Clean Transcript

These Things

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• All right, I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Peter chapter 1. And I want us basically to read the first 12 verses, although we are going to be dealing mainly with 3 through 12, or 3 through 11. So notice 2 Peter chapter 1. The title of the message is "These Things." And I think you will understand momentarily.

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• "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 of our Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 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: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the"

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• "corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them and be established in the present truth."

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• So the title of the message, as you can see, where I got the title from—three times in this passage, these two words, "these things." I will just tell you up front that I was blown away by these two little words, "these things." So I would encourage you to do an internet search, or at least on the online Bible if you have one on your computer, if not the Strong's Concordance, on these two words, "these things." You'll be absolutely astounded at how many times these two words appear. And you'll also be astounded at the thoughts and the emphasis that is laid upon these two words. "These things" may refer to events, situations, blessings, curses, and any providential happening.

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• So let me give you a couple of illustrations. First of all, in Genesis chapter 15 and verse 1, the scripture says, "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." So "after these things"—you would have to look back to Genesis chapter 14. And you will find in Genesis chapter 14 that Abraham rescued Lot and all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And at the same time, there was the blessing of Melchizedek upon Abraham. So it was after these things. Then in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt," or test, "Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am." So when he talks about "and it came to pass after these things," in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1 it refers back to Genesis chapter 21, which covers the birth of Isaac, the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael, and at the same time the covenant that was made between Abraham and Abimelech.

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• So "these things" can also refer to different sins. For instance, in Leviticus 5 and verse 17, God said, "And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity." You'll have the same truth found in Leviticus 18 and verse 24, when God says, "Defile not yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you." So "these things" can refer to many things. In fact, it also refers to God's judgments and God's chastisement that He sends for reformation and, of course, for discipline. For instance, Leviticus chapter 26 and verse 23, He says, "And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me." So that "these things" there would talk about His chastisement and would talk about His judgments as well. Now when you get into the New Testament, you're going to find that the term "these things" not only refers to that which Christ taught, but also that which Christ did—reference to His miracles. For instance, in Luke 13 and verse 17, "And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things

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• that were done by him." So notice "these things." Then in Luke 14 and verse 6, "And they could not answer him again to these things." So it's referring then to His teachings, referring to the words that He spoke. And then in Luke 14 and verse 15, "And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." When he heard these things.

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• That would be the teaching of Christ. And then finally in Luke chapter 20 and verse 8, "And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." And in that context, it's certainly referring to the miracles that He performed. So when you stop and think about the words "these things," we use them often, and we use them just like the Bible does to refer to a multitude of different things. Probably every husband at one time or the other has been asked by the wife, "Would you please stop by the store and pick up these things for me?" And of course, the husband usually does that. How about this? You've heard people say, "Well, you need these things in your survival gear." And oftentimes, I've said to people, "If you're going to come to our class and learn how to shoot, then you need to bring these things," and I'll list those things that they need to bring. And we talk about people who sometimes are in ill health, and we say, "Well, the reason he's in ill health is because he did not do these things to preserve and protect his health."

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• So we use that term very often. And I could also say it biblically, because I'm going to show it to you: you cannot really grow as a Christian until these things be in you that God speaks about. So many times we use the term "these things" in a very general sense. But when you look in 2 Peter 1, "these things" are used very specifically, because here are qualities, here are characteristics that must be in the life of every genuine child of God. So this list is very specific. So I want you to see in 2 Peter 1, verses 1 and 2, first of all, the salutation. This is just how Peter begins this epistle. "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 Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ." So that is the salutation. Now, when you look at verses 3 and 4, the Apostle Peter is going to give us four very important truths.

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• So let's look at verse 3. "According as his divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Now, first of all, I want you to notice what God says right here.

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• This may shock you, but here it is: there is absolutely no excuse for sorry, unholy, ungodly, and disobedient living. No excuse. How can I say there's no excuse? Well, look in verse 3: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." So there's actually no excuse because God has given us everything that we need, and He's given it to us by His divine power. Here's the second truth: the reason that most Christians are not living holy, godly, obedient lives, and will not live holy, godly, obedient lives, is because of their ignorance and the sin of lack of study. So, look at verse 3 again: "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." Notice, if you would, God has given us all things through the knowledge of Him. So that means in our ignorance, we really do not know God as we should. We have not learned Him as we should. And when we know God as we should, we're going to know ourselves as we should. We're going to see our absolute dependence upon Him. Now here's the third truth.

