The Everything God 2 Peter 1:3-11 We serve a really good God. I have come to find in my life, that the God of the Bible is not only worth serving but a god that I enjoy and am grateful for the opportunity to serve. Sometimes when I think of our God, I am overwhelmed by just how good our God is. Now some of you are saying, “Well duh - get with it Light why do you think were here?” But you know, I think we all need to be reminded, at least I know I do, need to be reminded of just how good our God is. Why do I say this? Have you ever been given a task or been asked to do something and the means to accomplish the task of the resources or instruction to perform the duty asked of you had not been provided for, or had been left so vague you just kinda kick at the dirt hoping for inspiration or that the direction you launch out in amounts to more than a mere shot in the dark? ILLUSTRATION: Warehouse work with the spanish speaking men. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been frustrated because there was no clear direction given, no standard set? Or if direction and standards were given, have you ever just felt lost because the means and resources for successfully carrying out what you have been asked or given to do were not provided? This is why I’m sometimes overwhelmed when I think of the God I serve. He never leaves us hanging, he never asks us to do something that he has not first provided the means for us to carry it out. When Peter writes this letter, he knows that the end of his life is near. In verse 12 of chapter 1 Peter says, “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” At the end of his life, with the myriad of theological truths and promises peter could possibly speak about at his disposal - what does Peter choose to address? God’s provision of and the Christian’s responsibility to live a godly life. With the weight of a final word to share with his people on him, Peter seeks to remind his people, and us of the provision for, responsibility of, and importance regarding becoming spiritually mature Christians. This morning we’re going to take a few moments to be reminded again of the gracious love and merciful goodness of the God we serve by looking at the opening thoughts from Peter’s second letter. In these verses this morning we are going to be reminded of the goodness of our God in giving us the means and resources to grow spiritually mature. Peter will remind us of God’s Provision for Spiritual Growth, the Christians Responsibility in Spiritual Growth, and the overall Importance of Spiritual Growth in the life of a Christian. So please turn with me to 2 Peter 1:3-11, which if you are using a sanctuary bible can be found on page 1204. If we want to grow spiritually mature we must recognize God’s PROVISION for spiritual growth. Peter reminds us that Jesus Christ, God the Son, has graciously given us everything we need to grow spiritually. Look at verses 3 and 4, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” What Peter is saying here is that through Jesus Christ, that is who the His is referring to, through Jesus’ divine power, this is the power that Jesus has to reclaim lost sinners as a result of his death and resurrection, through his divine power, we, believers in Jesus Christ - Christians - have been given everything we need for life and godliness so that we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption that comes from evil desires. Two provisions have been given and two reasons for the provisions have been outlined. Let’s break these down. Peter reminds us that Jesus has given us everything we need for life. The word that Peter uses here for life carries in the original language the idea of eternal life. You see, often when we speak of eternal life we think of the life that will begin once we die. But that is never how the Bible understands eternal life. Eternal life begins for Christians at the moment they have trusted in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord of their lives. Jesus, Peter is reminding us, has given us everything we need for life, both the life we are living right now, and the life to come in Heaven. Jesus has simply provided this for us. Jesus has also given Christians, through his divine power, everything we need for godliness. The word that Peter uses for godliness has the meaning of moral excellence or moral virtue in the greek. Therefore, Peter is saying that Jesus, through his divine power, has given the Christian everything they need to grow spiritually mature, he has given them new life - eternal life, and has given them the means to pursue moral excellence and a virtuous life. AS Jesus effectively calls people to himself for salvation, he graciously gives them all they need for life and godliness. Why? Peter gives two reasons in verse 4. The first reason for Jesus’ gracious provision of spiritual growth for the Christian is now given - it is so that we may participate in the divine nature. To participate in the divine nature does not mean that we will become gods ourselves. Notice the word is participate in the divine nature not possess it. What it means to participate in the divine nature is that we have been given the means by which we can be changed into the holy character of God; we will take on and have the characteristics of God developed in us. The second reason that Jesus has provided us with everything we need for life and godliness is so that we will be able to escape the corruption that comes from evil desires - in other words we will be able to resist sin. God’s provision for spiritual growth is that through God’s grace and mercy given to Christians we have everything needed to grow spiritual mature. Christians are given this as we respond in faith to Jesus’ call to salvation and know him as Lord and Savior. Further, God has provided this to us so that we can participate in God’s divine nature - becoming holy as he is holy, and escaping the corruption of the world - resisting the power of sin over our lives. This is a reminder that Peter wants to remember - Jesus Christ has graciously provided Christians with everything they need for life and godliness. But the provision, Peter goes on to reminds us, comes with responsibility. The provision of everything for life and godliness, produces the RESPONSIBILITY to grow in faith. Peter says this in verse 5, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 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. