followed false teaching. They are in hell today because of their ignorance, and it is a very serious matter.

The Lord looks at the false teacher and the false prophet and says, "That is to be accursed." There is, in a sense, a strict judgment for those who would lead people astray.

In the first chapter, Peter really focuses on building godly character and how we are to grow in Christ. He starts here in verse 1: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle." I love that he recognizes his service, his bond service to the Lord. He is a slave of the Lord and an apostle. Remember what Jesus had told his disciples? Peter was often one in the gospels who would ask, "Who is going to be great? Who is going to be great?" He always wanted to know who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord would say, "He who is the servant among you is the greatest."

So here Peter identifies himself as a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained...

Like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. One of the neat things that Peter really emphasizes over and over again in this letter is the lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He calls Him Lord and Savior a number of times in these three chapters, and he really emphasizes this idea of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

He writes to those who have obtained a like precious faith through the righteousness of God. We have received from God such great and precious promises because of the work that Jesus did on our behalf, not of anything that you and I have done. However, he writes this letter not just to believers who lived in the 60s AD, nearly 2,000 years ago, but to anybody who has received this like precious faith. Our ears should perk up; he is speaking to you and me.

Just as Paul began every single one of his 13 letters, and as we will see even John in his letters next week, in 3 John, he also starts this way. Peter says, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of our Lord, of God, and Jesus Christ our Lord." So underline the word "knowledge" there in verse 2, because that is a real thematic part of these three chapters that Peter writes. The knowledge of God is so very important.

Jesus said in John chapter 17, as He prayed in verse 3, "This is eternal life, that you might know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent." Eternal life begins the moment you come into a relationship with God, the moment you come into that understanding and knowledge of who He is through Jesus Christ. We step into a new life, born again, as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John chapter 3.

He prayed and said, "This is eternal life, that you might know God." The Greek word there is "gnosko," that you might know Him, "gnosis." Here again is that word used, through the knowledge of God. Grace and peace are multiplied to you and me through the knowledge of God.

Sometimes people want to know how they can really be built up and grow in the grace of God, and how they can receive and understand the peace of God. Here again, Peter focuses on that and says it is through the knowledge of God. Get to know Him, and you'll get to know the abundance of grace and the abundance of peace that is only found in Him. There are so many people in the world who are seeking knowledge and understanding of things, and if they are not seeking it from God...

God, they'll never find the grace and the peace that is so necessary to this life and eternal life. It is only found in the knowledge of God. According to His divine power, He has given us all things—underline this—all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us unto glory and virtue.

Here again, He talks about the knowledge of Him, the knowledge of God. He says that God has given us, by His divine power, everything we need. Now think about that. How powerful is God? Have you ever tried to wrap your mind around that? I mean, I don't think you can. We are finite in our minds, and God is infinite. When you step back and try to grasp the power of God, all His divine power, it's immense. It's immeasurable. There is no possible way that you and I could grasp it completely. If we could grasp God's divine power, He would not be big enough to be God.

In His divine power, He has given you and me everything that pertains to life and godliness. This is a very important principle. God has given us everything we need to live this life in a godly way. Through His Word and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God has equipped us to live this life in a godly manner. If we don't live and walk in godliness, it's not God's fault; it's our fault. It's my fault in my flesh if I'm not living and walking in godliness.

He has given us sufficient power to walk in a godly manner through the knowledge of His Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no possible way that we could stand before God and say, "The reason I sinned is because You didn't give me enough power and strength." Remember, James said, "Let no one say when he is tempted that I am tempted of God, because God tempts no man." So it's not the Lord's fault; it's not the Lord's problem. When you fall, falter, and fail, it's not His fault. Although some people blame it on the Lord, it is simply not His fault. It is our flesh.

Sometimes people will say, "I'm only human. The reason I do these things is because I'm only human." Well, remember, Jesus was 100% human. So to say, "I'm only human" is a problem, because we do not have a high priest who cannot understand. He was tempted at all points yet without sin. Therefore, God, in His divine power, has given everything that you and I need for life and godliness.

