Search Bible Outlines and commentaries

BIG IDEA:

7 CHARACTER QUALITIES THAT MUST BE ADDED TO OUR FAITH FOR FRUITFUL SPIRITUAL GROWTH

INTRODUCTION:

Kids, how well do you know your math facts?? Especially your addition facts??

Peter making things very simple as he reminds the believers how to add onto the foundation of their faith;

7 Spiritual Math Facts — 7 Keys to Christlikeness

You want to be like Jesus Christ?? Here’s how

Before we start our math lesson, we need to nail down our starting point –. What do we start with?

I. APPRECIATE YOUR FOUNDATION = REVIEW from last week (:1-4)

A. WE ARE CONNECTED TO GOD — BY FAITH

“who have received a faith of the same kind as ours” — what kind of faith did Peter have?

sovereign choice of God

consistent with the righteousness of God

Remember: “without faith it is impossible to please God”

but the beauty of it all is that we have the faith that makes it possible for us to please God

cf. Cutting down Christmas tree yesterday; trimming off some branches — no longer connected to the life of the tree;

Christ: “I am the vine; you are the branches” we need to abide in Him; remain in connection with Him by faith

cf. Internet connection — that modem makes the link and maintains the communication connection; turn that off and there is no connection

B. WE ARE CONNECTED TO GOD’S POWER —

HIS DIVINE POWER HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

“everything pertaining to life and godliness”

What good is an electrical extension cord if it is not plugged in? Plenty of power available, but we need to draw on God’s power and count on it

No excuse to be defeated or discouraged in our Christian growth

C. WE ARE CONNECTED TO GOD’S PROMISES = PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT PROMISES

God is the ultimate Promise Keeper

We have something to look forward to; to motivate us when times get hard

D. WE ARE CONNECTED TO GOD’S PERSON —

OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE

E. WE ARE DISCONNECTED FROM THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD

(instead of in bondage to the corruption that comes from following the lusts of the flesh)

This is the Foundation that we need to appreciate

“Now for this very reason”

II. APPLY ALL DILIGENCE

Sovereignty of God, and yet human responsibility

We are not called to “Let Go and Let God do everything” ; But: “Trust God and get going”

We are called to exercise faith and apply all diligence to live like God wants us to; not to work hard in order to be saved; but to work hard because we have been saved

Be quick to add these qualities into your life — idea of eagerness, haste; don’t procrastinate;

earnestness; zeal; use of word in 2 Peter: vs.10; vs 15; 3:14 — important tone

Heb. 6:11-12 Don’t be sluggish

Have to keep applying this same diligence throughout your whole life; you never advance beyond this to some resting point where you don’t need to practice self-denial and discipline and effort

Think of the context of 2 Peter — What’s the danger if we don’t apply all diligence and add the qualities of Christlikeness to the foundation of our faith?

– The pressure of persecution and suffering will cause us to quit the Christian race;

– The attractiveness of false teaching will tickle our ears and promise us an easier life;

– Those that mock the 2nd coming of Christ will cause us to doubt the reality of God’s promises to us — which are precious and magnificent

– We will sink back into the corruption that is connected with the lusts of the flesh

III. ADD IN ALL THE QUALITIES OF CHRISTLIKENESS

Compare how Christ exemplified each quality — serves as our example; our role model

Compare how false teachers are characterized by just the opposite –in fact this is one way they are exposed as false teachers; they have no fruit of genuine faith

Application: what are we doing in our life to try to cultivate this quality?

The word: “Add in” or “Supply” — taken from the context of the Athenian drama festivals where a rich individual would sponsor the chorus with a very generous donation; the word came to mean generous and costly cooperation

Importance of the Order of these character qualities?? Seems to be some progression logically, one building on the other — and yet in reality (in time and space) — you cannot separate them into sequential steps on a ladder of faith — you don’t master one and go on to the next

1) THE SHINING GLORY OF CHRISTLIKENESS — general word that sums up the whole section

(like in the list of elder qualifications where it starts off “blameless”)

MORAL EXCELLENCE, VIRTUE goodness; redemptive acts of God; power; praise

Phil. 4:8

a single basic meaning = eminence — It can refer to excellence of achievement, to mastery in a specific field, or to endowment with higher power, or to both together

that quality for which God is praised or praiseworthy; parallels the glory of God

Homer uses it as manliness; martial valour; developed into meaning of virtue — TNT

BROWN: Plato saw virtue as conditioned by the soul; he developed the sequence of the four classic virtues:

wisdom, courage, prudence, and justice

The Hebrew language has no word corresponding to this Greek word in the NT:

– loyalty to the faith

– general term for good and correct behaviour in Christians

VINE: any particular moral excellence

taking the high road in terms of moral and character excellence

GREEN: It means “excellence” and was used to denote the proper fulfillment of anything. The excellence of a knife is to cut (not how pretty is the handle), of a horse to run (not how well groomed it is).

But what is the excellence of a man? His life must reflect something of the attractive character of Christ = the manliness which is Christlikeness”

we have been called “by His own glory and excellence” (1:3)

A. Example of Christ: Transfiguration: (Mark 9:3 – glory, majesty; white garments)

2 Pet. 1:17 when He received honor and glory from God the Father

B. Counterfeit attempts by charismatic false teachers — attract others to themselves

C. Application: 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:6; glowing with that inner glow that attracts others to Christ

– the fulfilled word of prophecy is like a lamp shining in a dark place 1:19

– our lives should be like a lamp shining in a dark place

“Moral excellence” seeks the character of God as the standard and goal for our own character.