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” Peter makes no bones about it, “make every effort” he says “ to add to your faith”. Jesus has not died so that Christians can sit back and simply be content with knowing that we won’t be going to hell. True Christians never rest with such a minimal (albeit important) level of Christian experience. Jesus has provide everything we need for life and godliness to grow in spiritual maturity so that we will actually grow in spiritual maturity. This is what Peter means by saying Christians should make every effort to add to their faith. And so what are Christians to add to their faith? Peter lists 7 things. Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Each of these are part of what Jesus, the gracious provider of spiritual growth, has given to us. And I am going to make the assumption that you know what is meant by each of the virtues listed. I do want to highlight two in particular. Notice first that the list of virtues begins with faith. We cannot grow in spiritual maturity without having responded in faith to the free offer of grace and forgiveness given by Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth begins with faith, and having responded in faith to Jesus’ offer of salvation we are to then put on the other virtues Peter speaks of. Love is the final virtue listed. It is significant that this virtue is listed last since we know from other teaching in the Bible that love is the glue that holds the pursuit of all other Christian virtues together. In Colossians 3:14, as Paul is summing up his complimentary teaching on virtues Christians should put on in their lives, he says this, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Love is an important virtue for the Christian to add to their faith. As we learn in Romans 13, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” Christians have had spiritual growth provided for them through Jesus Christ, and this provision brings with it the responsibility for Christians to make every effort to grow in spiritual maturity. At the end of this passage Peter reminds his people and us of the IMPORTANCE of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth in the Christians life is important in validating a persons faith - both to themselves and to others. Look at verse 10, “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Why is spiritual growth important in the Christians life? Peter says that God’s grace, the provision of spiritual growth that has been made for us by and through Jesus Christ, should not lead to moral relaxation in the Christians life, but rather intense effort on the Christians part. And please listen to me carefully, I’m not saying nor do I believe that living a godly life is salvation by works. This is not salvation by works, this is salvation with works. Salvation is unequivocally the grace of God offered to human beings through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone. But we must not treat Peter’s words or the rest of the teaching of scripture lightly - striving to grow spiritually is not an option for a true Christian. How is this done? How do we grow spiritually? Certainly it is done as Peter has been outlining it in this passage, we strive to live a virtuous life as a Christian and seek to know Jesus Christ intimately. And with this I would contend that this is why being a part of a Growth Group, engaging in the regular reading and studying of the Bible, and committing to a local church body are so important. These are not avenues to make me feel good about the work that I have to do. They are means by which you can actually put feet to your faith and respond to the provision given for spiritual growth by Jesus and take responsibility for growing spiritually. This is important business. Why? Peter gives two reasons. First, as we take responsibility for our spiritual growth, Peter says we will never fall. This does not mean that we will never sin as Christians, the biblical writers all recognize that sin will be a struggle for Christians until the kingdom of God is brought into full and complete effect. But if we are taking responsibility for our spiritual growth, we will be far less likely to stumble and fall in sin. And Peter says, as we pursue spiritual growth in our lives as Christians we will indeed receive the reward of that pursuit - a rich welcome into the kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We serve a really good God. We serve a God that expects us to take responsibility for our spiritual growth. We serve a good that expects us to recognize spiritual growth as important. And, we serve a God who has himself provided for us through his divine power everything we need for life and godliness. May we take to heart the provision that has been made for us through Jesus Christ, and respond to the responsibility and importance to grow in spiritual maturity. We serve a good God, and he has given us everything we need to be able to please him. Let’s pray.