Having a Growing Faith

2 Peter – Knowing God Personally
2 Peter 1:1-11

1 Peter – dangers that were coming from outside – namely persecution
2 Peter – dangers that were coming from the inside – namely false teachers

The words “know” or “knowledge” are used at least 13 times in 2 Peter.

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”     John 17:3

This letter is written to the same network of churches as 1 Peter. Peter’s goal in 2 Peter is to give these churches, and us, a final challenge to know God personally and to never stop growing.  He begins in these first verses to talk about the promise of the gospel and the complete sufficiency of Christ for faith and for life.  Peter confronts the false teachers who were leading Christians in these churches astray by their own corrupt way of life and also by their theology.

·       Your spiritual growth has little to do with your .

·       You can be as spiritually mature as .

Peter gives us three important
affirmations about the true Christian life:

1.    The Christian life . (vv. 1-4)

“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”   1 Peter 1:8

·      Faith is a . (vv. 1, 2)

·      Faith involves . (v. 3)

Matthew 28:18

Ephesians 2:1-3

Colossians 2:10

 Philippians 4:13

·      Faith involves . (v. 4)

2.   Faith results in (vv. 5-7)

Growth always takes .

Salvation is a gift.
Sanctification is teamwork.

Spiritual growth is never accidental, it’s always .

Philippians 2:13, 14

·      Virtue is moral excellence.

·      Knowledge is something that’s growing, personal and authentic.

·      Self-control – literally, in the Greek, “to hold oneself together.”

·      Patience is to bear up under the trial or the difficult circumstance.

·      Godliness is god-likeness.  It’s to be right with God and therefore other people.  The vertical and the horizontal are well-balanced.

·      Brotherly kindness – the Greek word is ‘philadelphia.’

·      Love – agape – a higher love / the love of the cross.

3.   Spiritual growth brings (vv. 8-11)

·      Fruitfulness (v. 8)

·      Vision (v. 9)

2 Corinthians 4:3, 4

John 3:3

·      Security (vv. 10, 11)

“It is not our profession of faith that guarantees that we are saved; it is our progression in the faith that gives us that assurance.” – Warren Wiersbe

We’re building now for the next place we’ll be, which is the .

1 Corinthians 3:13

Daily Meditations

Memory verse: “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.”
2 Peter 1:3

Monday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  What is the relationship between knowledge of God and Christ and spiritual growth? See verses 1 and 2.

What did Peter say had been given to his audience in verse 3?

Tuesday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  According to verse 4, how do God’s people benefit from the promises God has given them?

What does it mean to participate in the divine nature?

Wednesday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  What did Peter urge his readers to add to their faith in verses 5-7?

Which of the qualities listed by Peter do you consider to be the most important to add to your faith? Why?

Thursday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  What would be the result of possessing godly character in increasing measure? Reread verse 8.

What steps will you take this week to make your faith more effective and productive?

Friday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  What did Peter want his audience to be eager to do in verses 10 and 11? Why?

How can someone make his or her calling and election sure?

Saturday
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11.  What happens when we pursue the qualities Peter described in verse 11?

What does it mean to be ineffective and unproductive?