2Peter 1:1-4
What God Gives
This is Wednesday night Bible study so let’s start off with a bit of
information about the book of 2 Peter.
I. Introduction
A. It’s author is plainly stated:
2Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle
of Jesus Christ….
1. Even though it is, this book is one of the more challenged
by in the New Testament. The liberals want to say the
book was written much later than Peter lived, as late as
the 4th century after Jesus.
2. They say this for several reasons:
a. The book is too polished. Peter was "just" a
fisherman, yet in this book, the Greek that he used
was more far more polished than even that used in 1
Peter. My answer: When the Spirit fills a person,
that person is able to do far more far better than
his education and standard of life can explain.
b. The book is too smart. Some feel that the epistle
dealt with problems that did not exist at the time
Peter lived, primarily Gnosticism. Gnosticism is the
believe that knowledge solves everything, that
knowledge leads to enlightenment. My answer: The
Author was the Holy Ghost. He displayed throughout
the Bible that He knows the future.
c. The book is too similar. Peter and Jude write almost
the same thing concerning false prophets
\\#2Peter 2:1-22, Jude 3-19\\. Literally, they wrote
almost the same words. My answer: They are filled
with the same Holy Spirit and writing on the same
topics. Peter was only the scribe. God the Holy
Ghost was the Author.
B. Date
1. The date for the book is estimated to be between 64 and
66 AD.
2. Nero ruled from 54 to 68 AD.
3. Nero stared persecuting the Christians after a fire in
Rome on July 18, 64 AD. The fire burned the city for six
days and seven nights. Some have felt that Nero had the
fires set so that he could blame it on the Christians.
Others feel that Nero simply needed a scapegoat.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/rome.htm
4. Nero arrested some Christians after the fire who, while
being tortured, accused other Christians. This was used
by Nero to justify a cruel and barbaric persecution.
However, the persecution did not last long and, typically,
the further from the city of Rome the Christians were,
the less the hostilities.
https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/623-nero-caesar-and-the-
christian-faith
C. Recipients:
1. The book may have been written to the same people as the
1Peter for Peter mentioned this was a second epistle.
2Peter 3:1 This SECOND epistle, beloved, I now
write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure
minds by way of remembrance:
2. This would mean both epistles were written to the churches
scattered through Asia.
1Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to
the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
D Theme:
1. The book of 2Peter has several important subject matters,
each one being a chapter or so long. However, the overall
purpose of Peter’s writing was to prepare the church for
the future \\#2Peter 1:12-15\\.
2. The theme then, is BE PREPARED.
II. What God Gives:
A. \\#1\\ God gives a precious faith.
2Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle
of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like
precious faith with us through the righteousness
of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
1. God has given to us a faith.
a. A faith is something to believe in.
b. Every human being needs something to believe in.
(1) A purpose.
(2) A reason to get up in the morning.
(3) Some cause to make it worth fighting through the
difficulties of life.
c. Without a purpose, there is no reason to live.
(1) With that in mind, let me tell you plainly that
the humanistic teaching to our children that
there is no God and that life ends at death is
the number one reason why the suicide rate is
so high.
(3) If there is no purpose, why deal with life?
(4) If we are nothing more than an accident given a
fleeting moment and then gone forever, why
continue?
d. Our faith has given us something to believe in and a
reason to live, a reason to get up, and a reason to
fight on.
e. Call it a crutch if you want, I promise you that our
lives are richer and fuller than any atheist and our
eternity will be beyond their comprehension.
2. But God has not just given to us a faith but a PRECIOUS
faith.
a. The adjective "precious" describes the quality of our
faith.
(1) Precious means dear, cherished, valued,
appreciated, treasured.
(2) We do not just have SOMETHING to believe in. We
gave something dear, cherished, valued,
appreciated, treasured to believe in.
b. What is that precious faith? It is at least seven
truths, seven facts.
(1) It is the Good News that God created us.
(2) It is the Good News that God loves us.
(3) It is the Good News that God has a purpose for
us.
(4) It is the Good News that God died to redeem us.
(5) It is the Good News that there is forgiveness.
(6) It is the Good News that there is a better life
for us on earth.
(7) It is the Good News that there is an eternity of
blessedness to live with God after death.