How, though? Well, through the knowledge of Him who has called us unto glory and virtue. As we get to know Him, His Word, and the indwelling Spirit of God in our lives, you and I more and more understand the gifts that we have in Christ and how we are able to exercise those in this life. A lot of Christians live as though they're spiritually bankrupt, when in reality, we've been given every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, as Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1. It is such a sad thing that we live as spiritual paupers a lot of the time, instead of relying upon our God and Savior and pressing into the knowledge of Him. He has called us to glory and virtue.

Notice that. God has called us so that you and I would be glorifying unto Him. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." We can and should glorify God. God has called us to glory. Now, in one sense, this is being called to glory and to glorify Him, but it is also that He has called us to eternal glory. How great it is to know that God has called us and is preparing us for eternal glory. We will be with Him eternally in glory.

But He has also called us to virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. God has called us. He has called us to glory and virtue. By these things, He has given us exceedingly great and precious promises. Not just great promises, but exceedingly great and precious promises. How will you ever know what those exceedingly great and precious promises are if you don't get to know your God? That is why it is so important. Two times in the first three verses, He emphasizes that we need to get into the knowledge of God. It is the only way that we will begin to understand these great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature.

Just a couple of verses before this, He talked about God's divine power, and now He speaks about us being partakers of the divine nature. This means that God's nature begins to indwell you and me. Paul talked quite a bit about this as well. In Colossians, he said that this is our hope: that we have Christ in us, the hope of glory. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. We are the temple of the living God. Now, Christ dwells in you, and as He dwells in you, His Spirit empowers you and fills your life.

As you allow Him to fill your life, which I believe really involves us yielding to Him and allowing Him to work in and through us, we begin to understand more and more what it's like to function in and walk in the Spirit. We are able to live in this divine nature that God has given to us. Yes, we have flesh, and yes, sometimes we try to excuse our sin by saying, "I'm just human." However, being human means you have been indwelt by the living God. We are partakers of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In addition to this, give all diligence. Highlight that in verse 5: give diligence to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness or brotherly love, and to brotherly kindness charity, which is love—agape. The brotherly kindness speaks very much of phileo, but this charity speaks of agape love. The end of all this is love.

We see this theme so many times in the epistles of the New Testament. God is seeking to bring us into the place where we truly fulfill His law. All the law and the prophets hang upon one word: love. Jesus is asked a question in the Gospels by a lawyer who comes to Him one day and says, "What's the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replies, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." The second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Every Jew understood how to answer that question. They all knew what the greatest commandment of the law was, and they all knew how to answer it.

So, Jesus says to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself. We are called to love—first and foremost, to love God above all things, and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. Paul sums it up in Galatians, stating that all of the law is summed up in one word: love.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, as Paul discusses the gifts of the Holy Spirit in chapter 12, he concludes chapter 12 by saying, "But I show you a better way." For the next 13 verses in chapter 13, he speaks about this agape love that suffers long, is kind, does not boast itself, and is not arrogant. All these great aspects of love culminate in the very end of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, where he states, "Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

We've been discussing these themes as we go through Hebrews and many of the epistles in the New Testament.

Mature believers are those who exercise faith and have hope towards God. Ultimately, it comes down to love. This is not a natural tendency; it's not a natural characteristic in any person. In fact, the only one who loves is the one who knows God. This refers to agape, the self-sacrificing love. That's why, in the King James Version, agape is often translated as charity. For the King James translators, the word that seemed to encompass it best was charity. It is a love that gives out, not seeking to receive anything back. It is a love that empties itself, and we see this displayed in Jesus on the cross.

Jesus said in John chapter 15, "Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends." This may be the greatest demonstration of man's love: to lay down his life for a friend. However, God demonstrates His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were His enemies, He died for us.

Peter says to give diligence to add to your faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly kindness. Ultimately, the end of all these things is love. I believe that no one can fulfill this unless they have the Holy Spirit of God, because the fruit of the Spirit is, first and foremost, love. It is the overflow of the Spirit in my life and in yours that begins to cultivate these qualities.