2) KNOWLEDGE OF SPIRITUAL TRUTH

VINE’s: knowledge – especially of spiritual truth; a seeking to know; inquiry; investigation

1 Pet. 1:14 we used to live in ignorance of the truth; slaves to our own lusts

1:12 we have been established in the truth — we have a body of knowledge to build upon

2 Pet 3:18 we need to grow in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

A. Example of Christ: Luke 2:39-52 Christ in the temple at the age of 12

more important priorities than playing ball — “I must be about My Father’s business”

remember how well Christ knew the OT; quoted it all the time

John 14:6 I am the Truth

John 14:16-17 left us a Helper = the Spirit of Truth

B. Contrast to false knowledge of the false teachers

cf. Abuses by Gnostics — word gnosis

1:16 cleverly devised tales

2:3 they will exploit you with false words

“You err not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God”

Jews had a zeal for God, “but not according to knowledge”

Phil. 1:9 abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment

C. Application: Does Truth float your boat?

Pursue the truth as more valuable than gold or silver

Protect the truth against false teachers

“I would not have you to be ignorant” Ignorance is not bliss

cf. Joking about the tax laws: Don’t tell me; I don’t want to know; I’m better off ignorant

(sometimes we think that way about truth — Who needs more convictions)

continually have our minds transformed

3) SELF-CONTROL — MASTERY OVER PHYSICAL APPETITES

A. Example of Christ: Temptation Account — Luke 4

did not sacrifice His spiritual objectives to satisfy His physical appetites

How hungry was He after 40 days?

B. Contrast False Teachers — whose god is their appetite (Phil. 3:19) — Huge theme in 2 Peter

“many will follow their sensuality” 2 Pet. 2:2

“especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires” 2 Pet. 2:10

“having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin” 2 Pet. 2:14

“they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality” 2 Pet. 2:18

“promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” 2 Pet. 2:19

“mockers following after their own lusts” 2 Pet. 3:3

C. Application:

Carr: “There are several area where we need to practice temperance:

1. Our Tongues — (Gossip and telling another person off) Some people are doubting their salvation, being unfruitful, falling into sin, and have no spiritual discernment because they cannot control their tongues!

(Ill. James 1:26; James 3:1-12; Ill. Pro. 26:20)

2. Our Tempers — (Flying off the handle, getting mad and getting even.) Some people lack the blessings because they cannot control their temper. Temper can get you into big trouble! (Eph. 4:26) (Never think that holding a grudge, or trying to get even will help you.

When you do these things, you have assumed the place of God — Rom. 12:19)

3. Our Temptations — Ill. Everyone is tempted — 1 Cor. 10:13. However, not everyone falls into sin! The difference is self-control!”

4) PERSEVERANCE — DON’T GIVE UP

Aristotle: self-control is concerned with pleasures and endurance with sorrows;

Perseverance is the commitment to suffer in the short term in order to experience glory for eternity.

A. Example of Christ — Heb. 12:2 “endured the cross” (Phil. 2 — “obedient unto death, even the death on the cross”

B. Contrast of False Teachers — John 10:12 “He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees”

1 John 2:19 they (antichrists) went out from us

C. Application: What type of staying power do we have when we face tough times?

Cf. Message of 1 Peter — embrace suffering as the will of God; don’t run away from it

Need patience like the farmer to realize the fruit of the harvest

5) GODLINESS — that piety that does what is well-pleasing to God the Father; devoutness; fear of God

A. Example of Christ: 1 Tim. 3:16

B. Contrast False Teachers: 2 Tim. 3:1-10 (esp. v. 5) parallel passage

C. Application — 2 Pet. 3:11 Like Noah we live in a world of ungodliness; must keep before us the promise of His coming

Roper: “. . . godliness, i.e., the capacity to react to every circumstance as God would react. This was the great mark of Christ’s life–he always acted as you would expect God to act. He was totally Godlike in every situation. I wonder if circumstances trigger this sort of response in us, or are our reactions, to use James’ expression, “earthly; sensual devilish?” Do people evoke from us a godlike response? Do we respond in the same spirit of grace and holiness that would be true of God? What an exciting prospect!-called to be like God to reflect God’s likeness to the world.”

Ritchie: “Godliness is that God-given ability to reflect the character of Jesus in this corrupt society. We are to be holy, set apart to do the will of the Father, living rightly before God and men.”

6) BROTHERLY KINDNESS

A. Example of Christ: 1 Thess. 4:9 “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another”

John 13:34

B. Contrast False Teachers:

C. Application

Ritchie: “Peter is not referring to a duty here, rather he is speaking of the God-given ability to meet brothers and sisters from every nation, tribe and culture and feel the freedom to express spiritual kindness toward them.”

7) SACRIFICIAL LOVE (for the World and even for our Enemies)

A. Example of Christ: John 10 — the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep

John 15 — teaching on love

No questioning the Love of the Saviour

1 John 3:16-18

B. Contrast False Teachers:

C. Application: