Adding to Your Faith Spiritual Security Spiritual Security

Adding to Your Faith Spiritual Security

Spiritual Security • Must do your part • God has done His part: 2 Pet. 1: 3, 4 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. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. • We must apply all diligence to supply virtues, 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • God’s grace give us the opportunity to share His nature & escape corruption • Make every effort with faith to lavishly supply moral excellence

Apply All Diligence • applying - pareispherō - to bring in besides; contribute besides • diligence - spoudē earnestness; make every effort to add; exert yourself • Growth doesn’t happen overnight - takes time, patience & hard work • Must secure our faith - not forever weak & falling away • Add virtues to our lives - make a constant moral advance - put forth a supreme effort in co-operation with God's grace Phil. 2: 12, 13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. • Free moral agents - called & chosen through the gospel, 2 Thess. 2: 14

I. Faith 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • Faith is the foundation of our religion Heb. 11: 1, 6 • in your faith - trust in testimony; conviction Jesus is the Christ; loyal adhesion to His teaching • Our response to all God has provided - moves us to repent, confess & be baptized • Let faith not be wanting in virtue, etc.

I. Faith 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • supply - epichorēgeō - furnish or provide (at one's own expense) • chorēgos noun - leader of a chorus - voluntarily took the duty at his own expense • Equip the soul with virtues for life in a lavish & generous way

II. Moral excellence (virtue) 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • aretē - virtue, excellence, moral goodness {moral vigor]; courage to stand up & do what is right; conform to a standard of morality • Strives to be of the highest quality in everything you do. • The world pressures us to conform - Accepts homosexuality, drinking, abortion, drugs, fornication, adulterous marriages etc. • Courage to proclaim the one faith & body of the Bible. Eph. 4: 4 -6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. • The world - "Worship anyway you please at the church of your choice. "

II. Moral excellence (virtue) 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • Some lack moral excellence Jn. 12: 42, 43 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. • Will face trials, persecutions, temptations & ridicule • Never waver from our faith • Always do what is right

III. Knowledge 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • • Knowledge - gnosis - understanding of the Scriptures - knowledge of things lawful & unlawful for Christians - moral wisdom such as seen in right living Weak and in danger without it Hos. 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. • Bible knowledge - understand truth & error - not easily misled 1 Pet. 2: 2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

III. Knowledge 2 Pet. 1: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; • Be diligent to acquire knowledge 2 Tim. 2: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. • Grow in grace and knowledge, 2 Pet. 3: 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

IV. Self-control (temperance) 2 Pet. 1: 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; • Self-control (temperance) - ability to take a grip of oneself - the virtue of one who masters his desires & passions, esp. his sensual appetites • Aristotle - reason fights against passion & prevails • Barclay - The Christian ethic does not contemplate a situation in which a man has emasculated all passion; it envisages a situation in which his passions remain, but are under perfect control & so become his servants, not his tyrants. • Must control our thoughts, tongue, temper & actions • Our own passions & desires draw us away & entice us. Jam. 1: 14 • We must control them to avoid sin.

IV. Self-control (temperance) 2 Pet. 1: 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; • Paul forced his body to obey his will in order to be saved. 1 Cor. 9: 25 -27 And everyone who competes in the games exercises selfcontrol in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. • Let reason be in charge of what you do in each thing • One has a determined goal & a plan to reach it • Abstain from all things contrary to the plan - Get a grip • Instant gratification vs. controlling ourselves & avoiding sin

Four More Virtues To Add • Perseverance - godliness - brotherly kindness, love 2 Pet. 1: 6, 7 • • Benefits received by adding virtues 2 Pet. 1: 8 -11 - Will not be barren or unfruitful - Will be keep from spiritual blindness - Will never fall or stumble - Entrance into heaven will be abundantly supplied Salvation requires constant growth & adding of virtues

Invitation • Baptism Into Christ • Last step • Outgrowth of faith, repentance & confession • Red - Contact with the blood of Christ • Romans 6: 3, 4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Rom. 5: 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