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• He gives us right off: we're given exceeding great and precious promises. That's found in verse 4: "that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." So His promises, received, believed, and obeyed, make us holy as He is holy. They enable us to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. So let me just say this again: our problems stem from our ignorance of God's person, God's power, God's position, and God's promises.

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• Knowledge and the application of that knowledge in those areas would change our lives. Fourthly, you're going to have to look back to verse 3. He says, "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." So God then has called us to glory and to virtue. So that means that we are not to live static lives. We're not to live neutral lives. We're not to live stunted lives. We're to grow, and we're to grow in grace and in knowledge. I'm going to make a statement, and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible: if you're not growing in knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, then you're not growing in grace.

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• For instance, consider this passage. Just let me quote it: Colossians 1 and verse 10, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." You're not going to be fruitful in every good work unless you're increasing in the knowledge of God. You're not going to be walking pleasing to Him unless you're increasing in the knowledge of God. Since you're in 2 Peter, look in 2 Peter 1 and verse 2. Look at this: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." How is grace and peace multiplied to us? It's through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, if you will turn to 2 Peter chapter 3, look in verse 18. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, look at this: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen." Now, I want to show you something. He says, "But grow in grace, and"—now the little word "and" happens to be the little Greek word kai. That word is translated many times in our Bibles as "even." So look at verse 18 again.

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• He says, "But grow in grace, even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." So you're not growing in grace unless you're growing in knowledge. Now with these truths I've just enunciated in mind, I want you to go back now to 2 Peter. Look, if you would please, at chapter 1 and verse 5. Okay.

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• Now we're going to start out on "these things." Look what he says: "And besides this"—that is, besides what he's just mentioned in the first four verses—"besides this, give all diligence to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." Now when he said "besides this," actually what he is saying is "in addition to." In addition to understanding what he just gave you in the first four verses, then you must add something in your life. The Greek word for "add" is epichoregeo, and it literally means to bring into beside, or to bring into with, or to contribute to, or to add to something. So he says, "besides this"—in other words, you've got to add, you have to contribute, you have to bring into this. So I want you to note now, this addition is not suggested. This addition is not something that you and I can be lax about. It's not something that we can ignore. It's not something that we can be uninterested in. Because if you look at verse 5 again, he said, "And besides this, giving all diligence."

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• Now, the word "diligence" is the word spoude, and it means literally with haste, in earnestness, in diligence, that which you are really striving after. So it says you're going to give all diligence, you're going to strive after, you're going to be earnest in adding these things to your life. Now, first of all, we're bidden to add to our faith. Look at it again in verse 5. He says, "And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith." Now, the word for "faith" is the Greek word pistis, which refers to faith in God, faith in His word, and faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure that you remember Hebrews 11, verse 6, because that is the passage that says, "But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must first believe that he is, and"—here's the second thing—"that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him." So I said it's impossible to please God without faith, because in faith we believe that God is, and we believe that He's a rewarder of those

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• that diligently seek Him. Now here is the truth that I want you to grasp immediately from verse 5. When he says in verse 5, "And besides this, giving all diligence to add to your faith," listen carefully: saving faith, or salvation, is not the end. It is not the culmination. It is the beginning. It's the beginning of life. God does not save us just so that we may be freed from the penalty of sin. He also saves us from the power of sin, according to Romans chapter 6, and of course in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1, He said, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not." But He also saves us ultimately, finally, from the very presence of sin. So obviously, He says faith now is simply the beginning. You remember that passage in Matthew 1 and verse 21?

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• Gabriel said to Mary—or actually to Joseph in this instance—"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." So salvation primarily is from sins. Someone asked, "Well, do you want to be saved from hell?" Let me just tell you this: being saved from hell is a byproduct of being saved from your sins. It's sins which send individuals to torment and judgment and hell. So when God saves us, He saves us from our sins, not only from the penalty, but from the power, and ultimately from the presence as well.

