The Great Reminder: About Knowledge
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Introduction
Introduction
A manufacturing plant was in full swing one day. The company’s massive machine was humming along, taking in the raw materials at one end and churning out the finished product at the other. Suddenly, the machine stopped and ground to a halt. Workers climbed all over it like ants to get it started again. The plant’s manager stormed out of his office to find out why his multi-million-dollar machine wasn’t making him any money. He listened to his people saying they couldn’t figure it out, and he told them to call a technician.
Soon a tech arrived, and the manager frantically explained to him that he needed his machine back as soon as possible. The technician listened patiently, took one look at the massive hulk of motionless metal, and immediately walked over to a small panel, opening a tiny door inside to see a screw. The technician took a screwdriver and turned the screw one-quarter turn to the right, and the machine suddenly came back to life as if nothing was wrong.
The manager hurried over to thank the technician, shook his hand, and asked what he owed him for saving his company. The technician answered, “$100,000.00.” The manager looked at him and said, “You were here less then two minutes and just turned one screw. How can you charge so much? Give me an itemized bill.”
The technician calmly wrote out on a piece of paper:
Turning of one screw: $1.00.
Knowing which screw to turn: $99,999.00.
Knowledge is amazing right? In 2 Peter, we have a great reminder of the knowledge of the salvation of God we have been given.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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.
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.
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.
The same Peter that denied Christ 3 times before the crucifixion is the writer of this brief epistle. Within a generation of that event and the resurrection of Jesus, false teachers appeared within the church. They claimed to be true Christians and of course sought others to follow them. In doing so, they false teachers were able to cast doubt on the promises of God. Have you ever had your belief system challenged? Second Peter was written for such a situation. It is just as relevant today as it was when it was written.
With that in mind, we are going to look this great reminder about knowledge. First, notice knowledge received.
Knowledge Received (vs. 1-4)
Knowledge Received (vs. 1-4)
Peter addresses the letter to “those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.”
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are receiving righteousness to redeem your unrighteousness. You are being made right for your wrongs. You are being redeemed when you have been doomed. In doing so, you receive what Peter describes as a precious faith. Precious is some thing of great value or high cost, something that is highly esteemed or cherished. It is something that is excessively refined. Is your faith one of great value or high cost? Is your faith highly esteemed or cherished? Is your faith that is excessively refined?
Our faith comes from the knowledge that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son and whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life.
When we utilize this knowledge of God’s love and the gift of His Son Jesus Christ we have received, verse 2 tells us the will have grace and peace in abundance. Grace is the redemptive love of God in action reaching out to people that do not deserve it. Grace sums up the what the Gospel is about.
The more you understand about righteousness and the more you know about grace, the more peace you experience! It is a beautiful expression of the gift God has given us!
Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Peace comes from the knowledge and assurance that God is in control and it will be okay, no matter what you are facing.
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs
How do people that do not know have the knowledge of God’s grace and peace survive in this world today? Well, the reality is they don’t. They are miserable and are hopeless.
We don’t just know about Jesus and what He has done for us, you and I can know Him intimately! Knowing Him and receiving this knowledge of Him, provides everything we need for life and godliness through His divine power.
Have you ever thought about the divine power of Jesus? Divine power is the fountain from which all spiritual blessings flow. All things that give us true spiritual life and godliness come from Jesus!
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
In other words, in Him all fullness dwells and from Him that receive all that is necessary for preserving, improving and perfecting grace and peace.
Notice the second part of verse 3 from today’s text, “…through our knowledge of Him (Jesus) who had called us by His own glory (not by another’s glory, not by our glory, but by His glory) and goodness. Then verse 4:
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.
2 Peter 1:4
Through His own glory and goodness, we are given great and precious (there’s that word again) promises. Why are we given great and precious promises? Peter knew that one day a dummy like me would read this and need to know why. We are given 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.” You and I get all that just from receiving knowledge.
Notice next what happens when we have knowledge received, we have knowledge rising.
Knowledge Rising (vs. 5-9)
Knowledge Rising (vs. 5-9)
When knowledge is received, it continues to rise. In verses 5-9, we have an ascending stair steps.
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 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;
2 Peter 1:5-6
Do you see what happens? Love becomes the end all. Love becomes the platform in which we stand, not to tower over everyone else, but to be the ultimate goal of what we are called to be!
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
This is an indicator of spiritual growth! We are adding these like you might add a bead to a string, but each virtue listed helps develop the next one. It demands diligence and earnestness on our part! God did not call us to be lazy, careless and stagnant in our growth. As believers we are called to be different.
The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Pr
When we allow thing knowledge to be rising, we have a promise given to us in verse 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.
Are you ineffective and unproductive as a Christian? What does it mean to be ineffective and unproductive? It means that Christian is not growing, they are barren or idle, they are not working for Christ. They are unfruitful, not allowing Christ to produce fruit in their lives. Verse 9 describes them:
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
They are spiritually nearsighted and blind, and have forgotten that they have been cleansed from past sins. Do you see the importance of receiving that knowledge and building on each of those virtues so that you are rising higher toward a calling of love?
They are nearsighted and blind.
When we recognize the knowledge we have received and are rising up on that knowledge, we will have knowledge retained.
Knowledge Retained (vs. 10-11)
Knowledge Retained (vs. 10-11)
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.
Poor spiritual development is forgetting what God has done for you. Peter remembered what it was like to allow himself to become slack in his faith.
Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
Luke
Luke 22:60-
One of the saddest verses in the Bible is , “And he went outside and wept bitterly.” When we fail to retain the knowledge about Jesus and His glory and goodness, we will also be like Peter and eventually get to the point where we forget how He has cleansed us from our past sins. I think a modern term for that might be apathy. Have you become apathetic in your Christian walk?
We learn that Jesus reinstates Peter and calls him into a greater fellowship . We are able to see the rest of the story as evidenced in the very text we are studying.
Notice the assurance we have when we retain God’s word:
We get our calling and election made sure. In other words, we don’t wonder if we are saved or not.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10
We will be warmly welcomed into eternal life.
We will be warmly welcomed into eternal life.
Unfaithfulness generates a sense of uncertainty while a productive and effective life based on the standards of of Christ will help grow one’s confidence in Christ’s eternal kingdom!
The world is waiting for you to show them the way. What are you going to do?
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