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General Meetings Wheaton, August 1968 Reading Meeting Monday PM.
276.
Pilgrims.
We are weeping plus power by eating all this and harvest and red heavens beat us now evermore 276.
Feel proud for us to turn to the first chapter of Second Peter.
We didn't go over the last verses.
It was felt that it would be helpful to have that part of Paul says Peter says about Foreign Ministry.
I can't believe it. Just read those purses and then maybe the 1St 11 verses of the first chapter, second Peter.
That very nice.
Second Peter chapter one.
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 Savior, Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus. Our Lord, according as a divine power, hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue.
00:05:12
Whereby are given unto us, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and a virtue, knowledge, and of knowledge, temperance and a temperance, patience, and a patience, godliness and a godliness, brotherly kindness and a brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that ye shall neither be barren or uncruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He that, like with these things, is blind, and cannot see a far off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, he shall never fall. Pursue an entrance, will be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth.
Yeah, I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. Knowing it shortly, I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that you might be able, after my deceased, to have these things always in remembrance, for we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we make known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But we're eyewitnesses of His Majesty.
For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mountain.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy. For unto ye do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day, dawn, and the daystar arise in your heart, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not an old time by the will of man, but holy men of God's faith, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
But you thought Brother Barry of commenting on that verse in in second in the last chapter that we haven't touched on?
I thought it might be important.
The 15th, 1St.
Counting that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things.
In the which are some things hard to be understood.
Which they that are unlearned and unstable rest as they do also the other scriptures.
Under their own destruction he therefore beloved, seeing ye know these things.
Before beware, lest also being LED away with the air of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness, the growing grace and heavenly knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Him be glory with thou and forever.
Oh man.
Again, we're reminded that the long-suffering of God is.
For the salvation of perishing souls.
00:10:03
And glovely to see the way Peter speaks of Paul.
In the second chapter of Galatians.
No. Paul was called upon to publicly rebuke Peter.
It shows that no servant of Christ is beyond, beyond and above correction, although it isn't a very pleasant thing, especially for a leader to have to be corrected in that publicly.
Well, what touches one here is to see the.
Way that Peter speaks of the very one who is called upon to rebuke him.
Our beloved brother Paul, He held no bitterness.
And that is instructive for us.
We're told to put away all bitterness.
We should never retain bitterness in our hearts towards any either sink or Sinner. Sometimes we can't walk to those who are going on in the disorderly way, but even if we're called upon.
As as Paul writes in Second Thessalonians, to avoid those that are walking disorderly and even if they have done something.
To harm us or said something against us. We should not allow that to be a means of retaining bitterness in our hearts towards them. We see a lovely example of that and Peter on this occasion.
And then another thing that we learned from this.
As our beloved brother Paul hath written unto you.
I judge that that's the book of Hebrews because Peter was the apostle of the circumcision, and the only epistle that Paul wrote to the Hebrew believers is the book of Hebrews. And perhaps that's one way we can be certain that Paul wrote Hebrews, although he does not attach his name to that question.
For the very reason that he was not exercising his special apostleship, which was to the Gentiles, of course, as we all remember that in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Lord Jesus is the Apostle.
Of and high priests of our profession. That's another lovely reason why Paul's name does not appear.
In that book, but some have questioned whether Paul wrote the a present. But that was settled. Settle the matter, I'm sure, although that is not how important for us to be occupied with to any extent.
But what I was trying to finish my head a little talk of saying is it that Peter recognizes Paul's writings as scriptures and that shows that those inspired men of old for God raised up at the beginning of the history of the church apostles who were inspired men.
And we find that one inspired man recognizes the inspiration of another.
Inspired man.
All right, Brother Brown.
Just going to mention that that Peter himself, who has called for the ministry to the circumcision was the very instrument God used to open the door by using the key of the Kingdom to the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10. And so our one epistle of Paul being the exception to his general line of ministry is Hebrews, but it makes Paul write 14 epistles.
Then we have seven other what we call Catholic Epistles, the two to Peter, one of James, and the three to John.