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• Now look what he said again in verse 5. Look at this. He said, "And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge."

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• Now, what he is telling us here is all of these things that he's going to be listing in verses 5 through 7 must be added to our faith. If we have saving faith, if we're genuinely the children of God, these things in some degree should be in our lives. So the very first thing he mentions there is virtue. So if I were to ask you, "What is virtue?" Well, obviously virtue may mean different things to different people. And of course, it's going to certainly mean different things to the unsaved than it does to the saved.

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• When we talk about a virtuous individual, we think of someone that is pure. We think of someone who is holy and right, and someone who tries to do that which is right. In fact, the Greek word for "virtue" is the word arete, and it means literally a virtuous course of conduct, a virtuous course of thought and feeling. It means moral goodness and a moral excellence, which of course is modesty and purity as well. When I tried to tell you that different people have different perceptions of virtue—years ago, I was talking to a fellow who was a drunkard. He was a known drunkard.

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• That doesn't mean he was drunk all of the time, but he usually got drunk several times a month, that is for sure. I mean, dog drunk. Well, this time he had gotten drunk, he had gotten over it, and he wanted to talk to me and tell me that he was through with all of his drunkenness. So I went to see him and visit with him. And of course, he was high on the pedestal.

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• He was through with drinking. He was through with being drunk. And he told me, he said, "You know," he said, "I know a man. I know a man that had a good job, making money hand over fist, I mean, giving to the church. And he started drinking and got drunk, and he lost everything." Well, I tried to keep the conversation going. And so I asked him, I said, "Wow. I said, what kind of job did he have?" "Well, he was a pool shark down at the pool hall, where he made all his money gambling." Giving to the—it was a good job. He was a virtuous man, according to this fellow, although he was a drunkard and a gambler. So this is what I mean. No, no, no.

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• The word arete refers to that which is of moral excellence. It refers to that of moral goodness. When we think of virtue, we can't help but think of Proverbs chapter 31 and verse 10, when God asked this question, He said, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." So a virtuous woman is described in Proverbs chapter 31. So we don't only need virtuous women; we also need virtuous men as well. Let me put it to you like this: virtuous minds produce virtuous bodies. Virtuous minds and virtuous bodies produce virtuous actions and conduct. This is why He lists virtue first. So those who have been saved by the grace of God should desire to live a pure and holy and godly life. Now note, if you would, the second thing He said: and you're to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue you're to add knowledge. Now the word "knowledge" is from the Greek word gnosis. It refers to knowledge and understanding, and especially in those things that are lawful and right for the child of God. In other

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• words, we must know God's precepts. We must know His principles. We must know His promises. At the same time, we have to also know that which is unlawful, that which is wicked, and that which is wrong.

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• Now, I want you to listen while I quote some scriptures. I want us to put them together. The first one is Job 28 and verse 28: "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." What is it to depart from evil? It is understanding. What is the fear of the Lord? That is wisdom. So listen now to Proverbs 9 and verse 10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Now wait a minute. Job 28 verse 28, He said, "to depart from evil is understanding." Well, which is it? Is departing from evil understanding, or is knowledge of the holy understanding? It's both. Because when you have a knowledge of the holy and the knowledge of that which is right and just and lawful, then you're going to depart from that which is evil and unlawful and unjust and unholy. Clearly God is putting this together for us. For instance, in Proverbs 18 and verse 15, the Bible says, "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge."

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• What kind of knowledge are we seeking? We're not seeking knowledge of the world. We're seeking biblical knowledge, knowledge of God and His word. Then in Proverbs 19 and verse 2: "Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth." So God said it's not good to be without knowledge. Now, let me ask you a question. Since the Word of God demands that we depart from evil, how can we depart from it if we do not know what it is? How can we depart from it if we do not recognize that which is sinful, evil, and wrong? How can we cling to that which is good and holy if we do not know that which is good and holy? In other words, when he says that we're to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue we're to add knowledge, that knowledge is a knowledge of that which is right and wrong, that which God commands and that which God forbids, that which is lawful and that which is unlawful for the child of

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• God. So, here's the truth of the matter: you should be constantly, consistently, and continually reading your Bible over and over and over in order that you might see the principles and the precepts of the Word of God and learn to distinguish between that which is right and wrong, that which is holy and unholy, that which is lawful and unlawful. You must read it constantly. Let me give you a little hint.

