TEXT: 2 Peter 1:5–15
PREACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2009

This section of Scripture builds on Peter’s opening remarks (justification and regeneration). In response to God’s grace, Christians work together with God–not for our salvation but rather so that we will experience and enjoy the fullness of the salvation that has already been given to us.

Take Your Supplements (2 Peter 1:5–7)

Like taking vitamins to keep our bodies healthy, Peter lists the following spiritual supplements meant to keep us spiritually healthy:

• Faith: Trust in God’s revealed promises and character–even when things don’t work out as expected.
• Virtue: Ethical living, character, and conduct. Submitting your whole life to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Knowledge: Christians should be life-long learners–studying, reading, working through new issues, memorizing Scripture, etc.
• Self-control: Christians are not to live as people controlled externally (through law enforcement, threats, prison, addiction); we should be controlled internally by the Holy Spirit and love for Jesus.
• Steadfastness: “Sanctified stubbornness.” Don’t quit; finish well. Be stubborn enough to hang in there (with your spouse, with Jesus). “Long obedience in the same direction” (Eugene Peterson).
• Godliness: “Coram Deo” (John Calvin)–live “in the face of God” without any secrets or compartments. We will have to give an account for our lives and actions.
• Brotherly affection: The church is, to some degree, a family. We love with one another, fight with one another, work it out with one another, and serve one another as family, persevering together even when people disappoint.
• Love: Love is not something that emanates from us, but rather from God (1 John 4:16).

Exercise Your Faith (2 Peter 1:8–11)

It is possible to be spiritually alive but unhealthy (as it is possible to be physically alive but unhealthy). In addition to supplements, exercise helps.

Peter describes four tools to help us avoid the traps of laziness (not doing enough) and busyness (doing too much), and to wholeheartedly pursue fruitfulness lives:

• Vision: Some are blind to their past (forgetting what Christ did for us on the Cross); some are blind to their future (living for the minute). “Define life forward; live it backward” (Soren Kierkegaard). A vision is a map: live in light of where you’re going–prepare to meet Jesus and leave a legacy behind.
• Assurance: If you’re a Christian, enjoy the assurance of your salvation (v. 10). Keep walking with Jesus and taking supplements.
• Progress: A boring testimony is a good thing. You don’t have to have a dramatic outward transformation in order to grow in spiritual maturity.
• Reward: Christians will not be judged for salvation, but for rewards. Take your supplements and exercise your faith in order to–by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit–store up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20; 25:21).

How to be Fruitful

• Plate: How much can you realistically fit on your plate? Understand your capacity and be honest about it (Rom. 12:3).
• Priorities: Know your priorities and fill your plate in the appropriate order (e.g., 1-God, 2-wife, 3-kids, 4-job).
• Prune: Eliminate what is disorganized, inefficient, not a priority, or just not necessary.

Die Well (2 Peter 1:12–15)

• Act on the knowledge that you already have.
• Information + Obedience = Transformation (James 1:22; 4:17)

Questions

• Are you taking your supplements?
• How can you be more fruitful?
• How can you die well?