However, we do have a responsibility. We have Christ in us, the hope of glory. It is God who works in us to will and to do His good pleasure, but there is the responsibility of man. I believe that responsibility, as a Christian, is to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, to allow Him to work in and through us, and to give diligence to do so. A lot of times, we just don't want to do it because we are lazy or filled with our own desires, and we refuse to give up the throne of our lives.

Remember, Jesus told Peter and the rest of the disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him take up his cross." Leonard Ravenhill, a great preacher of the last century, used to say that every Jew knew if they saw a man taking a cross and walking outside of the city, they knew at least one thing: he wasn't coming back. Any person carrying a cross wasn't coming back. If you and I are to follow Christ, it means to take up our cross, and that means we are not coming back to our own authority.

On our own lordship in our lives, we are giving everything over to Him. We step out by faith to do this, but it is something that we have to decide to do. The lordship of Christ does not just happen in my life and yours. He is Lord; He is Lord of lords and King of kings. However, the lordship of Christ in my life involves me laying down my life and saying, "You are Lord," and recognizing that He is the one who should be guiding and directing me.

We want to grow in Christian godly character, but the only way to do this is for us to lay our lives down at His feet and say, "I am Yours. Take me and do with me as You please." A lot of times, we look at our lives as if we are the captains of our ships. This is especially true in the American mindset, which is built on individualism. It is really part of the American gene, ingrained in every one of us. If you consider the people who came to this nation and our forefathers, even if you come from immigrants just one generation back, they were the risk-takers of their nations. They were the ones who stepped out and said, "I am leaving everything that I know, and I am going to this new place called America."

America is built with a whole bunch of risk-takers, a whole bunch of individualistic risk-takers. The idea of ceding control of my life over to another is something that we have a hard time with, isn't it? A lot of times, we say, "Alright, Lord, this is what I am going to do. I will scoot over into the passenger seat; I will let You drive." But that is not good enough. Then we think, "Maybe I will just get in the back seat, and Lord, You drive. You do what You want." But that is still not good enough.

What we need to do is take the keys out of the ignition, go to the back of the car, open up the trunk, get inside, hand the keys to the Lord Jesus, close the trunk, and say, "You do with me as You please." However, we have a hard time doing that and completely giving ourselves over to Him. But that is what the call of the gospel is: deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him.

In 2 Peter 1:8, it says, "If these things be in you and abound, they make that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." There it is again. If these things are in you and abound, it means that you will not be barren or unfruitful. You will be fruitful if these things are in you and abound. Psalm 1 is a passage that is near to my own heart. When I was ordained as a pastor in 2002, I believe it was.

Pastor Mark was the one who shared at the ordination, and he shared from Psalm 1. Ever since then, it has been something that I have leaned upon. Psalm 1 says, "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he does meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper."

Now, here in 2 Peter, we read of the one who will not be barren or unfruitful. When we think of unfruitfulness, we quickly turn our minds toward a tree. The righteous individual is called a tree here. In fact, in Isaiah, we read that you and I are the planting of the Lord. We are His vineyard; we are His trees, the planting of the Lord that He should be glorified in my life and in yours.

We read that the one who delights in the Lord and His law meditates day and night. Would you say that a person who delights in the Lord and meditates in His law day and night is someone who has a good knowledge of God? Yes, this is a person that has a good knowledge of God because they have meditated in God's law day and night. This person shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water and brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper.

We know and understand that trees, especially fruit-bearing trees, have seasons. We look forward to the times when we will get oranges or apples, or whatever it may be. We know what time of year certain fruits will be really good because we are going through the season for that growth. We also know that those trees shed their leaves at different seasons. They go through times of fruitfulness and times of shedding their leaves.

However, the tree spoken of here says, "His leaf shall not wither." It speaks of fruitfulness continually. In the book of Revelation, we read of a tree that gives a different kind of fruit every month. This is a continuously bearing fruit type of tree. The Lord has called us to be like that, but the tree that continually bears fruit is one that is planted by the rivers of water.