V. Perseverance (patience) 2 Pet. 1: 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; • perseverance - hupomonē - steadfastness, constancy, endurance: unswerved from ones deliberate purpose & loyalty to faith & piety by even the greatest trials & sufferings • Barclay - always has the background of courage; does not simply accept & endure, but looks ahead in trials & suffering, Heb. 11: 2 despised the shame - because of the joy set before • We will all have problems in life that we must endure Jam. 1: 3, 4 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

V. Perseverance (patience) 2 Pet. 1: 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; • Run the race with endurance to win, Heb. 12: 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, • The persevering gain the inheritance, Heb. 6: 12 that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

VI. Godliness 2 Pet. 1: 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; • godliness - eusebeia - reverence, respect; piety towards God, godliness; reverently observant of religion; devout; profound honor & respect for God • Showing respect for God in our minds & lives. • We live in an increasing godless & immoral society. • - Right & wrong determined by God's word & not society or given situations - Knowing the truth makes us free, Jn. 8: 32 - Lying is always wrong We should be a person of holy conduct and godliness, 2 Pet. 3: 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

VII. Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1: 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love • brotherly kindness - philadelphia - warm hearted affection for one who has a common parent • kind - sympathetic, friendly, gentle, tenderhearted, generous • To be loving & kind to others as if our fleshly brethren • Love with a sincere heart, 1 Pet. 1: 22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, • We are near to one another - common spiritual Father & Lord • May not always agree on matters of opinion, but our love for each other should keep us agreeable & able to work out our differences

VII. Brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1: 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love • Love should express itself in kindness. Eph. 4: 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. • Some act unfriendly as if they were weaned on a sour pickle. • Talk to the members, get to know them personally & be with them socially

VIII. Love (charity) 2 Pet. 1: 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love • Love (charity) - agapē - love, goodwill, acting in another’s best interest, acting on the value you see in a person or thing, love of the will • Love God, Matt. 26: 37 And He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' • Love our neighbor, Matt. 26: 39 "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. '

VIII. Love (charity) 2 Pet. 1: 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love • Love Our enemies, Matt. 5: 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you • Love our wife or husband, Eph, 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; Tit. 2: 4 that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, • Above all put on love, Col. 3: 14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Benefits Of Adding Virtues 2 Peter 1: 8 -11

Will not be barren or unfruitful 2 Pet. 1: 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. • are yours - If these things are actually our possession and at our disposal. • and are increasing - must be growing greater with God’s help • Seven qualities possessed & abounding make you useful and fruitful. • You will not be destitute of good deeds • in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ • in - eis - with reference to true knowledge - full, correct & complete based on the Bible

Keeps us from being spiritually blind 2 Pet. 1: 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. • blind - darkened by smoke, mental & spiritual blindness • If you are not growing you are mentally impaired by the devils smoke. • short-sighted - to see dimly, see only what is near • The spiritual things are not near like things of the world. These qualities must grow to see heavenly things. • having forgotten - having received forgetfulness - amnesia • purification - make clean. purify; a cleansing from the guilt of sins - at baptism. by Christ blood • If you do not grow in these things you cannot see where you or going or remember where you’ve been. • This will result in spiritual ruin.

We will never fall or stumble 2 Pet. 1: 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; • be all the more diligent - be zealous or eager, make every effort, exert yourselves to make certain - middle - do something for oneself • calling - invitation or summons to salvation in heaven • choosing - being considered God’s • If you want to make your call & election firm make every effort to grow. • certain - sure, firm permanent, reliable, dependable, confirm the call so that one does not lapse • practice - do these things - continue • never stumble - fall into misery, become wretched, lose salvation; be ruined, lost • Must continue in obedience & cooperation with God & supply our part. Grow & walk in the light & God will hear & forgive & we will be saved.

Entrance into heaven 2 Pet. 1: 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. • supplied - give, grant, you will be granted an entrance • entrance - both the place or way leading into a place & the act of entering • abundantly - richly provided • eternal kingdom - everlasting, without end, never to cease - royal reign, kingdom of God consummation of the kingdom's citizens in eternal bliss - new heavens & new earth