And you. And you. I was going to say it would be difficult for Peter to write the first verse of the second chapter first Peter without this spirit that he showed in this chapter, wouldn't it?
00:15:00
Wherefore, laying aside all mallets, and all guile and hypocrisy and enemies, and all evil speakings, as newborn veins desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Someone has said that this passage that Peter wrote in this second chapter is like plowing the ground up before you put the seed in. It's it's that state of soul that's open and ready for the truth of God.
And both in connection with learning it and to minister it now in this verse, the 16th verse of the.
3rd chapter of Second Peter before we go to our chapter.
I believe we should read this and be helpless to read it. In another translation, that is.
Untaught and I'll established it should be untaught and I'll establish.
Now sometimes you hear people saying, well, I don't understand that, I don't believe that. And you ask them, well, now, how many times have you read it?
I haven't read it very much, but and they read the scriptures as though they were a newspaper.
But you know, if we're going to be established in the scriptures, we have to read them in the fear of God and in His presence with the consciousness of what we are in ourselves. That we know nothing. We have to be taught. And this word rest could easily be translated. Reason could it not? It's a question of the human mind entering into the things of God.
Now, the things of God must be accepted by faith. If it's a question of history, well, we'll say science, for instance.
Chemistry are these things mathematics? We use them in connection with this life. And when it comes to the things of God, we cannot allow reason to enter into it. It must not be allowed. That'll be the ruination of our testimony down here.
If we allow the reason to enter in because reason was not given us.
When we have a direct revelation from God as to His mind and we must accept the scriptures just as they are now, we may not understand them. And that's why the Holy Spirit uses one and another as an occasion like this, that we might be helpers together in the truth.
That we might all grow up together as a scripture says in Ephesians unto him, So we need this. We need our reading meetings. We need these exhortations. We need these.
A little helps along the way, but it's the word of God We must obey. We must believe just as it is.
Becoming very common and introduces a higher learning cycle mix that was a spherical that's which is pertaining to this life. I notice there are many people who are supposed to be texting to question the word of God and they put it up in opposition to what is known to be science.
Back to five in the world. Invariably what happens is that they misapply scripture but like taking this at least harm it out or they add something to it and this is what it depends on me progress the scripture trying to make it mean something is never but intended to me. The word of God has never intended to be a scientific and tells about the Lord Jesus Christ and tell us about man and Jesus. I was never meant to explain all the facts of science.
Young person who has never needs to worry about the word of God letting him down from speech. They find that there are here to be some discrepancy or some disagreement. It's only because we are finite where we found an interest. And we find that as we get to know more about the scientific world, that's going into understanding the marvel at how close it is, how how accurate it is. But it was never intended to get back to the textbook.
I would like to just mention that the believer will never win anyone with Christ by trying to argue about the scientific world using the Bible as a check. The word of God is not intended means this. The only answer comes to be something becoming really acquaint with the Word of God. I remember my father often saying that the way of things Teller gets to know how to get money into handling the real thing all the time.
As soon as you become so sensitive to it that something false comes across his hand and goes it immediately. Same with the believer, the young person going to school.
00:20:08
Professor tells you while you're the word of the God is love. He starts quoting so you'll know. If you were reading the word of God, you'll know right away right making his mistake because he won't be quoting it right Or else he won't be right in dividing the word of truth and Timothy is called and applying it to the right place. Again I say it's so important to become well established in Word of God and then if somebody disappoints it, you'll know it. No sense. It's a part of the most of the spirit we have.
We had a present for last year, Isaiah 28, starting at the ninth verse.
My brother mentioned about Paul and Peter being inspired man and I'm very sure you will agree with this comment that back which they wrote and which is included here in the word of God is inspired.
I know our brother will agree with this, because it doesn't really mean that everything that Paul ever wrote and everything he ever suffered was inspired.
That which was written and included here in this precious book, the word of God is inspired. All of it is, and I believe it's right to say nothing else is. There are no other inspired writings in this world other than message we have in this wonderful book. From Genesis to Revelation. It's all inspired The writings of Paul are inspired God. The writings of fear are inspired God, and it's a wonderful confidence in the soul of our brother in this remark.
