SERMONS

Peter speaks of a PRESENT TRUTH into which we must be established.

He warns people of FORGETTING things.

2Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

And he fights a battle with these his believing readers to get established in things until they STOP FORGETTING.

Look at what he describes the state of a person who gets hold of what he says:

2 Peter 1:8 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.

2 Peter 1:10 KJV Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Never falling and never being barren nor unfruitful.

When you see something established, it is made solid and firm.

It is unshakeable.
It can be hammered and tested and tried, and it does not go away .
It keeps on standing.

And the PRESENT TRUTH is this key element.

PRESENT means it is not past and is not future.
A present truth is not something that is not true now but was true in the past.
It is speaking of what is true now and not something gone.
And it is not speaking of a truth that is not here now, and in the future.
IT IS PRESENT truth.

THere is something true NOW that Peter stressed and emphasized.

It is not truth about something you have to GET.
You HAVE IT NOW.

2Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

These things written above are things that ARE TRUE FOR US ALREADY, and things we do not have to journey towards and obtain.

We do not have to be purged from our old sins.
WE ARE ALREADY PURGED FROM OUR OLD SINS.
We do not have to GET everything that pertains to life and godliness.
WE ALREADY HAVE BEEN GIVEN everything that pertains to life and godliness.

It's the REVELATION GOD PROVIDED.

But Peter emphasized that there are people WHO FORGOT THEY WERE PURGED FROM THEIR OLD SINS.

They were pulled away from a TRUTH.
IT SLIPPED THEIR MINDS.

Matthew 13:3-4 KJV And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; (4) And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Matthew 13:19 KJV When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

They HAD the truth in their hearts BUT LOST IT.

Something in your heart that you lose is what you FORGET!

And the devil is the reason why you forget.

God sowed a seed that said YOU WERE PURGED FROM YOUR OLD SINS,and the enemy came and stole it out of so many people's hearts.
UNTIL THEY FORGOT IT.

2 Peter 1:4 KJV Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Peter said there are exceeding great promises and exceeding precious promises that ALLOW US TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE.

Words of God that will CHANGE US INTO GOD'S IMAGE.
When you become a partaker of the divine nature -- see His nature become part of us, YOU ESCAPE the corruptive influences of the world.

2 Peter 1:4 CEV God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

The key to losing all our evil desires and the corrupt influences we get from the world is to SEE HIS NATURE BECOME PART OF US.

2 Peter 1:5-7 CEV Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, (6) self-control, patience, devotion to God, (7) concern for others, and love.

2 Peter 1:5-7 KJV And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

We see his nature become part of us by the promises from God, which means, what the entire work of God int he church is all about.

Getting us back to what we lost in the Garden.
THE IMAGE OF GOD.

Preachers have to remind people, sinc ethe devil comes and takes the seed away from their hearts.

We keep preaching it and preaching it, until you start adding to your faith some things.'

2 Peter 1:10 KJV Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Make your calling and election SURE.

Put your house on a rock.

The THESE THINGS we need to do so that we never fall are:

2 Peter 1:5-7 CEV Do your best (GIVE ALL DILIGENCE) to improve your faith . You can do this by adding goodness (VIRTUE - COURAGE and BACKBONE), understanding (ADD TO COURAGE KNOWLEDGE WHICH DIRECTS COURAGE PROPERLY), (6) self-control (DO NOT DO EVERTYING YOUR FLESH WANTS - KEEP ANIMAL PART OF YOU DOWN), patience (LEARN TAKE THINGS AND ENDURE HARDSHIPS), devotion to God (GODLINESS - RESPECT HIM AND DO NOT GET CHILDISHLY ANGRY AT HIM - BE REAL FOR HIM EVERYDAY), (7) concern for others, and love (NO HATE TO ANYONE OR NO FEELINGS).

Do not just believe.

WE HAVE been purged from our old sins.

This is what the devil wants us to forget.

So it must be important.
There are things we HAVE ALREADY that the devil wants to make us think we do not.
He knows that if we look for something outside of us that is found in no other place than in us, then we will waste all our christian lives trying to find this thing.
And if God already put it inside us, we can get immediately to work and learn to use this thing.
But precious time is wasted in using these things because the devil made so many people think they do not have them yet and the must look outside of themselves for them.

Ever look for your glasses and you were wearing them?

Look for your belt and it is already on your pants?
Imagine having your WALLET in your pocket and not realizing it is there.

