Faith That Never Falls

2 Peter 1:1-2 (ESV) Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

• How does Peter introduce himself? How would you describe who you are?

– the idenfication center of his life- the way we think of our self- we should see ourselves as servants of Jesus christ- this is first everything else is secondary

• How does your faith compare to the faith Peter has obtained? How can that be?

• Growing in your knowledge of God will cause you to have what multiplied in your life?

Grace- the ability to do what ever he calls you to do
peace- everything you need to not be afraid to do what he has called you to do

2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV) His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

• His power has given you everything you need for what? Through what? God has given you everything to live a godly life

• Peter says you can become partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corrupting influence of this world. What has God granted us to make this possible?

(Process)

2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV) For this very reason, make every effort to supplement (add)

your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self- control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Grow in Your Faith:
Faith – Believe in God. Know that He is real and will take care

of you. (Do you belive…God is rea, faithful, healer, provider, father, giver of pease)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.. (Hebrews 11:6)

Virtue (goodness, works, instance obedience) – Put your faith into action. Live out everything you know you should do right now. (WOULD YOU JUST TAKE YOUR FAITH AND DO IT)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?(James 2:14)

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (James 4:17)

(DONT EVEN THING ABOUT ASKING MORE IF YOU CAN’T DO THE SMALL THINGS)

Knowledge – Study God’s Word regularly. Grow in your knowledge of the Lord. Pray and seek His face.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16)

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from

evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

(Hebrews 5:11-6:2)

Self-control – Confess and repent. Change whatever you need to change to become more like Jesus.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Steadfastness – Difficulties are going to test your new resolve. This is where your faith really grows to maturity.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

(HOW MANY OF YOU WANT TO BE MATURE AND COMPLETE LACKING ANYTHING….GREAT WERE ASKING FOR A TEAS)
(TESTING ALWAYS PROCEEDS PROMOTION)

Godliness – On the other side of testing comes promotion. God will take you to the next level of faith in Him.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

(1 Peter 1:6-7)

WHAT DOES IT REAVEAL…COOLAID ILLUSTRATION

Brotherly affection – When you grow you will want to teach others what you have learned. This will establish your growth even more.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Love – The ultimate measurement of spiritual growth is that you are growing in your love for God and for each other.

If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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.

(1 Corinthians 13:1-7)

2 Peter 1:8-10 (ESV) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

  • Is it possible to know Jesus and not be effective and fruitful? How can that happen?
  • How does Peter describe a person who doesn’t grow in these qualities?
  • Is it possible to never fall? How is it possible?