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THE DOCTRINES OF
GRACE, Part 8
((Part 1 - Why security is joined to diligence, 2 Peter 1) INTRODUCTION –
In the last century, the gracious doctrine of the saints’ perseverance has been
“streamlined” down to the inadequate term, eternal
security. Eternal security, or
“once saved always saved,” is indeed true and valid, but it can be misleading
by what it leaves unsaid. Believers are
eternally secure because God preserves His saints and keeps them secure by
means of perseverance in faith (1 Pet. 1:5).
It is God’s power that does the keeping, but that divine power is
manifested in the saints’ endurance and obedience (2 Thess. 2:13). The doctrine of
the saints’ perseverance and security, when correctly understood, promotes
vigilance, not carelessness. It
motivates godliness, not sloth and indulgence.
The doctrine of perseverance teaches that where God gives genuine faith,
there will be reliable evidences. Those
evidences are the proof that a saint possesses the kind of faith that can save
(James 2:14-26). Application - The doctrine of the saints’ perseverance
does not induce holiness by the fear of falling every moment. Instead it induces holiness by faith working
through love (Gal. 5:6). God is honored
because our security is traced to His power and purposes, not to our decision
(2 Pet. 1:2-4). The persevering
believer magnifies God for His intercession, justification, promises and
sanctifying work. The Christian knows
that he owes his stability, growth and comfort to God’s working on his behalf. (For scriptural examples of God’s power
working in tandem with the believer’s diligence see the following texts: Heb.
6:11,12; 2 Thess. 2:12-14; 2 Pet. 1:9-11; Phil. 2:12,13.) THE EPIDEMIC
PROBLEM OF ANTINOMIAN, OR LAWLESS “CHRISTIANS” The “once saved,
always saved,” understanding of eternal security has contributed to the problem
of antinomianism (or fleshly living).
Countless individuals have regarded their profession of faith to be
equated with eternal security. In many
instances, well meaning counselors have suggested, “Pray this prayer and you
shall be eternally secure.” Untold
numbers of souls have been led to believe that their security flows from God honoring a decision they made. (NOTE: According to Scripture, the
foundation of our salvation’s inception is attributed to God’s call, 2 Peter
1:3.) Some are truly
saved, but many are not. It is possible
to be self-deceived into thinking that by a decision, one has bound or
obligated God. Those under that
deception commonly go forth to live for themselves and their own
interests. It is tragic that the church
is often indistinguishable from the world.
The doctrine that personal holiness is absolutely necessary for entrance
into heaven is all but lost in much of today’s Evangelicalism (Heb. 12:14). The Church needs
many voices to raise again the issue of Christ’s Lordship. His Lordship is directly tied to the
doctrine of the saints’ perseverance.
When Christ is Lord of a person’s life, faith working through love will
produce perseverance and universal
obedience (obedience in all areas of a man’s life). The teaching of
perseverance under Christ’s Lordship is needed to restore sanity to the Church,
for much of Evangelicalism is pitching about on a sea of moral failure. “Cheap grace,” as Bonhoeffer referred to
it, touts the freeness of the offer of salvation, but says little about the
cost of discipleship. Application – The Scriptures know nothing of a
“two-tiered” Christianity made up of two classes of individuals. The Body of Christ is not broken down into two groups made up of those who are disciples
and those who are not. (See the passages on the cost of discipleship, Luke
9:23-26; Matt. 10:34-39; John 12:25). THE BIBLE
STRESSES THE BELIEVER’S SECURITY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CALLING FOR DILIGENCE
AND PERSEVERANCE. God has provided
believers with all the resources necessary to make growth possible. 2 Peter 1 was written that Christians might
match their calling and resources with growth in practical holiness. The command is to apply all diligence (1:5). To
neglect this kind of progress is to have forgotten the depths from which one
was rescued. It is to be blind to the
glorious possibilities of spiritual development in Christ (2 Pet. 1:9). THE GLORIOUSNESS
OF GOD’S PROMISES ASSURES THE BELIEVER OF A COMPLETE SALVATION. Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of
our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us
everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called
us by His own glory and excellence. For
by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises so that by them you may become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Peter 1:1-4,
all Scripture citations from The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, (La Habra,
California: The Lockman Foundation) 1996.) The majesty and
immutability of God’s promises secure the believer’s perseverance and
everything necessary for eternal life.
These magnificent promises of God nourish our faith, affection, love and
trust in Christ. Everything that is
necessary for godliness and salvation is reckoned to be included among the
supernatural gifts of God. The knowledge of
God is the basis of life (Jn. 17:3).
The knowledge of God is the “doorway” to all godliness. God makes us sharers of these great
blessings by the knowledge of Himself: by revealing
Himself in the gospel (2 Cor. 4:6).