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• And I know this for a fact because I've done it myself. And I tell people, if you really want to learn the Bible, here's what you have to do: you have to study the Bible yourself.

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• Now you can say, "Well, wait a minute, Brother Weaver, you went to college and you had Bible taught to you there." That's true. I did. But let me tell you something about Bible school or Bible college, whatever you want to call it. In Bible school, you may learn about the Bible. But the only way you can learn the Bible is to study it for yourself. Just because you know something about the Bible does not mean that you know the Bible. To know the Bible, you've got to read it and reread it and reread it and reread it and keep going until you know it. So here's what I tell people: if you really want to learn, pick a book of the Bible. Pick a small book, like Galatians, only six chapters, or the book of Philippians, only four chapters, or the book of Ephesians, only six chapters. You pick a small book of the Bible and read that book all the way through every day for 30 days. Read it all the way through every day for 30 days.

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• Three things are going to happen. Number one, next time you pick up your Bible and open it, it's going to open to that book. It'll just automatically open there. You've been doing it for 30 days. The Bible will open there usually. Number two, you will have begun to have seen the theme and the purpose of the book. You will understand the author. You will understand the recipients. You will understand the problems that are contained in that book of those people to whom it was written.

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• And thirdly, and more importantly, if you will pay attention to the chapters and to the verses as you read it, you will memorize scripture without even trying to memorize scripture. You read something 30 times and pay attention to it, you're going to retain it. It'll just happen. A lot of the scripture that I'm able to quote, it was just from reading and rereading and rereading. I didn't sit down and say, "Well, I'm going to memorize this passage." No, I just read the passage over and over and it just stuck with me. So this is what I'm saying. Take a small book. You have to read the scripture over and over and over now.

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• Notice, if you would, back in verse 5, he said you add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge. Now watch verse 6: "and to knowledge you are to add temperance." Wow. What is temperance? Usually when we think of temperance, we think of the word moderation. However, the word temperance means more than moderation. The Greek word is egkrateia. It literally means self-control. And yes, you have to have self-control in your eating and your drinking, but you have to have self-control in other areas. Without self-control, you'll end up killing yourself.

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• Years ago, I had a friend, and he loved to eat. But he was an extreme diabetic, and he would not watch what he ate. And so I told him one day, I said, "If you do not control your appetite, you're going to lose a limb." And sure enough, he had that part of his leg amputated. Alice and I took care of him and his wife and his grandchild while he was recovering.

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• They stayed in our home. He kept on eating. So one day I told him, I said, "Look, brother, if you do not control your appetite, you're going to die. That's all there is to it. You're going to kill yourself." I never will forget what he told me. He said, "Preacher, I just love to eat so much." He said, "And I just as soon go ahead and die and be happy eating." And that's exactly what happened.

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• He ate himself to death. He ate those things which he should not have eaten. He didn't have any self-control. But this self-control does not just simply refer to eating and drinking. How about controlling your passions? How about controlling your lusts? How about controlling your desires? How about controlling your thoughts? How about controlling your conduct? Wow.

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• Now, the Apostle Paul uses this word temperance in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 25. You'll recognize it. He said, "And every man that striveth for mastery"—he's talking about athletes—"is temperate in all things."

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• Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we do it to obtain an incorruptible crown. I'll tell you what, if you want to run a two-mile race, I can tell you what not to do. I can tell you that 30 minutes before you run the two-mile race, especially in the heat, don't eat a hamburger and drink a milkshake. I mean, it's just not going to work.

