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2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thesis: There is grace available to the believer as the believer pursues God. This pursuit will release increasing virtue to the believer and prevent the believer from falling or stumbling away from God.
When I was a younger believer in Christ I can remember how strong the world would pull against my new faith. The things of my past would call to me and try and get me to go back to my old ways. When I came across this passage in 2 Peter 1:10, 11, I was very excited because I realized the only reason I could fall was if I walked away. No one and nothing could snatch me out of God’s hand or will. (John 10:29)
My own spiritual success or failure was not based on random chance or the will of the devil. God had made a way for me to overcome and be fruitful for him.
Victim Mentality:
People with a victim mentality, through their own limiting beliefs, have settled into becoming victims of their circumstances. They feel powerless to make changes in their lives because they think that the elements of their lives are out of their control. Having a victim mentality requires a giving up of most, if not all, personal responsibility. When we allow ourselves to be victims, we are letting the people and circumstances in our lives dictate how we will feel, and ultimately, who we will be.
What is attractive about the victim mentality is that things are not the victims responsibility and there is a certain kind of false security and peace in embracing the idea that, “things are not your fault.” However, this double edged sword will also prevent the person with the victim mentality from achieving and overcoming obstacles that they face.
OK, so we have to confirm our calling and election.
Confirm: to give new assurance of the validity of to make sure we’re called.
Calling: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence
Election: Chosen by God to have eternal life
I believe God doesn’t want anyone to perish and makes a way available for all people through Christ.
2 Peter 3:9b
(The Lord is) not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance
Matthew 18:14
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
What are the other 8 things we must walk in?
Add to Faith – Goodness – Knowledge – Self-Control – Perseverance – Godliness – Mutual Affection – Love.
2 Peter 1:8
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must add to our faith-
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
The Disciples one day after Jesus was teaching on forgiveness specifically asked Jesus in Luke 17:5 to increase their faith!
Speak the Will of God
Jesus immediately started speaking about how to release faith.
Luke 17:6
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
I believe we have not because we ask not (James 4:2b) or in this case we have not because we aren’t declaring things in faith.
Hear the Message about Christ
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Pray in the Holy Spirit
Jude 1:20
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
1 Corinthians 14:4a
4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, Prayer and Fasting
Matthew 17:17-21
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 21 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer *and fasting.
After adding to our faith we must add to goodness
Goodness - or as some versions put it ‘moral excellence’. It is the ability and desire to stand up for, and display that which is right to a country that is rapidly declining morally.
Knowledge - primarily, a seeking to know, an enquiry or investigation. Knowledge, especially of spiritual truth.
Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
1 Corinthians 2:7-10
7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[b]— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
Add to your Knowledge Self-Control: restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires
It’s relatively obvious that not every impulse or desire should be acted on. Self-Control will help us to see the ultimate outcome of our choices and empower us to choose correctly. These choices governed by self-control will bring about God’s best for our lives. The list of people who have brought destruction to them selves because of a lack of self-control is immense.
Add to your self-control, perseverance-
Perseverance is a continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : steadfastness
The best source of perseverance is knowing the will of God for your situation. If you don’t really know what the Lord’s direction, is circumstances will have a big influence in your decision making process. However, when the will of God is settled, the course of action, no matter how clouded with difficulties, will stay at the center of the mind of the person with perseverance.
Acts 5:40-42
His (Gamaliel’s) speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Add to perseverance godliness-
Godliness, simply put, is having the character and nature of God expressed in and thus through our lives.
Jesus Christ is God
John 14:7-9 7
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus Christ is perfect theology. The perfect representation of God. Jesus was perfectly godly, walking in full godliness.
Hebrews 1:3a
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,
Ephesians 4:11-13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Godliness is part of the covenant and available to the follower of Jesus Christ.
Add to your godliness mutual affection / brotherly kindness:
The emphasis here is human to human relationships. Feeling a tender attachment or fondness for one another. Being of a sympathetic or helpful nature toward one another. This is brotherly kindness / mutual affection.
Let’s face it, who doesn’t want people to behave this way toward them? The more challenging question is do we behave this way toward others? As Christ is forming in us, we will act more and more this way.
And to mutual affection love – The most excellent way.
We will perhaps visit this subject next Sunday. It’s really too large to do justice to and still be mindful of your time this week.
2 Peter 1:8-9
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124