Now, what is the living water as Jesus describes it? In John chapter 7, He says, "If any man thirsts, let him come unto me." Right after that, His disciple says that this He spoke of what? The Holy Spirit. Therefore, the living water in my life and yours is the Holy Spirit.

We need to be planted by the rivers of water, by that living water, by the Holy Spirit. Planted in Him. I was reading through a book this last week on Psalm 1, and something very interesting stood out to me. The writer of this book said that the tree receives its nourishment and food from the sun and from the water it takes in, but it gives forth fruit. It gives forth food for others that it never partakes of. I thought that was a pretty interesting concept and idea.

It's the same for my life and yours. We receive our nourishment from the heavens, from God in heaven, and from this living water. As we are planted in Christ and receiving our nourishment from God, we become fruitful. As we stand upon the Word of God, trusting in and building our knowledge of who He is, we will never be barren or unfruitful, as we read in 2 Peter.

In 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 9, it says that he who lacks these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. The person who is not giving diligence to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love has forgotten that God has called them out of darkness and into His marvelous light. They have forgotten that He has called them out of the wickedness of this world and given them the ability to be purged of their old sins.

Therefore, brethren, give diligence, as it says again in verse 10, to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fail. If we do these things, He says, we shall never fail. We might fall, as we read in Proverbs of the one who falls seven times, but that doesn't mean they are going to hell. We might fall down as we follow after the Lord, but we will never fail if we are doing these things, seeking to make our call and election sure.

Just before the children of Israel entered into the promised land, God spoke to their new leader, Joshua. In Joshua chapter 1, verse 6, we read, "Be strong and of good courage. For unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do all the law which Moses, My servant, commanded you. Do not turn to the right hand or to the left hand from it, that you may prosper whithersoever thou goest." This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night.

That you may observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then shall you make your way prosperous, and then shall you have good success. You see, God gives us the equation for success in our walk with the Lord. He gives us the equation for prosperity in a walk with the Lord.

When I say prosperity, I know there have been those false teachers who have said prosperity is all about monetary gain, and that's not true. Prosperity in God and in God's economy is completely different from man's economy. It has everything to do with storing up your treasures in heaven and not here on earth.

But He says the person who is going to be prosperous and have good success in their walk with the Lord is the one who meditates in God's word day and night and seeks to do that which God has called them to do. They give diligence to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. They give diligence to seeking the Lord in His word and studying in His word. They meditate day and night.

If you do these things, you shall never fail, Peter tells us. Peter was one who understood failure; he knew failure. But God, through Peter, says if you do these things, you'll never fail. For so an entrance shall be ministered, as stated in verse 11 of 2 Peter, chapter 1, an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There again, he talks about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth.

I don't care if you've been a Christian for 15 years, 20 years, 30 years, or 50 years. It's still good to look through the word of God daily, through passages you've read a hundred times and studied through. Maybe you've taught on them. Whatever it may be, we're told here, Peter says, I will not be negligent to always put you in remembrance of these truths, even though you know them and are established in the present truth.

I know you can come to Saturday night and Sunday morning and Wednesday night, or any other night of the week that we're having services here at the church, and I'll guarantee you'll probably hear the same things over and over again. Why? Well, God knows that we need to be hearing these things again and again. He needs to remind us of the first things because so quickly we forget. The only way for us to really be strong in these things is to be always put in remembrance.

And Peter says it would be a neglect for me to go back and reiterate these things over and over again. Though you know them and you've already been established in the present truth, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. Knowing that shortly I will put off this body, I realize that I am going to die. He knew that his time was near and that he would be put to death. Shortly I will put off this tabernacle, even as Jesus Christ has shown me. He had a prophetic understanding that he was going to die soon.

Moreover, I will endeavor that you may be able, after my death, to have these things always in remembrance. I am doing everything I can so that when I die, you still have this and are able to remember. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables. From verse 16 on through 21, this is so very important. The grounds for our belief—where does our faith come from? It's not just something that these guys made up. They didn't get together after Jesus was dead and buried and say, "Well, let's come up with a new religion." No, He rose from the dead. But it wasn't just His resurrection; these things were prophesied.