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• I can assure you of that. Now, this is what he's saying. He that is running a race is going to be temperate. He's going to have self-control in about every area. So the Apostle Paul is telling us we are going to have to be temperate in our lives. We're going to have to control ourselves. So let me tell you something: it is impossible to serve without temperance. Think about this. It is impossible to serve without self-control. Can you imagine a soldier in the army without self-control? He's not going to stay in the army long because he's going to be court-martialed and kicked out. What about someone who was just hired for a job? If there's no self-control, if there's no temperance, pretty soon he's going to lose that job. Did you know that temperance is demanded of pastors and of aged men? Paul wrote to Titus in Titus chapter 1 and verse 8, talking about a pastor, he said, "He must be a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate." Temperate. Be able to control himself. Wow. And Titus 2 verses 1 and 2, listen to this. He said, "But speak thou

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• the things that become sound doctrine." So what he's about to say next is sound doctrine. He said, "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: that the aged men"—that is, the older men—"be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." So aged men are to be temperate, they're to have self-control. And usually if a man lives long enough to have self-control, it means he's learned early in life it doesn't pay to lose self-control. Now while God demands that temperance be in pastors and aged men, that does not mean that those who are young and those who are middle-aged and those who are not pastors can be intemperate. But what he is saying is that temperance should be eminent in the life of a pastor and in the life of an aged man.

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• It's still required by every Christian. That's why he says you're to add to your faith temperance. Okay, look, if you would now in verse 6, he said, "and to knowledge you add temperance; and to temperance you add patience." So the fourth thing we're to add is patience. This is the point of failure to most of us. Our word patience, we understand part of it, but we don't understand all of it. Because patience not only deals with someone not being impatient, but it also deals with those who are inconsistent, and those who are moody. But if you're patient, then it also means that you're steadfast, and you're consistent, and it doesn't really matter what is going on. You're going to hold to patience.

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• In fact, the Greek word happens to be hupomone, and it means literally steadfastness, constancy, endurance. It speaks of a characteristic of an individual who is not going to be swerved. Regardless of the trial and regardless of his suffering, he is not going to be deterred. He's not going to be turned away from his purpose. Now let me give you a good illustration. Look back in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 20. Look what the Word of God says. 1 Peter 2 and verse 20. He asks this question, "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."

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• Let's suppose that Steve does something that's really, really unbiblical, really wrong. I mean, it's really, really bad. And I go to Steve and I jump all over him. And I do what the world says. I rip him up one side and down the other. And he just stands there and takes it and drops his head. Well, he knows he's done wrong. Okay, and he took it like a man. But suppose I hear that Steve has done something and he really hasn't done it. And I go to him and I jump on him and I rip him up one side and down the other. He drops his head and he takes it graciously. And then he thinks to himself, "Well, I'm innocent. I didn't do that. But I've done so many other things in my life. I probably deserve that one way or the other." And he took it patiently. Yeah, this is what he's talking about. You remember that passage in Matthew 5 when our Lord said, "Blessed are you when men speak evil of you falsely for my name's sake." So a patient man is someone who's going to

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• endure any trial, any suffering, and he's going to do it patiently. He's going to hold steadfast to his purpose. He's not going to quit. He's not going to give in. He's not going to give up. He's not going to give out. He's just going to stay faithful. That's what he's talking about. Patient.

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• Now, look, if you would, steadfast patience, enduring patience, persevering patience inflicted upon us when we do good and when we have not done evil. He says this is acceptable with God. So we don't give up. We do not give in. We do not give out. Now go back in your Bibles to 2 Peter chapter 1. And look, if you would next, look at what he said. 2 Peter chapter 1. He says again in verse 7—he after, after patience, verse 6 it is—and after patience,

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• we're to add godliness. Does that strike you? Thought when you were saved you were a godly person? Well, that may be true to one extent and in one sense of the word, but we are to add godliness. Now the Greek word is eusebeia. One of the early church fathers was named Eusebius, which simply means "godly." The word godliness here refers to what you and I would call reverence and respect and piety toward God.

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• It implies that we are like Him. It implies that we are obedient to Him, that we are pleasing unto Him, that our lives are being brought into conformity to His Word. So if I looked at Steve and said he's a godly man, if I looked at Diane and said she's a godly woman, or Lorraine, she's a godly woman, that means then there's someone who's living biblically and obediently toward God.