When you need your wallet and you look for it when it is already in your pocket, until you realize it is there, you will waste all the time you could be using it with finding it.

The productive time is USING IT.
When you are looking for it, you are doing nothing productive.
AND THE DEVIL HAS MADE MANY THINK THEY ARE NOT HOLY.
THEY THINK THEY MUST OBTAIN OR FIND HOLINESS.
AND THEY ARE WASTING ALL THE TIME THEY USE IT WITH LOOKING FOR IT.

Romans 11:16 KJV For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

IF THE ROOT IS HOLY, SO ARE THE BRANCHES.

Romans 5:17 KJV For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 KJV (30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 CEV (30) You are God's children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and to make us wise, acceptable, and holy. (31) So if you want to brag, do what the Scriptures say and brag about the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 CEV You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. (9) It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

James 2:21-23 KJV Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Romans 4:2-5 KJV For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

James SPOKE OF EVIDENCING of the righteousness when he said itw as fulfilled when Abraham OFFERED ISAAC.

It JUSTIFIED his righteousness he already had.

2Pet 2:14-15 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

UNSTABLE souls get caught by these liars.

They are beguiled.
Forsake the right way.
Go astray.

Ephe 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

This is commonly considered something that is NOT TRUE when you are saved and that you have to get after you are saved.

That is incorrect.

Rom. 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Cor 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 2:13-14 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Rev. 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Eph. 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

So there will be people who will forget they were purged.

And what happens if they forget?
Satan can convince them of their need to improve upon themselves and become MORE HOLY.
They think they are not purged, and therefore they think the work is not finished.
I am here to tell you that the work of washing you is finished.
If you are in Christ you are complete in Christ.
Now you must stay in THIS FAITH, in Christ.

Paul told the Colossians:

Colo 1:21-23 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Then he said:

Colo 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Colo 2:10-11 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

You are circumcised.

You are complete.
Work is done.
JUST STAY IN THAT FAITH.
REMAIN IN THAT BELIEF THAT JESUS DID ALL THE WORK.
Do not forget it!
If you forget you were purged, you will start to try and make yourself clean.
You forgot you were ALREADY PURGED.

Many have forsaken the right way.

THE RIGHT WAY IS STANDING IN NEED OF NOTHING BY BEING IN CHRIST.
They forgot they were purged.
Since they were not sure, and unstable, they were easily fooled into trying to improve themselves for God.
It was a sincere thing to try to improve themselves, but it was a diversion towards self-righteousness.

2 Peter 2:19-22 KJV While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (20) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. (21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (22) But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The devil knows you will go right back to the wickedness you came out of when you forget you were purged, and are not stable in the TRUTH, and are easily beguiled.

The dangerous ones are the ones that preach Jesus Christ and your need to IMPROVE YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR OWN WORKS. The most successful lies are the ones that appear so right.

Isai 30:19-21 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And [though] the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

When you are in Zion and are saved, and the Lord allows the bread of adversity to come your way.

When water of affliction comes.
Times of temptation and trouble around you.
You will be tempted to think you are not complete.
You will be tempted to cry out and say, "God, I thought I was alright. I thought I was saved."
And when you try to complete what is already completed...
You try to improve upon yourself, when God did all the work, God will have teachers and preachers set before you.
And they will teach you the truth.
They will teach, "Don't improve upon yourself. You are complete in Christ."
And then BEHIND YOU COMES A WORD:
When you stray from the path of knowing you are complete in Christ, and are tempted to start improving upon yourself, and you go offcourse to the left or right, it says, "This is the way."
Behind you comes a word that corrects your course.
Behind you comes the TRUTH of the matter.
"Something behind you tells you to get back into a place of faith."
What is it that is behind you that corrects your walk if you stray?
IN YOUR PAST, BEHIND YOU, is the day you were baptized into Jesus' death.
In your past is the day God made you complete and provided all the cleansing you'd ever need.
Its not, "God, what WILL you do for me now?"
Its not what must BE DONE to complete your life.
But its something already DONE.
BEHIND YOU, the cross is saying, "Don't go off into a life of trying to reach something you already have IN ME."
Don't forget you were purged from your old sins.

2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

PERFECTING HOLINESS means you ALREADY HAVE IT.

ESTABLISHED -- MADE STABLE -- IN THE PRESENT TRUTH