Discipleship Ladder #2 (Knowledge)

2 Peter 1:3 – 11

Discipleship Ladder #2 (Knowledge)

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to^[c] his own glory and excellence,^{[d] 4} by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,^[e] and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities^[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers,^[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 (“knowledge” 161x in 158 verses ESV)

“Knowledge”

1. acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition:

2. familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning:

3. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report: [dictionary.com]

Knowledge as a negative:

                1. It may be an opportunity to sin.

Gen_2:17  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

                2. It is may become a burden. 

Ecc_1:18  For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

                3. It is may spin us around.

Isa_47:10  You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, "No one sees me"; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me."

                4. It is may destroy us.

1Co_8:1  Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up.

1Co_8:11  And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

                5. It is may be the occasion for arguments.

1Ti_6:20  O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge,"

                6. It is spiritual warfare.

2Co_10:5  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

               

The dangers of the lack of knowledge:

                1. God takes it personally.

Job_38:2  "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

                2. It exposes our true heart.

Pro_1:22  "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Pro_1:29  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

                3. It makes us impatient.

Pro_19:2  Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

                4. It destroys us.

Hos_4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

                5. It sends people to hell.

Luk_11:52  Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

What is necessary to acquire knowledge:

                1. The healthy fear of the LORD.

Pro_1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

                2. Deliberate consistency.

Pro_19:27  Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Pro_23:12  Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

                3. God’s will.

Dan_2:21  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

                4. By asking.

2Ch_1:10  Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?"

Where do we get knowledge:

                1. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Isa_11:2  And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

                2. Through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Psa_19:2  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

                3a. Through the Pastor.

Jer_3:15  "'And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

                3b. Through the Pastor.

Mal_2:7  For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

                4. Together as a church.

Col_2:2 – 3  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, [3]  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Why is Peter so concerned?

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. [2 Peter 2:20 – 21]

John 3:16-17 The Love of God

John 3:16-17

The Love of God

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

[Introduction]. Imagine living in a world where there is no God. There would be no qualities, properties, or things commonly associated with God. There would be no joy, no peace, and no love. The Bible tells us clearly, “God is love.” We need to understand a very simple message, “God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.” [2 Corinthians 5:21]

I.             Why did God have to send Jesus?

                A.            If we understand the message the Bible correctly something is wrong.

                                1.            In John 3:16 we are led to believe that there are two possible outcomes.

                                                a.            The first outcome is found in the word “parish.”

                                                b.            The second outcome is found in the phrase “eternal life.”

                                2.            In 2^nd Corinthians we see the problem is “sin.”

                                                a.            Sin is a technical term, it refers to the general state of  being  separated from God.

                                                b.            Sin is also a reference to the controlling principle of this world.

***Paul often refers to sin has “the law of sin and death.”***

                B.            Not only is something wrong but it is something that we cannot fix ourselves.

                                1.            This was one of the things Jesus came to accomplish.

                                                a.            In John 3:17 we are taught that the world is condemned.

                                                b.            Jesus however intended to do something that would allow the world to be saved through him.

                                2.            This plan was instigated by God the Father.

                                                a.            The plan involved in exchange 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us.

                                                b.            God made Jesus legally responsible for our sin so that we could have the legal standing of Jesus’ righteousness.

II.            Why did God send Jesus?

                A.            The answer, according to John 3:16, is both simple and complicated: love

                                1.            God loves us.

                                                a.            A sad reality in today’s world is not everybody wants this love.

                                                b.            We have the tendency to do everything to avoid this love.

                                2.            God’s love is demonstrated by giving Jesus.

                                                a.            John 3:14-15, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

                                                b.            The story comes from one of the rebellions as the children wandered in the desert.

^“The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” [Numbers 21 7-9]

                B.            Here is a vivid image of the power of sin.

                                1.            God has just delivered them a great victory.

                                                a.            The problem is the people became impatient and started to complain.

                                                b.            The complaint against God and against Moses. They were unhappy with the food, they were insecure about their water supply, and they suggested that they had been brought out of Egypt to die in the wilderness.

                                2.            According to Romans chapter 1, one of the first symptoms is a lack of gratitude.

                                                a.            According to Hebrews 3:19, “So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.”

                                                b.            At the very core of every action that we call sin is the principle of sin.

III.           Why would God love us?

                A.            First of all God created us.

                                1.            The word of God declares, “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” [Psalm 100:3]

                                                a.            Scripture connects the act of God creating to the act of God’s saving over 90 times.

                                                b.            Simply put God’s act of creation gives them the legal right to claim our love and earn our love.

                                                c.             As one who loves what he is created, he is determined to free us from this curse of sin.

                                2.            The word of God declares, “For you created my inmost being;
                                                you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” [Psalm 136:13]

                                                a.            So not only did God make us in the universal sense but he also made us in the very personal sense.

                                                b.            The image of knitting is a very personal hands-on picture. God did not just throw some clay against the wall. Instead he specifically designed each individual person.

                                                c.             In Scripture we are told that this design is in the “image of God.” It is one reason why he takes the destruction of life so personal, why he deplores the abnormal use of our bodies, and why he hates the exploitation of others.

                B.            Second of all God refuses to leave as hopeless.

                                1.            One of the problems of sin is selfishness.

                                                a.            In our selfishness we are willing to destroy others and ourselves.

                                                b.            By God giving his son we see a different model for life.

                                2.            God demonstrated his love in the most amazing selfless act.

                                                a.            Following the image of Moses lifting up a snake in the wilderness, Jesus intended to be “lifted up” on the cross.

                                                b.            Here’s the thing when Moses carried that snake through the camp people could be saved if they would only look to it. In other words they could choose to be.

                                                c.             So it is today. Salvation is offered freely to any who would believe.