2nd PETER: SESSION 1
"Partakers of the Divine Nature"
2 Peter 1:1-4
INTRO: How do believers grow?
This has been on my heart in all my years as a pastor. As we pursue our
calling to “Launch out into the deep”, many will come to Christ. How do we grow
them up into mature disciples?
Imagine 68 AD. The world has gone berserk
with its proud mockery of God. The
arrogant toad, Nero, is ruling in Rome. He begins to indulge his whims
unchecked. His greedy advisers cause a severe financial crisis. Nero is mentally
unbalanced; he regards himself the savior of the world.
Ironically, the church is flourishing at
that same time; it is increasing in numbers and has become a movement.
In 64 AD, a fire breaks out at the Circus
Maximus in Rome. It spreads quickly, devouring everything in its path. Fanned
by the wind, it rages for more than five days and devastates a large area of
the city before being brought under control. Nero looks for a scapegoat and
finds it in the Christians, whom he charges with the crime. He begins persecuting Christians and killing
believers at an astounding rate in the Colosseum and throughout the
Empire. Hebrews 11 records many of his atrocities.
History records that men, women, and children are crucified, doused with oil,
and set afire to light the 200 miles of the Appian Way.
At the same
time, false teachers make their way into leadership of some of the churches. They
bring a sensual spirit and a hedonistic attitude along with aberrant theology.
A terrible decline of morality and faith among some religious leaders begins to
manifest.
Imagine now that
we are a group of believers worshipping in secret location somewhere is Asia
Minor. Word comes that a messenger is on his way with a letter from one of the
heroes of the faith. He arrives and unrolls a scroll, worn down because it has
been circulating around the region from church to church. Excitement builds and
overflows when we learn it is from Peter, the apostle who birthed the church at
Jerusalem and had personally walked with the Lord! We knew he was in Rome and was nearing
martyrdom under Nero. He had written to us before from Babylon to encourage us
to endure suffering. Now as he neared the end of his life, what message would
he bring?
The messenger
begins to read. We notice immediately that the language is different; the Greek
is rough and plain, not the smooth language of the first letter. This touches
us deeply because we realize that Peter has written this letter himself; he did
not dictate it to Silvanus like he did the first letter. Peter was a simple
fisherman. When he and John healed the lame man by the Temple gate, he was
called unlearned and educated. This letter became even more personal, more
urgent! We must listen and hear all
Peter has to say!
This is the
context of 2nd Peter.
Remember that
when the New Testament was written, there were not multiple copies. The letters
could not be taken home and studied. They had to be clear enough to be
understood while being read aloud, possibly just one time. That is the approach
I want to take as we study this short, but insightful book that holds important
messages for us today in the times in which we live.
Let’s just read
the letter together, think about the meaning, and make some applications that
are relevant to us today. This is what we call expository preaching. It is
older than the church itself. Ezra and Nehemiah used it in the Old Testament to
teach the people the Law after their return from Babylon. You can read about it
in Nehemiah 8.
I encourage you
to read and meditate on this letter over the next several weeks.
PRAYER
Today let’s look
at the first four verses. They are actually one long sentence. There is so much here. It is a statement of
the entire Gospel in one sentence.
2 Peter 1:1-4 NKJV Simon Peter,
This identifies Peter
as the author… uses his given name and the name Jesus gave him... We have spent
several weeks looking at his life and how God took him through a process of
preparation. This is the background of his ministry and these final words.
a bondservant
and apostle of Jesus Christ,
Bondservant: doulos, slave…
Apostle, one who
had walked with Jesus, many disciples but few apostles… servanthood precedes
and leads to apostleship...
to those who have obtained like precious faith with us
by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
Obtained = received,
it is a gift of God…
John
1:11–12 (NKJV) He
came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name:
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Romans 5:17-19 NKJV For if by the one man’s
offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men,
resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free
gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will
be made righteous.
We didn't earn
it, Jesus obtained it for us by His own righteousness…
Romans 5:19 NKJV
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s
obedience many will be made righteous.
II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him.
Titus 3:5 NKJV
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit,
It is ‘like
precious faith’, a faith exactly like the apostles…
Romans 1:11-12 NKJV For I long to see you,
that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of
you and me.
2 Grace
and peace be multiplied
to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
Grace brings
peace… it can be exponentially multiplied… more grace – more peace…
James 4:6 NKJV
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the
proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Comes through
the full knowledge (epignosis) of God
and Jesus as Lord…
John 1:16 NKJV
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for
grace.”
3 as His divine
power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
His divine power,
resurrection power…
Romans 1:4 NKJV
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Ephesians 1:19-20 NKJV and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His
mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Romans 8:11 NKJV
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Philippians 3:10 NKJV
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Has given: it is
already ours, a completed action in the past that has continuing effect…
All things
necessary for life… and godliness…
II Corinthians 1:20 NKJV
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of
God through us.
through the knowledge
of Him who called
us by glory and virtue,
Full knowledge
of God…
Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV For in Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of
all principality and power.
We have been
called…
Romans 1:7 NKJV
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...
Romans 8:30 NKJV
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He
called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also
glorified.
I Peter 2:9 NKJV
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
Glory and virtue,
His presence and moral excellence
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
Given, not
earned…
Promises, the
Word...
that through these
you may be partakers of the divine nature,
We are partakers
of the Divine Nature... We have His DNA in us…
I Peter 1:23 NKJV
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old
things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
II Corinthians 3:18 NKJV
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Illus: Your son
looks like the milkman; he has your name but not your DNA!
But an adopted
son can grow into the image of his adopted father!
having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.
There is a built
in corruption in the world...
I John 2:17 NKJV
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of
God abides forever.
We can escape
it!
I John 3:9 NKJV
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed
remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
APPLICATION
God is working
in you! You naturally become like Him.
You don't have to strive!