Peter emphasizes that these are not made-up stories or cunningly devised fables. He saw Him in the flesh. Peter says, "I heard the voice of God the Father on the Mount of Transfiguration," as recorded in Matthew chapter 17 and Luke chapter 9. He heard God say, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with Him in the holy mountain.

We also have a more sure word of prophecy. Not only do we have the eyewitness testimony of Peter and many of the other disciples, who heard Jesus speak these words, but we also have the prophetic understanding of the Old Testament. We have the more sure word of prophecy. Knowing this first...

These holy men spoke as God moved them to speak. It wasn't just something that they made up; God moved them to speak. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It's God-breathed. God was the one who stirred these holy men to write these things down.

However, in chapter 2, we move from the development of Christian character in our lives to a condemnation of false teachers. There were false prophets also among the people, just as there shall be false teachers among you. There were holy men of God who were stirred by God in the Old Testament to write these things down, but there were also false prophets in the midst of the congregation. Just as today, two thousand years after Peter writes this, there are false teachers within the church.

There were false prophets among the people, and there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. They bring upon themselves swift destruction. These heresies are worthy of damnation. Just as Paul said in Galatians chapter 1, those who teach this other gospel are anathema; they are to be accursed. They will be accursed by God. Those who teach these false doctrines bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Now, perhaps they will have a long life here, but they will face swift destruction in the next life. A terrible calamity will come upon them. Many, notice that and circle it in verse 2, many shall follow their pernicious ways. That is such a sad fact. Many have followed these false prophets and false teachers. Many shall follow their pernicious ways, and as a result, the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Because of these false teachers and the people who have followed their false teaching, many call the church a place of hypocrites. There are many who defame the name of our Lord or speak evil of the truth because of the witness of these believers who followed false teachers and do not truly know the Lord. Thus, the truth shall be evil spoken of. Through covetousness, they shall with feigned words make merchandise of you.

These false teachers come in desiring something for themselves. They are not seeking to follow the Lord and serve Him for His glory; rather, they seek to preach a gospel for their own glory or what they can receive. They make merchandise of the people, whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not. Even though it seems like the Lord is turning a blind eye to these things, saying, "I'm not going to take care of it," the Lord is going to judge these matters.

For if God spared not the angels, He gives us several examples of God's judgment. If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment, then we must take heed. He spared not the old world, but only saved Noah and eight persons, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly. He delivered Lot, who was vexed with the filthy conversation or conduct of the wicked. That righteous man, dwelling among them, seeing and hearing, was vexed in his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. He gives us a few examples: God judged the angels. What angels? The angels that stepped up against God and sinned, those that rebelled against Him and fell from their heavenly estate. Perhaps He is speaking about those that were led away with Lucifer and rebelled against God, a third of whom were kicked out of heaven. He may also be referring to the passage in Genesis chapter 6, where it says, "The sons of God came in unto the daughters of men," and they brought forth a strange group of beings called the Nephilim.

This is a very interesting topic, and many within the body of Christ believe that these angelic beings took on human form and procreated with women, causing the judgment that ultimately came about through the flood. God said that these angels that sinned were cast down to be judged. He did not spare these angels. He did not spare the old world before the flood; He judged the entire world with a flood. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah. However, He delivered Noah and Lot, these righteous and godly men.

Out of those situations, God still judged. He will judge the false teachers and the false prophets as well, as we are told here. He has reserved for the unjust a day of judgment to be punished, but chiefly for those who walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. They are presumptuous and self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring railing accusations against them before the Lord.

These individuals are natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. They speak evil of things they do not understand and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. They shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. What is the wage or reward of unrighteousness? Death. This is not just speaking of physical death, but of eternal spiritual death. These false teachers shall be judged, as God says. They are prepared for judgment and shall utterly perish in their own corruption, receiving the reward of unrighteousness, as they count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you.

