Life and Death
Notes
Transcript
Good morning, church. Today I want to talk to you about life and death. Not the physical life and death that we all experience, but the spiritual life and death that we all face.
The Bible tells us that there are two ways to live: in the light or in the darkness, in the truth or in the lie, in the grace or in the sin, in the life or in the death.
Which way are you living today?
The apostle Peter wrote a letter to the Christians who were scattered throughout Asia Minor, facing persecution and false teachers.
He wanted to encourage them to stand firm in their faith and to grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. He also wanted to remind them of the things that he had taught them, knowing that he would soon die and leave this world. He said in 2 Peter 1:12-15:
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.
Peter knew that his life was temporary, like a tent that can be folded up and taken away.
Even Paul knew this and said:
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
He also knew that his death was imminent, as Jesus had predicted.
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Peter did not fear death, because he had a living hope in Jesus Christ, who had conquered death and risen from the grave.
He knew that after his death, he would enter into the eternal kingdom of God, where he would see his Lord and Savior face to face.
I am reminded of Paul when speaking of life and death saying this Phil1:21
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This type of statement can only be made by those who have a living hope in Christ alone - by grace alone through faith alone.
But Peter also knew that not everyone had this hope.
He knew that there were some people who were living in spiritual death, even though they claimed to be Christians.
They were deceived by false teachers who twisted the Scriptures and denied the Lord.
They were corrupted by evil desires and worldly passions.
They were ineffective and unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Peter described these people in 2 Peter 1:9:
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
What are the things that these people do not have? Last week we talked about these qualities, they are the qualities that Peter listed in verses 5-7:
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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
These are the qualities that mark a true Christian, a person who has been born again by the Spirit of God and has received a new nature.
These are the qualities that show that a person is growing in their relationship with God and with others.
These are the qualities that produce fruit for God’s glory and bless others with God’s grace.
But these qualities do not come automatically or easily. They require effort and diligence on our part. Peter said in verse 5:
For this very reason, make every effort…
What is the reason? It is the reason that Peter gave in verses 3-4:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
The reason is that God has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him.
He has called us by his own glory and goodness.
He has given us his very great and precious promises.
He has enabled us to participate in his divine nature.
He has delivered us from the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
These are amazing truths that should fill us with gratitude and awe.
But they should also motivate us to make every effort to grow in our faith and character.
Because if we do not make every effort, we will become stagnant and complacent. We will lose sight of what God has done for us and what he wants us to do for him.
We will become nearsighted and blind, forgetting that we have been cleansed from our past sins.
And if we forget that we have been cleansed from our past sins, we will also forget our calling and election.
We will forget that God has chosen us out of his love and grace, not because of our works or merit.
We will forget that God has called us to be his children and his witnesses, not to be conformed to this world or its ways.
Peter said in verse 10:
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble…
To confirm our calling and election means to make sure that we are truly saved and that we are living according to God’s will.
It means to examine ourselves and to test ourselves, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5:
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The test is whether we have the qualities that Peter listed in verses 5-7.
Do we have faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love?
Are we growing in these qualities or are we lacking in them?
Are we producing fruit for God or are we barren and unfruitful?
If we do these things, Peter said, we will never stumble.
We will not fall into sin or error.
We will not be led astray by false teachers or worldly temptations.
We will not lose our assurance or our joy.
We will not face God’s judgment or wrath.
But if we do these things, Peter also said, we will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We will enter into the presence of God with joy and peace.
We will hear him say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
We will inherit the rewards that he has prepared for us.
We will share in his glory and his love.
This is the life that God wants us to have.
This is the life that Jesus died and rose again to give us.
This is the life that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live.
But this life is not automatic or easy.
It requires effort and diligence on our part.
It requires us to make every effort to grow in our faith and character.
It requires us to make every effort to confirm our calling and election.
So I ask you today:
Which way are you living?
Are you living in the life or in the death?
Are you living in the light or in the darkness?
Are you living in the truth or in the lie?
Are you living in the grace or in the sin?
If you are living in the death, I urge you to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
He is the way, the truth, and the life.
He can forgive your sins and give you a new birth.
He can cleanse you from your past and give you a new future.
He can fill you with his Spirit and give you a new nature.
If you are living in the life, I urge you to continue and grow in your faith and character.
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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May God help us all to live in the life that he has given us through his Son. Amen.