2 Peter 1:4-11 KJV
v10 “…for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”
What kind of Person do you have to be in order to ‘NEVER STUMBLE OR FALL’?
Have to REALIZE TWO THINGS:
- BOTTOM LINE is that GOD’S WORD IS TRUE.
- Never going to progress unless you do something with what you have now.
- FAITH
1 John 5:4-5 KJV
1 John 5:1 KJV
WHATsoever… is born of God OVERCOMETH…
My FAITH IN GOD my FAITH is going to overcome the world!
My LOVE FROM GOD my LOVE is going to overcome the world!
My LIFE IN GOD my LIFE is going to overcome the world!
What is the best kind of LIFE for a human to live?
A KNIFE is a knife because it has the CAPACITY to CUT.
We as HUMANS have the CAPACITY for RATIONAL VIRTUOUS BEHAVIOR.
We CAN make RIGHT DECISIONS with our LIVES when we KNOW WHO and WHAT WE ARE.
You were NOT CREATED to be a LOSER!
You were NOT CREATED to be a STUMBLER!
- VIRTUE – The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.
You don’t have to know everything about God to make some quality choices!
- KNOWLEDGE
The kind of ‘Knowledge’ that brings GRACE and PEACE.
2 Peter 1:2-3 KJV
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
These are all TRANSFORMING activities in the building process.
Proverbs 8:12 “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” KJV
NLT – “12 “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.”
Making PROPER CHOICES (Virtuous) leads you to MORE KNOWLEDGE and DISCERNMENT!
TLB – “12 Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding. 13 If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.”
– moderation in action, thought or feeling; self-restraint; a habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions; moderation in, or abstinence from, the use of intoxicating substances.
Knowledge helps to produce or generate self control or restraint.
It’s like the SHOCK COLLAR of the Spirit!
KNOWLEDGE informs us of CONSEQUENCES and RESULTS in SELF CONTROL!!
1Corinthians 6:12 KJV
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
1 Corinthians 6:12-13 TLB “…Even if I am allowed to do them, I’ll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can’t easily stop when I want to.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Don’t be quick-tempered-that is being a fool.” TLB
- PATIENCE – bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
James 1:2-3 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith, develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Example of I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Working on our cars when they were working on me.)
You can do all the RIGHT STUFF up to a POINT and STILL MISS THE CROP!
Luke 8:15 “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” NIV
Hebrews 10:3 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” KJV
James 5:7-8 “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” NIV
Patience has something to do with mixing all these previous steps and accomplishments together and to bring maturity and completeness to step toward the next level.
- GODLINESS – Having, showing, or expressing reverence for a diety; spiritually whole or sound, of unimpared innocense and virtue; free from sinful affectons, pure in heart, godly pious, irreproachable, guiltless, acceptable to God.
Godliness is an attitude of Christlikeness.
It’s not just the way you carry yourself but
the way you look at life and others and
the way you approach life and people.
Psalms 32:6 “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;…” NASB
Psalms 32:6 “Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.” TLB
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” KJV
James 1:13-16 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.” KJV
2 Timothy 3:2-5 KJV “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.”
GOD’S Power can work in us to live GODLY before him.
Ephesians 3:20 “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” TLB
- BROTHERLY KINDNESS – basically loving others and not being self centered.
Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”
1Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.“
ALL these other BUILDING BLOCKS are DEALING with the INWARD PERSON.
1Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV
“Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”
Galatians 6:2-5 “Bear ye one another’s burdens (weight that takes you down), and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden (task or light load).” KJV
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” KJV
A BADGE of DISCIPLESHIP by which people would:
- Be known as His FRIENDS and FOLLOWERS.
- Be DISTINGUISHED from all others.
- CHARITY – (Agape) God kind of love.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love (Agape) God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
“…called…”
Vs. 29-31 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” KJV
NLT… “29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love 31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
Agape is a ‘God-kind’ of love.
AGAPE love doesn’t just happen to us.
It’s a building process that is rooted in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, etc.
When we WALK in the GOD-KIND of LOVE, what happens is, we start dictating to our circumstances they don’t dictate to us!
We do what is right IN the situation….we give God thanks IN the situation not for it.
2 Peter 1:10 “…for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” KJV