God’s glory, virtue, excellence and power are in view as the cause of
our rescue. Everything promised to us
by God can rightly and fittingly be thought of as a result of His glory and
power. God’s character and attributes
are the “foundry” of His promises. That
is where they are conceived, cast, formed and molded. (NOTE: To “become
partakers of the divine nature,” does not mean that we will become an extension
of God. Instead it refers to the kind
of existence that is immortal, eternal, holy and completely blessed. We will eternally “house” the Spirit of God
according to Ephesians 2:22.) Application – Our personal, experimental (or practical)
knowledge of Christ continues to grow as we walk in dependence upon Him. We experience answered prayer, chastisement
and counsel. Christ lets His people
know when they are doing His will. He
delights in His people, drawing near to them when they share their inner life
with Him. As a result of these
experiences, our faith is strengthened and we come to know Him more and
more. In this text, the promises of God
are given the highest possible value.
The believer is to respond by treasuring them, living upon them and
feeding faith by them. These promises
remind us that Christ is the source of all virtue. Even in our diligence to grow in character, it is the power of
God behind the promises that drives all our progress. We ought to notice that it is the purpose of the gospel to make
us like God in holiness sooner or later.
The higher premium we place upon the worth of the heavenly glory, the
more we will be weaned away from the vanity of the present world. BECAUSE OF THE
PROMISES AND PURPOSES OF GOD (WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE), WE CANNOT BE
APATHETIC ABOUT GROWTH. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your
brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,
they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8). God’s purpose is
that we might grow more like Christ, especially since we have divine resources.
We ought to
treasure the divine promises that assure us we are no longer powerless against
our soul’s enemies. “We have escaped
the corruption that is in the world by lust (v. 4).” “Apply all diligence,” means that we must
make it our business. This kind of
language infers that it will be a difficult task involving immense labor. The only way to remain on track is to set or
fix one’s heart upon things above (Col. 3:1-4). The life of faith is to translate into moral excellence. A steady increase in the knowledge of God
gives the ability of greater self-control.
That quality is necessary in order to cope with trying people and
circumstances. We need grace even to
cope with our own weaknesses. An
increase in the knowledge of God establishes us in steadfastness, perseverance
and godliness. Application – By faith, we apprehend that Christ is our
Source Person for all we lack. As we
grow in character, we are to trust Him for what we lack in character. We will experience breakthroughs when we
consciously attempt obedience in the strength of Another (Phil. 4:13). Christ’s
sufficiency is learned gradually. It
will involve repeatedly coming to the end of self-reliance. Unbelief retards
our growth in service and character because we are unable to see past our own
inadequacy. With our eyes off of Christ
and His promises, we are left with the impotency of self as a source. We are prone to compromising decisions while
in that condition. Spiritual paralysis
sets in until we look to the Lord again. All the virtues
produced in your life are ultimately generated by the character of Christ
reproduced in you by the Holy Spirit.
This fact does not rule out the principle of presentation or yielding
ourselves to God for obedience (Rom. 6:13-19). THE BELIEVER’S
COMFORT AND THE BELIEVER’S CONSISTENT ASSURANCE OF SALVATION FLOW FROM A LIFE
OF DILIGENCE. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or
short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more
diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long
as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into
the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you
(2 Peter 1:9-11). When Christians
neglect the kind of progress enjoined in this chapter, their spiritual vision
becomes shortsighted. In that myopic
condition, the person does not see the glorious possibilities of growth in
Christ. They are blind to the riches
and glories of God’s grace and they do not behold the wonder of their divine
calling (Eph. 1:17-23). When professing
Christians miss the virtues commanded, they lack the consistent comfort of
assurance of salvation. The reason for
this resides in the very nature of God’s calling. It is a calling and election unto obedience and holiness
(Eph. 1:4). Holiness and obedience are
the fruits that confirm God’s divine
choice. They give evidence of genuine
faith. Believers are
urged to pursue such character and behavior because by that life they will
apprehend full assurance of their salvation now. In this way, they will safely and certainly reach their glorious
destination. The warranty of assurance
is given to those who are diligent. Diligence is
also rewarded by a favorable entrance into the Kingdom. Diligence affects the way we will greet the
King of kings. Those who have abided in
Christ will not shrink away in shame at His coming, but will greet Him in
confidence (1 John 4:17). A SUMMARY OF THE
BENEFITS OF DILIGENCE. 1.) You will walk in step with the Holy
Spirit. You will be living consistently
with the purpose of your divine calling.
As you value the gracious promises, you will find that the world’s
allure and appeal is increasingly diminished. 2.) The development of Christian character
will make you useful and fruitful in the Master’s service. The people you draw close to will be
encouraged in their spiritual growth.
Christ’s character will be operating in you. 3.) Confidence, comfort and assurance will be
yours in great measure. You will make
your election and calling sure. Your
confidence in the Lord will result in more spontaneous worship. 4.) On the last day, you will greet the Lord
in confidence instead of shame. Your
works will survive the judgment seat of Christ. You will hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant (Matt.
25:21, KJV).” |