Having eyes full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls. In their hearts, they have exercised covetous practices. They are cursed children who have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, as we read about in Numbers chapter 22. These false teachers follow the way of that false prophet Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb donkey, speaking with a man's voice, forbade him and stopped the madness of the prophet. God tried to stop him, but he would not be stopped.

These are wells without water, clouds carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. That is a scary word. What does it mean when it says they are wells without water and clouds carried with a tempest? I think this references a couple of other important passages. Jesus speaks of the word of God being water that washes us, as noted in Ephesians chapter 5. In the Old Testament, we also find similar imagery in Isaiah chapter 55.

God says through the prophet Isaiah, just as the rain comes down and waters the earth, causing it to bring forth fruit and ultimately seed and wheat for bread, in the same way, He says, My word shall go forth and it shall not return void. The rain goes forth, waters the earth, and brings forth fruit, and My word goes forth and will not return unto Me void. His word is like the rain spoken of in Isaiah chapter 55.

Here we read about false prophets who are like wells without water and clouds carried about by a storm. They speak great swelling words of emptiness, but they do not have the word of God, which is the very thing that does not return void. These false prophets go out into the world, but they cannot change men's souls. They can lead people astray, but they cannot change men's souls. There is a place reserved for them in hell, and that is a scary thought. These false teachers are to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.

When they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh those who have escaped from those who live in error. While they promise liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage. Peter says here that these false teachers and false converts come into the church seeking to lead people away. They lead people away by alluring them with their own desires, placating to the desires of man through much wantonness.

I know some people won't like what I'm about to say, but I believe it to be the truth. There are those within the body of Christ who teach a doctrine that completely caters to the desires of our flesh. They say that if you give money to this ministry, God will give you a hundredfold. What kind of doctrine is that? It is complete greed being instructed there. They are saying that if you just give, then you will get. All their giving is completely about getting. They allure people with words that cater to their desires, and it leads them astray.

They proclaim a kind of liberty. They proclaim a kind of freedom. We have such great freedom in Christ, but in reality, these people become slaves of corruption. They become bound in sin. They are told of the great liberty and freedom that they have in Christ and how, if they just give, they are going to get as much as they possibly can. Some of these people are brought into bondage. Some of these hearers of such teachers are brought into bondage.

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, their latter end is worse than their beginning. It would have been better for them to have not known the way of righteousness. These are some heavy words. Peter says that these people, who get seduced by this false teaching and find themselves bound up, would be better off if they had not known the way of righteousness than to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. They have departed from the truth of the gospel to this false teaching.

But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb: the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. There are people who receive the gospel preached in these days by false teachers, and they believe that they are possibly going to go to heaven one day. Ultimately, however, they find themselves in bondage and living in wickedness in this world because they have not been instructed in the true knowledge of God through His Word. They have not exercised themselves toward godliness, nor have they made their calling and election sure. They have no assurance of true salvation, although they experience some sort of temporal blessing because of the things their church offers them.

But they need the truth of the gospel. Now, as we move into chapter 3, Peter shifts our focus from the false teachers and those who follow them to the second coming of the Lord. In this second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles, and of the Lord and Savior.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own desires and lusts, saying, "Where is the promise?"

Of His coming? For since our fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this, they are willingly ignorant of, that by the word of God, the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished.

He says here, these people say, "Where's the sign of God's coming? Everything has stayed the same since creation." But Peter says, "Hey, they're ignorant of the word of God because the word of God says that's not the case." God created the world, and then judgment came through the flood, and it overflowed, and all that were there perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

He says the Lord is going to return and judge one day. He's not going to judge with a flood. Next time, He's going to come, and all this is going to burn with a fervent heat. There are those who deny the coming of the Lord. They say, "Where's the sign of His coming? Everything's been the same since the beginning." Peter says, "Not so." Let me remind you, God destroyed everybody that were sinners in the past with a flood, and He's coming once again to destroy it with fire, and He's going to destroy the ungodly men.