Even though we may not be able to identify the inaccuracy of some statement or others, or how many of us can sit here today and thank God for that conference of soul given to us that this infallible book is inspired of God. That's man of today. Say what they will. Somehow they're buying off wondrous grades. It doesn't pass the faith that rests upon the inspired word of God.
I'm already saying that there are no other writings inspired excesses, but once in Ohio here, that's the statement, this or that.
Author or speaker was inspired and that he wrote or said, I don't feel it as such can possibly be entertained for a moment. They may have been laid on the Lord, they may have had the mind of thought and what they say. But inspired referred to that which is contained within the covers of this book and nothing else. Collections One. You mean so an Asian from heaven. I was thinking of this 20th verse of the the first chapter that we've had before is that we have before us this afternoon.
Another principle connecting with what we've just been Speaking of, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation, but the prophecy came not an old time by the will of man, but the holy man of God's vague as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Now, in order to understand the word of God, we cannot just take one verse and expect to understand the meaning from that one verse.
We have to have not only the context, but we have to have what Paul speaks of as a form of sound words. Now that's an outline of truth.
And though most of us will never learn much of the Scriptures in detail, yet we can have a general outline in our minds and hearts. And I think every Christian should strive for this so that we'll be able not only to enjoy truth in its general.
Aspect As we hear a brother speak of a certain line and he says, well, that's in the Psalms. Immediately it comes to our mind the character of the Psalms.
And.
For the conscience.
That then if we.
If we want to.
Understand.
The meaning of the epistles. We have to realize who the writer is and the subject of hand. Paul's ministry is the glory, gospel the glory. It has to do with the mystery. Now these things are general. That's an outline of sound words.
00:25:06
And I believe it's important. No, no prophecy of the scripture just doesn't simply mean prophetic truth as we generally speak of it. I suppose it's the it's the thought of the scriptures themselves in general.
Is of any private interpretation. You cannot learn it from its own individual passage. It must be compared to the general word of God as is given to it.
No prophecy of the Scripture is had from its own particular.
Interpretation.
That's very good what you say really non Dean that requires the whole word of God. Now singing too that if if the man thought of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ had difficulty in understanding some of Paul's ministry, what about you and me? Poor ignorant things that we are so we're not to be surprised if we find verses or subjects.
We don't take in or we can't understand. Reminds me of all I read of. A man said that when he was eating fish and he bit on something hard, he laid it aside. He didn't throw the fish away, but he laid it aside, decided it must be a bone. And so when we come across a verse that we don't grasp, can't get the meaning at the time, just lay it aside and wait.
And sometimes you'll find that the very passage.
The very first that you didn't take in at the time becomes an in light.
To divine truth and some special truth that your soul will need, especially at another time.
The first verse of our chapter Simon Peter. If you'll connect that with the first epistle, you'll see that he simply says Peter.
Now it seems to me.
At least this is the way it is impressive.
Be your brother and that Peter has been growing between these two epistles and.
And I believe we should learn this for our own hearts. Simon was his old name, and although he does in the first epistle, he says Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Here he says Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. It's as though Peter was realizing, keeping with what we've read already in the last chapter, that Peter himself was nothing. He was just Simon, except for the grace of God.
And I believe this, this gives character to this ministry we have in this first chapter of Second Peter. Peter felt what he was as he ministered it and he felt that it was only grace. He speaks of the God of all grace.
What a marvelous thing grace is. Rather, because it's by grace that she stands and there's no other way that we'll stand except by grace. Here. Peters realizing it in his fuller sense. Simon Heater, a servant, an apostle, Jesus Christ. To them that have obtained like precious faith, he's an apostle, the authority. But what he's stressing is that like.
Precious faith. Isn't that wonderful when you think of those men of God?
Who had known the Lord Jesus in his fast way down here like Peter, and had served God so faithfully all their days and?
Received Inspired.
Epistles to write, and yet the faith they possess is the same faith that you and I possess, the same faith like.
