Series: 2 Peter
Title: Who Faith Believes In
Text: 2 Peter 1: 1
Date: November 13, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
2 Peter 1: 1: Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Faith is not in the heart with which we are born the first time. Nothing good originates from within the sinner—faith must be given us by the Spirit of God.
James 1: 17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
We must first be renewed by divine grace before we can ever be capable of the act of saving faith. So whoever believes did not do so without being born of God and given this precious gift of faith.
When we think of faith—depending upon the righteousness of another—the Lord Jesus Christ—one would think it is the easiest thing in the world.
Yet, man is so unwilling in the deadness of sin that we cannot even do this simple thing of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
· We have to be given life
· We have to be given a desire after Christ
· We have to be given a willingness to lay hold of Christ
· We even have to be kept by his grace
Have you obtained this faith? Have you been born of the Spirit of God? Has God made you to let go of every other confidence and rest entirely upon Jesus Christ?
Proposition: Today we will focus on the object of faith.
Title: Who Faith Believes In
The word “through” is true. The gift of faith is given because God is righteous to give it. Faith is given to the child of God “through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
And it is also true that faith is “in”- “the righteousness of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” What does that mean?
I. TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST IS TO BELIEVE JESUS IS GOD.
Christ is the Prophet come from God, but Jesus Christ is God the Son. Faith which believes Christ to be only a teacher—only a prophet—is not the faith which God gives and it is not saving faith--Jesus Christ is very God of very God. The faith God gives believes that Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary is the Son of God.
John 1: 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made…14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Matthew 3: 17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Jesus Christ is God providing himself a Lamb. On the cross was God satisfying the divine justice of God.
When Jesus Christ gives us true faith we believe and confess with the mouth, Joh 11: 27: “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Turn to:
1 John 5:5: Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?...10: He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;…20: And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
So here is the first question, do you believe and rejoice that Jesus Christ is God? If not, seek God for that faith which saves—because you don’t yet have it.
II. TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST IS TO BELIEVE HE IS OUR SAVIOR—V1:…the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Not only do we believe Jesus is God but we also believe that Jesus is the Propitiatory sacrifice. Jesus Christ is our Savior because he became a substitute for his guilty people. That is the purpose for which the Son of God partook of flesh and blood—he joined himself, not with the nature of angels, but with the nature of the elect children of Abraham.
Hebrews 2: 14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
God laid the iniquity of all his elect children on our Substitute. Instead of God pouring out divine wrath on his elect God poured it out on Christ who came to make satisfaction for our sins. And that is exactly what Christ Jesus accomplished.
Romans 4: 25: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 John 4: 10: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Is this the faith you have? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe Jesus Christ put away your sin by the sacrifice of himself? If so rejoice—you can sing the new song—Redeemed! By the blood of the Lamb.
III. NOW NOTICE THIS WORD “RIGHTEOUSNESS”—Faith believes God and our Savior Jesus Christ is all my righteousness.
He is Jehovah Tsidkenu “the LORD our Righteousness.” His perfect life is my perfect life. All the virtue—that snow white garment with no spot or blemish which covers me—is Jesus Christ my Righteousness. In Jesus Christ I have kept the law of God as perfectly as Jesus Christ my Righteousness kept it. If we are yet trying to establish a righteousness by the work of our hands then we have not submitted unto the righteousness of God.
Romans 8: 3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 10: 4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.
Listen carefully: it is not great mysteries by which we try ourselves—whether we be in the faith or not—this is the gate—what think ye of Christ?
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? Is all your hope that he justified you from all your sins? Is all your hope that in that last day you will stand robed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus?
Can you say with Paul, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day”—if not then start seeking him this day!
If you believe on him be ever thankful. I have never joined these two verses together before, but the Lord told Peter,
Matthew 16: 17:…Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And the Lord said in the last day…
Matthew 25: 34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Amen!