3. These seven have given me a reason to get up EVERY day.
a. They have given me a purpose to live and a hope beyond
death.
b. They have changed my life, and can change yours.
4. Notice how one receives this faith.
2Peter 1:1 …through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
a. This precious faith is not earned or merited by our
actions.
b. It is granted and gifted by the merits of Jesus
Christ.
c. When Jesus died on the cross, God took HIS
righteousness and put it on my sinful account; while
at the same time, He took my sin and placed it on His
righteous account.
d. I love the story of Jesus!
B. \\#2\\ God gives multiplied grace and peace.
2Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto
you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus
our Lord,
1. Again, notice the adjective "multiplied."
a. It is not just grace God has given.
b. Neither is just peace.
c. It is multiplied grace and multiplied peace, meaning
that God has given it to us many, many times.
2. My definition of grace is and has been for some time:
a. "Grace is God working in you, through you, and for you
to accomplish His will."
b. However, I notice now that the phrase is not in the
correct order.
c. Grace has worked FOR us for many years.
(1) It was God’s grace that created the world. That
was God’s grace working FOR us.
(2) It was God’s grace that worked the exact DNA
pattern through all of the hundreds of ancestors
we have had to produce US.
(a) I’m not talking about producing a child.
(b) I’m talking about producing us.
(c) That was grace working FOR us.
(3) It was God’s grace that sent Jesus to die.
(4) It was God’s grace that brought the sweet, sweet
story to our ears.
(5) All of that and much more was God’s grace working
FOR us.
d. But then God’s grace starting working IN us.
(1) It was God’s grace that convicted our heart of
sin.
(2) It was God’s grace that bent our knees and bowed
our heads.
(3) It was God’s grace that continued to change our
hearts and minds every day since.
(4) That has been God’s grace working IN us.
e. It is God’s grace that wants to work THROUGH us to
reach and help others.
(1) Too many cut God’s grace short and don’t let it
complete the last step.
(2) It is God’s grace that enables us to witness, to
minister, to care, and to help.
(3) That is God’s grace working THROUGH us.
f. Since the day God hung the earth in outer space there
has not been a day when God’s grace was not working
for our benefit.
3. Peace is the absence of conflict.
a. God has given us peace through Jesus Christ.
b. Presently, there is no conflict between God and the
Christian.
(1) We WERE God’s enemies, but we have been made one
with Him by the blood of the cross.
Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled.
(2) God now calls me His friend.
c. Practically, there should be no conflict between
Christian and Christian. Some Christians are harder
to get along with than others, but if we will let
GRACE have her perfect work, we will find that we can
be at peace with every believer.
d. Positionally, there will be no conflict between the
Christian and the lost.
e. Prospectively, there will be no conflict between the
Christian and the lost.
Pro 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he
maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
f. Potentially, there will be a day when there
will be no conflict even between the Christian and
the devil! That will come when God removes the devil
and casts him into a bottomless pit forever.
C. \\#3\\ God gives divine power.
2Peter 1:3 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:
1. We do not just have power but divine power. (Again, the
icing on the cake is in the adjective!)
2. Notice the purpose of this power: It is given to us to
help us to live this LIFE and to make it to GLORY with
GODLINESS and VIRTUE.
3. Notice the Source of this power:
a. This power come through knowledge.
b. It is interesting that Peter did not say this power
comes through prayer and fasting.
c. Jesus said that, but Peter tells us something else we
need just as much, knowledge.
Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out
but by prayer and fasting.
d. Even prayer, fasting, and faith need guidance.
D. \\#4\\ This power will be released as we know and claim the
"exceedingly great and precious promises" God has given to
us.
2Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye
might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust.
1. Once again, notice those adjectives!
2. Every promise of God is God binding Himself to do
something.
a. A riddle: What can bind God? Only His own promises.
b. God is the only omnipotent (all-powerful) Being, but
He can be bound.
c. How? God willingly binds Himself by making promises
to us.
3. And what does this divine power do for us?
a. It lets us share ("be partakers of the divine
nature.")
b. It let us escape "the corruption that is in the
world."
These are the things that God has given us—and how great they are!
This is just Peter’s introduction. With such an introduction, what
does God have for us in the book?
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