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• So he says you're to add godliness. Isn't that amazing? He said in Ephesians 4, "But ye have not so learned Christ." In other words, you have to learn Christ. You have to learn godliness. Hang on. I want you to watch this. Sixthly, he says in verse 7, "and to godliness you add brotherly kindness." Brotherly kindness. Now I'll guarantee you, you know the Greek word for brotherly kindness. Huh, you may not remember it, but you know it. And when I tell you what it is, you will certainly remember. The Greek word happens to be the name of one of our major cities in Pennsylvania, Steve, since you were from Pennsylvania. It's the word Philadelphia. Philadelphia.

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• Philos is the noun for love. Adelphos is the word for brother. Philadelphia means brotherly love, or the love of the brethren. So Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. However, there's not very much brotherly love in that city. I can assure you of that right there. So brotherly love happens to be the love that Christians cherish for each other as believers in the family of God. Now we're to add brotherly love.

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• So let me give you another illustration. I use Steve while I go about. I heard that he did something wrong and I went to him. I ripped him up one side down the other, and you know, I was explaining patience. But if I'd heard that Steve had done something wrong and really, really deserved a rebuke and to be corrected, instead of me going to him and ripping him up one side and down the other and telling him how the cow ate the cabbage, if I go to him and say, "Brother,

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• there are some things that we need to get straight. I need to talk to you, and I'm telling you this out of a heart of love and a broken heart. I need to find out if this is true. If it's true, we need to correct it. If it's not true, I need to go back and correct someone who told me this." You follow what I'm saying?

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• Now, would that be brotherly love, rather than me just coming to him and ripping him up one side and down the other? Sure. I'd be talking to him, as the Bible says, "you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted." So, brotherly love then means that we are actually caring for each other and we are loving each other. The Bible says in Hebrews 13, verse 1, "Let brotherly love continue."

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• Now, I want you to look in the book of 1 John, if you'll turn back to 1 John, or turn over, I should say, to 1 John. Look in 1 John, chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 8, and look what the Bible says about brotherly love. We'll go through verse 11. 1 John 2 verse 8: "Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." Now look at verse 9: "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

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• Now what did God just tell us? If we love the brethren, that is a sign that there's grace in our lives. If we hate our brother, then we are in darkness and there is no light in us. So if you will turn right over to 1 John chapter 4 and look, if you would please, at verses 20 and 21. 1 John 4 verses 20 and 21: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." So he says, if a man says he loves God and hates his brother, he's a liar. He does not love God. Well, 1 John 2 and verse 4 tells us the same thing: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar,

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• and the truth is not in him." And here's a commandment that if we love God, we love our brothers also. So notice, if you would, brotherly love. I want you to go back, if you would, to 2 Peter chapter 1. And look, if you would now at verse 7. 2 Peter 1 and verse 7. He said, "and to godliness you're to add brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness you are to add charity." Charity. Now charity is another word for love. So, let me put it to you: the great love chapter in the Bible is 1 Corinthians chapter 13, and that is the chapter on love. Now brotherly kindness, or brotherly love, and charity are closely related, but there is a difference. Because now God tells us that we're to add charity to our faith, not just brotherly kindness, but to add charity. So there's got to be a difference. Okay. Well, what is the difference? Well, when he talks about charity, he's using the Greek word agape, which is love.

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• But you have to understand there are other words for love as well. Phileo is "I love." That is where we get our English word "phileo" and "family." And then there's another Greek word that is not used in the Greek New Testament, but it's in the Greek. It is the word eros. That's where we get our English word "erotic" from. So what is the difference? Here you go.

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• I'm going to show it to you. Agape love is the kind of love that God has. When you read John 3:16, "For God so loved the world," literally, "for God so agaped the world," so to speak. Agape love is the love that gives and continues to give even when it's spurned. Phileo love is the love that gives and receives. So I love Alice, I'm giving love, but I want Alice to love me back. I want to receive love. So that's fellow love, that's family love, okay? Eros is that which takes; it's more or less than love, but it's not concerned about giving, it's just concerned about taking. So here's what God is saying in this particular passage: that we're to add to our lives biblical love. So let me give you an illustration. Each one of us at one point in our lives were unsaved. We did things we should not have done. We said things we should not have said. We acted like we should not have acted. Now the truth of the matter is God loved us from eternity.

