2 Peter 1:1-11
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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Believers Are Exhorted to Attain Godliness in This Life
BACKGROUND NOTES
DOCTRINAL POINT(S)
God has granted the believer everything necessary to attain godliness in this life.
God has commanded the believer to use diligence to attain godliness in this life.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
What kind of entrance do you want into heaven?
QUESTIONS
Approximately when was this epistle written?
What was the status of Christianity in Rome at the time of this writing?
What was happening within the church at this time?
In view of these questions, what was Peter’s primary exhortation to Christians?
What is the exhortation or lesson for believers today?
What is the only basis of the Christian faith?
Who is the “us” in 2 Peter 1:3?
ANSWERS
Most likely it was written shortly before the martyrdom of the apostle Peter in A.D. 67.
The pagan Roman Emperor Nero had shifted the blame to the Christians after the fire in Rome in 64 A.D. Now, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire and the persecution of Christians increased and continued on until the fourth century.
Not only was there the persecution from without the church, but there was also the false teaching from within the church that Christians were facing.
Peter exhorted the early Christians to be faithful amidst persecution and false teaching. He exhorted believers to actually grow spiritually during these difficult times.
To remain faithful during difficult times, and to grow spiritually during these difficult times.
The Christian faith is on the basis of the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
These are fellow believers, who along with the apostle Peter, had the same precious Christian faith.
DISCUSS/CONSIDER
2 Peter 1:3-4 assures us that God has given us everything that we need to live a godly life and have a godly lifestyle. Are there times when that seems difficult in your life? The solution is found in these same verses – the key to godliness is to get to know the Lord better, “through the knowledge of Him who called us…” As we know the Lord and become more like Him, and as we walk with the Lord, we will hate doing anything that displeases Him. Furthermore, we have new life in Christ, a life of divine nature (1 Peter 1:4). We have become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and this new life does not sin because it is the life of God empowered by the Holy Spirit. But we still sin because we still have our old sinful natures of the flesh. So what happens in the meantime? We are to live by the great and precious promises that God has given us in His word, “that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…” Do you hate displeasing God? Are you aware of the empowering nature of the Holy Spirit? Are you living by the great and precious promises of God?
God has commanded the believer to use diligence to attain godliness in this life. We are given seven elements of godliness which we as believers are to add to our faith. Review these seven elements of godliness in 2 Peter 1:5-11. Question: How can we add to our faith these virtues that only the Holy Spirit can produce? Answer: We can’t do it, but the Lord can if we let Him. Therefore we need to use all diligence to stay in God’s word and walk with the Lord and stop serving ourselves. Are you using all diligence to attain godliness in this life? Are you letting the Holy Spirit produce these virtues in your life?
CHALLENGE
Every true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ will enter into heaven, but 2 Peter 1:11 indicates that there will be a more abundant entrance into heaven for believers whose lives are characterized by godliness. The worldly believers of 2 Peter 1:9 get into heaven but not with an abundant entrance. What kind of entrance do you want into heaven?
KEY VERSES
“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us 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.” 2 Peter 1:1-2
“…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11