But beloved, be not ignorant. That's a good exhortation. They are ignorant, but don't you be ignorant of this one thing: that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but He is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

Why has God taken two thousand years? Because He's patient, and He's not willing that any should perish. He does not desire that any would perish. Now, this is a good indication that God's will is not always fulfilled. Because He's not willing that any should perish, and yet there are many that do. Why has the Lord taken so long? Because He's waiting. He's desiring that all men would come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come. Highlight that in verse 10: the day of the Lord will come. It will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct?

And godliness? Just as with many of the prophetic passages in Scripture, when we read God's prophetic promise, it's an encouragement and a comfort to those who believe, but it's also an exhortation towards godly living. He says, "If you know these things, church, if you know that one day the Lord is going to come and judge the unrighteous, should that not affect the way you live?"

Seeing that these things are all going to burn, look around you. Everything you see, everything that you have, everything that you're trying to acquire, it's all going to burn. Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, how will that affect the way we live today? We are looking for and hastening unto the coming day of God, wherein the heaven being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt in fervent heat.

Nevertheless, according to His promise, we look for a new heavens and a new earth. Don't be discouraged that all this is going to be destroyed because God is going to create for us, His followers, the believers who are not ignorant, a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. We should be looking forward to that.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found in Him, in peace, without spot or blemish. Be diligent, once again, and account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul, and I find this really interesting, has written unto you according to the wisdom given unto him.

In all his letters, he speaks of these things, which in some cases are hard to be understood. Those who are unlearned and unstable rest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. He references some of Paul's writings, saying, "Hey, Paul writes about this stuff too," although some of his writings are kind of hard to understand.

For those who have turned away from these things, it will be their destruction. Therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things, beware, lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. He finishes, again, with knowledge.

By saying, "But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen." Since you know these things, church, since you know that there are false teachers and people who are led away by these false teachers, and since you know that God is going to judge the false teachers and the false followers, we need to be diligent to make our call and election sure.

We need to give diligence to our faith to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. How do we do this? By drawing into and gaining the knowledge of the Lord. The knowledge of the Lord is key; getting to know Him is essential, for this is eternal life: that you would know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

I believe we are approaching that day when He shall come once again. Although there are those people, just as Peter prophetically announced, there will be in the last days scoffers who will come and say, "Where is the sign of His coming? Everything's been the same since the beginning." There are many people in the world today who say, "Oh, where is the sign of His coming? Everything's been the same since the beginning." But that's not the case.

Thousands of years ago, God destroyed all His creation in man with a flood. Interestingly, science confirms this, even though they won't tell you that. Many of their fossil records and geological findings all seem to point to it. He destroyed it all with a flood, and He has prophetically told us that one day He is going to come and destroy it with fervent heat. He did promise He wouldn't destroy it with a flood again, but He didn't say anything about no fire. He will come again.

Knowing this, and seeing that we have these things beforehand, beware lest you be led away by these false teachers. The only way to guard against this false teaching, because they can be so crafty, is to know the Lord. There are so many false doctrines and false teachings out there that there is no possible way you could be an expert on every single one of them. It would be a waste of your time to try to become an expert on every single one of them. Instead, be an expert on God's Word. Be an expert on the knowledge of Him, and you will not fail.

You might fall down, but you won't fail. Let's stand and pray.

Father, I do ask that you would help us to plant these things deep in our hearts tonight. I pray that your word, which is precious seed, would grow and produce fruit in our lives. Lord, I ask that you would help me and my brothers and sisters here to be those who meditate upon your word day and night.

Help us to constantly take the time to consider it, to mull it over in our minds, to dissect it, and to digest it. May it become a part of our lives, just as if we eat the cookies that have been prepared for us after the service tonight. As they go down into our stomachs and are broken apart by enzymes, we take them in, and they become a part of us.

Lord, would your word that has gone into our ears sink into our hearts tonight? By your Spirit, I pray that you would remind us of these things and help us to meditate upon them. May we digest your word so that it becomes a part of us, transforming the way that we live. Knowing these things, Lord, may it change our conduct.

For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. We'll see you next time.