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• That's what He said in Jeremiah 31 and verse 3. He said, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Or, "with cords of love." So God loved us from eternity. Ah, guess what? What if during our rebellion to God and our sins against Him and our indulging ourselves in the flesh and everything that God has forbidden, what if God said, "Wow, he is not responding to my love, so hey, I'll just cut him loose and let him go, and he can have his own way and die and pay for his own sins"? You see what the point I'm trying to make? God loved us, and even when we were in rebellion to Him, He still continued to love us. That's why He said in Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us,

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• in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." So He's telling us that we're to add this type of love to our lives.

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• Now, here are seven graces, seven characteristics, seven wonderful attitudes, dispositions, whatever you want to call these, that will be added to our life. Now what I want you to see is this: I want you to see the application of this, because he says beginning there in verse 8, "For if these things be in you"—notice "these things," those seven things: add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness you're to add charity.

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• Now look: "For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." So, here's what you need to see. First of all, here is a promise: if these things be in you and abound—those seven things—they will make you not to be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the words "make you" are actually from the one Greek word kathistemi. And here's what it means.

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• They will set you in place, and they will constitute you, they will render you, they will conduct you to a right end. So it says if these seven things are in you, they will make you, they will set you on the right course, they will keep you on the right course, they will conduct you to the right end. They'll make you.

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• Now notice what else he said: you will not be barren. Argos is the Greek word. It means, listen, you will not be lazy. You will not be indolent. You will not be slothful. You will not be shunning labor. You will not be looking for leisure. You will be a worker. They will make you, because you have to give diligence to make these things in addition to your faith. That's what he said. They'll make you a worker.

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• You remember what our Lord said in Luke chapter 10 and verse 2? "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into the harvest." God is looking for laborers. He's not looking for someone to lie back on the couch. What did He say? "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." No, He's looking for workers.

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• He said if these things are in you and abound, they're going to make you a worker. You're not going to be slothful. You're not going to be indolent, because these things call for diligence in and of themselves. And you will not be barren, and you will not be unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the word "unfruitful" is the word akarpos, and it means without fruit, or being unproductive. He said you're not going to be unproductive. You're going to be productive. But note, if you would, what he said. I love this. He said in verse 8, "These things being in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

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• Wow. Let me ask you a question. What is eternal life? Our Lord tells us in John 17 verse 3, in His high priestly prayer, He said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." So these seven things in our lives will enable us to enjoy the intimate personal relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we are now enjoying eternal life in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

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• And it will culminate in eternity. Now, hang on. The second thing he gives us here is a serious warning. Not only gives us a blessed promise, but a serious warning. He said in verse 9, "But he that lacketh these things"—that is, those seven things—"he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." Wow. The word "blind" is the word tuphlos, which means he's blind mentally. He's blind intellectually as well as spiritually. And then he says he cannot see afar off. Muopazo is the word. It means he sees that which is just—sees it dimly. He doesn't see it clearly. All he can see is that little bit that is up close, but there's more to this word. Because the word implies that he is shutting his eyes to the light. In other words, he's blinking, he's winking. He doesn't see. He doesn't want to see. Wow. I've known people like that. They do not want the truth. As one man said, most people at one time in their life stumble over truth, and when they do, they get up, dust themselves off, and keep walking, and never even look at that which they stumbled over.

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• Hmm. Well, that's the way it is. These people that are blind and cannot see afar off are nearsighted folks who can only behold that which is really up close. They do not see the big picture. Here's a quote from Albert Barnes. He says, "The meaning here is that he is like one who has an indistinct vision; one who can see only the objects that are near him, but who has no correct apprehension of objects that are far remote. He sees but a little way into the true nature and design of the gospel."

