January 5, 2025 Preaching | Ptr Peter Tanchi
1) RICHES OF TRUE SALVATION
Peter described himself as a bondservant (Gk. doulos) (2 Peter 1:1-2). As purchased by God through the blood of Christ, believers are also bondservants to Christ. We are slaves to Jesus, and our whole goal in life is to please our Master. The more you walk with God, the more you will live for His glory and His pleasure alone. The faith Peter had is the same faith we all have today – in Jesus Christ as God and Savior. That’s how rich our salvation is – even grace and peace can be multiplied in us based on the true knowledge of God and Jesus our Savior. Jesus defines eternal life: to know (experientially) the only true God and Jesus Christ who was sent (John 17:3).
Great riches of true salvation are experiencing “divine power” and given “everything pertaining to life and godliness” that we receive by grace to live according to His will and design (2 Peter 1:3). We need to claim and possess it by prayer and fasting, and intentionally gain knowledge of what Jesus has granted to us. He is the fulfillment of God’s “precious and magnificent promises” (v.4). Through Jesus is complete forgiveness, eternal life, immortality, and being with God forevermore! As we become “partakers of the divine nature,” we can change since we are given a new nature. Salvation without transformation is an oxymoron. The world is corrupt; its values and concept of right and wrong are crazy. We need Jesus! We are a new creation, and the old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17)! The richness of salvation is this new direction in life. In Christ, we have been made complete (Colossians 2:10)!
2) RESPONSE TO TRUE SALVATION
In response, we must apply all diligence and add 7 traits after having faith in Jesus – moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-6). Just because we have faith, we shouldn’t stop working to give our 100% for Jesus. We are told to apply all diligence – to give our best effort. To our faith, we must make sure we have MORAL EXCELLENCE — Christlikeness. Some Christians stop growing because they think they have arrived. Coming to Christ does not mean you don’t pursue and make every effort to live like Christ.
We must rid ourselves of both obvious and hidden sins. Keep growing in KNOWLEDGE (2 Peter 3:18). The day we stop growing, we fail and falter. That salvation is by grace through faith, and even faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is not a result of works so that no one will boast. But real faith and real grace will compel us, and grace instructs us to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires” so that we can “live sensibly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11-12). He who began a good work in us will be the One to perfect it until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6)! We are told to work out our salvation – practice and live out our faith (Philippians 2:12-13). The most important thing about us is what we believe to be true about God (A.W. Tozer). We are to take full responsibility for our thought life – “to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). We must also grow in SELF-CONTROL, to discipline our body and make it our slave (1 Corinthians 9:27), grow in PERSEVERANCE (Gk. Hupomone), endure like how Christ endured (Hebrews 12:1-2). GODLINESS (Gk. Eusebia) means a life centered on God (1 Timothy 4:7-8). BROTHERLY KINDNESS (Gk. Philadelphia) is to show preference and respect for everyone (Romans 12:10). The last trait is LOVE (Gk. Agape). The love of God is the supernatural source that enables us to love others as He has loved us (1 John 4:7-8,19). We must show evidence of true salvation.
This is possible only through the power of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
3) RESULTS OF TRUE SALVATION
God’s Word + God’s Spirit + Problems + Prayer + Worship + God’s People + Time results in spiritual maturity, which is CHRISTLIKENESS, the evidence of true salvation. If these qualities increase in us, we become “neither useless nor unfruitful” (2 Peter 1:8-9). If we lack the qualities mentioned, we are also warned that we are blind or short-sighted. 2 Peter 2:20-22 is a sharp reminder – if we have tasted the grace of God and “again entangled and are overcome,” falling away from God – it would have been better that we did not know of the gospel. It’s likened to a dog that returns to its vomit or a pig that returns to the mud. True salvation results in TRANSFORMATION. We must practice living these truths out in all diligence so that we will not stumble (2 Peter 1:10-11). Stephen, when he was about to die, saw Jesus standing up to welcome him in heaven (Acts 7:56). The Apostle Paul looked forward to the reward (2 Timothy 4:8) upon a grand entrance. May we keep growing so that we will be welcomed by our King and Savior, Jesus Christ, in glory, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).