II Peter 1:1-10
INTRODUCTION:
Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” was written by a most remarkable woman, Louisa M. R. Stead, out of one of her darkest hours—the tragic drowning of her husband.
Louisa Stead
was born in
While eating their picnic lunch, they suddenly heard cries of help and spotted a drowning boy in the sea. Mr. Stead charged into the water. As often happens, however, the struggling boy pulled his rescuer under the water with him, and both drowned before the terrified eyes of wife and daughter.
Out of her, “why?” struggle with God during the ensuing days flowed these meaningful words from the soul of Louisa Stead:
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know
‘Thus saith the Lord.’
WSC - Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or
flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do either accompany, or flow from
justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God’s love, peace
of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance
therein to the end.
THESIS A Christian should set his heart on attaining
complete assurance of salvation by living out his faith in life.
TEXT:
·
Bible
Knowledge Commentary - In this beautiful paragraph Peter orchestrates a
symphony of grace. To the melody line of faith he leads believers to add
harmony in a blend of seven Christian virtues…
·
Faith – pisteo - Moral excellence –
Knowledge – Self-control (passions subdued)-Perseverance (steadfast endurance),
Godliness (piety, respect for God), Brotherly Love (Philadelphius –
Care for Others), Love (Agape, desiring
the highest good of others).
·
Consequences Of The Function (1:8-9) –
Productive Christians
·
Verse 10 – A call to greater assurance of your
Salvation.
·
JFB writes, “The ensuring of our election is
spoken of not in respect to God, whose counsel is steadfast and everlasting, but
in respect to our part. There is no uncertainty on His part, but on ours
the only security is our faith in His promise and the fruits of the
Spirit.
Assurance
of Salvation
·
There is objective
assurance, based upon the promises of God…2 Tim. 2:19 Nevertheless, the
firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who
are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain
from wickedness."
·
There is Subjective
Assurance – Is the blessed experience of the assurance of salvation…WE SEE
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY so that it may not always be constant…. Hebrews
·
Thomas Watson writes concerning
assurance, It is not any vocal or audible voice, or
brought to us by the help of an angel or revelation. Assurance consists of a
practical syllogism, in which the word of God makes the major, conscience the
minor, and the Spirit of God, the conclusion. The Word says, 'He that fears and
loves God is loved of God;' there is the major proposition; then conscience
makes the minor, 'But I fear and love God;' then the Spirit makes the
conclusion, 'Therefore thou art loved of God;' and this is what the apostle
calls 'The witnessing of the Spirit with our spirits, that we are his children'
(Rom. 8:16).
What is the Difference Between True Assurance and Presumption?
·
Luke
18:11-14 "The Pharisee stood and was praying
thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers,
unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. [12] 'I fast twice a week;
I pay tithes of all that I get.' [13] "But the tax-gatherer, standing some
distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating
his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' [14] "I tell
you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for
everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall
be exalted."
·
Divine
assurance flows from humiliation for sin;
·
True
assurance is built upon a Scripture basis.of God’s Grace- Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.
CONSIDER HOW EARNESTLY WE SHOULD
SEEK IT…(Based upon Thomas Watson)
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It is a sweetness in the soul in the bitterness of life…It is the
wine of heaven…
Thou lovely Source of true delight,
Whom I unseen adore;
Unveil Thy beauties to my sight,
That I may love Thee more.
Thy glory o’er creation shines;
But in Thy sacred Word,
I read in fairer, brighter lines,
My bleeding, dying Lord.
’Tis here, whene’er my comforts droop,
And sins and sorrows rise,
Thy love with cheerful beams of hope,
My fainting heart supplies.
Jesus, my Lord, my Life, my Light,
O come with blissful ray;
Break radiant through the shades of night,
And chase my fears away.
Then shall my soul with rapture trace
The wonders of Thy love;
But the full glories of Thy face
Are only known above.
·
Assurance
will make us love God, and praise him.
·
Assurance
will make us active and lively in God's service; it will excite prayer, and
quicken obedience
·
Assurance
will be a golden shield to beat back temptation,
·
Assurance
will make us contented though we have but little… Psalm 16:5 The Lord is the portion of my
inheritance and my cup; Thou dost support my lot. The lines have fallen to me
in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful
to me.
Watson - Nothing can come amiss to him that has
assurance. God is his. Has he lost a friend?—His Father lives. Has he lost his
only child?—God has given him his only Son. Has he scarcity of bread?--God has
given him the finest of the wheat, the bread of life. Are his comforts
gone?--He has the Comforter. Does he meet with storms on the sea?--He knows
where to put in for harbour; God is his portion, and
heaven is his haven. This assurance gives sweet contentment in every condition.
·
Assurance will bear up the heart in sufferings, it will make a Christian endure troubles with
patience and cheerfulness.
·
Latimer
said, 'When I sit alone, and
can have a settled assurance of the state of my soul, and know that God is
mine, I can laugh at all troubles, and nothing can daunt me.'
·
Romans
WOULD YOU HAVE THIS ASSURANCE?
·
Keep a
pure conscience - Hebrews
·
A
Christian should set his heart on attaining complete assurance of salvation by
living out his faith in life..OUR
TEXT II PET 1:10..
·
Let us
lie at the pool of the ordinances, and frequent the word and sacrament.
CONCLUSION -
A Christian should set his heart on attaining complete assurance of salvation by living out his faith in life..