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• He does not take those large and clear views which would enable him to comprehend the whole system at a glance. So the result then—look at the result of this nearsightedness is found in verse 9: "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off." Here's the result: "and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." Now I'm fixing to give you two quotes. The first one is by Albert Barnes and the second one is by John Calvin, and I think Calvin really nails it a little more distinctly than Barnes, but both are good quotes. Barnes says, "He does not remember the obligation which grows out of the fact that a system has been devised to purify the heart, and that he has been so far brought under the power of that system as to have his sins forgiven. If he had any just view of that, he would see that he was under obligation to make as high attainments as possible, and to cultivate to the utmost extent these Christian graces." Which is true. But Calvin said it like this: "But Peter takes this for granted, that they who were still rolling in

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• the filth of the flesh had forgotten their own purgation; for the blood of Christ has not become a washing bath to us, that it may be fouled by our filth. He therefore calls them 'old sins,' by which he means that our life ought to be otherwise formed, because we have been cleansed from our sins. Not that anyone can be pure from every sin while he lives in this world, or that the cleansing we obtained through Christ consists of pardon only, but that we ought to differ from the unbelieving, as God has separated us unto himself. Though then we daily sin, and God daily forgives us, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from our sins, yet sin ought not to rule over us or in us, but the sanctification of the Holy Spirit ought to prevail in us, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 11." So

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• this is what he's saying: the man who does not have these things is nearsighted. He's forgotten the truth of salvation. He's forgotten what it means to be saved. And he that does not have these things in him—wow—he's just in trouble. Now, let me show you here are two advantages of having these graces in our lives. He says in verse 10, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall." Notice "these things." If you do these things, you shall never fall. Now notice the next verse, verse 11.

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• "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." So first, he says, if these things abide in us, we're more than ready and willing to make our calling and election sure. That is, we're more than willing to examine our lives in light of the Word of God. These things grant us success in our Christian walk, and if we have these things in our lives, he said we will never fall. And the word "fall" means to stumble or to offend. So there's an advantage to having these in our lives.

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• Ah, but look at verse 11: "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." So secondly, and more importantly, an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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• Now, the word "abundantly" is the Greek word plousios, and it literally means richly. It means abundantly. It means spectacularly. Let me put it in such a way that you'll grasp it immediately: if these things are in our lives, when it comes time to enter into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He'll roll out the red carpet for us. Isn't that amazing? He said it will be abundantly and richly granted unto us. Wow. It seems to me like these things should be desired to be in our lives. Now, let me make some applications. The first one is this: what God does for us, He does in us and through us by His grace. We must seek Him and we must seek His grace to grow as He demands. One of the things that most professing Christians stumble over is the doctrine of assurance. I've talked to so many professing Christians who said, "I just have no assurance that I am a child of God." Let me just tell you something: a growing Christian always has evidence that he is a child of God.

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• Because when we see things that are in us that are not in us by nature, it has to be the hand of God, the work of God, and the grace of God. By nature, we do not desire to be holy. By nature, we do not desire to be pure. By nature, we do not desire knowledge of that which is right and wrong. By nature, we don't deserve and we don't desire any of these things. By nature, all we want is sin.

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• Our own will, our own way, that which pleases us. But if we see these things in our lives, then we have confidence. So let me put it to you this way: a growing Christian has no problem with assurance. Now one last passage. I want you to turn to 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3, and let's read verses 19 through 22. Look at this. 1 John 3 verse 19: "And hereby we do know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." Look at this.

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• "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." So he says, if our heart condemn us—if we don't have these things, if we know we're not living right, if we know we're not walking right, if we know we're disobedient—we cannot have confidence toward God. Because our heart condemns us, and God is greater than our hearts, and we know that God knows us. But he says, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God, and we have this confidence because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. So here we go: a clear conscience, an obedient life, a humble and loving disposition, and growth in grace are clear evidences of the grace of God in one's life.

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• So that means you and I must seek to develop these graces and these characteristics, these attributes, that Peter speaks of in our life, for he said, "If we do these things, we shall never fall." It's not our work. It is our responsibility. It is our obligation to seek God and to develop these things in our lives by His word, by His grace, and for His honor and for His glory. If you do these things, you shall never fall. If you want to be a successful Christian, make sure these seven attributes are in your life. So let's pray.

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• Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And Lord, how desperately we need these things in our lives. How desperately we need to be taught your word. How desperately we need to learn who thou art and who we are and how dependent we are upon thee. I do pray, Father, that you'd make us holy, make us godly. And, Father, may we develop these attributes, these graces, these characteristics in our lives. Give us, Lord, your mercy, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:26:15Z