We'll all have Precious that faith is, and it seems that Peter especially delighted in the use of that word, precious. He speaks of precious trials in the first chapter, and also that precious Blood.
Prices of a land without blemish and without spot. He says unto you that believe he is precious. Here we get precious faith, and then you get.
Precious promises.
00:30:01
You see how?
A servant of Christ like Peter.
Not only these truths in intellectually, intellectually.
Asleep in his mind. But how he had developed these things in his heart and soul, the importance and the infinite value of these things in his life. I remember Peter was right at the end of his journey when he wrote this epistle.
Just about ready to be offered up and think what a death awaited him. As he knew when Peter was writing this epistle, he knew that the time was near when he was to be nailed to a cross.
Now the rest of this first gives us to see how God is true to his character. He had made his promises and now Peter speaks of the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ and fulfilling them. Is that the thought? Yes, righteousness. There has the thought of faithfulness, just as you say God faithful to his promise and that takes away any.
Posting on our part. That is we have this like precious faith, but we can't boast of it. We can't say that at least we have the good judgment to accept the Lord while others rejected the Lord. The very fact we have this faith is not.
Faithfulness on our part. It's faithfulness on God's part parting that faith to us.
One thing that we notice in both the ministries of Paul and Peter and I suppose the rest as well that.
Many verses passed before he mentions the person of the Lord Jesus.
And I believe that's a little clue to any who would serve the Lord that.
We're liable to go astray if we get very far from this principle to bringing in the person of the Lord Jesus and then to His work. Those two things we find all through the scriptures is Person and his work.
So here at the very beginning.
It's God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Notice how many times he he mentions crisis as savior, the verse you refer to, and again on the 11Th verse.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then the third chapter in the second verse.
Now the commandments of the apostles of the Lord and Savior.
That's a very precious word, isn't it savior?
Because it reminds us of his left was and what he has done for us. His death is crossed.
The sacrifice he made in order to save us, and not only save us from our sins, but save us for the coming glory where we shall be associated with him.
I don't believe it's out of order in a reading meeting like this to present a fresh the way of salvation clearly that it's through the precious Blood of Christ, and that it's through that redemption which He wrought on Calvary's cross. There may be someone in this room this afternoon that doesn't know that Savior, and so we're told. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life.
That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, And then you can say He's my St.
Our Savior that takes in all the redeemed and joined together with delight and joy and Speaking of our Savior.
Horses, you favor my favor individually, but he's our savior collectively.
Peter very often seems to be delighted, as I've noticed that in the second chapter of the first Epistle, all the way through that chapter he is exhorting them in one way and another. And he says you and he continually through the chapter until he comes to that 24th verse who his own self bear our sins. As though Peter have lost to say when he came to this point his mind to I think into this.
00:35:27
It's meant by knees, and so he says.
Our faces. What a precious faith you think, brother Hale, when he said, whom having not seen ye love, that he was feeling very humbled and humbled in his soul, to think of how he denied the Lord. So he doesn't speak of his love, even when the falling attention to the love that others had for the Savior, whom having not seen ye love, and whom though now you see him not.
Yet believing, he rejoiced with joy, unspeakable and full of glory.
The.
This is the language of restored Peter 1St and 2nd.
Inter learned a lot and practice learned very quickly after he was restored to his brother, so now he can bring before each one the precious thing. And you were noticing that at the end of the first verse through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
But in the end of the second verse, go step further. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. You recognize now and restored soul the Lordship of Christ.
Believe the character of the of these epistles of Peter are the strengthening of our souls. When thou art converted, strengthen thy brother.
Now these epistles are intended to strengthen us, and that's what we have in this chapter primarily. Is it not the the building up of the soul in these various steps that are mentioned in the following verses? Is the strengthening the soul ready for that moment? When we hear the shout, we're gone, as we have at 11 first.
For both Peter and Paul speak of grace and peace, and in the.
Dressing the assembly or company of Saints, mercy is omitted. It's great and peace. But here Peter says, being multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Let's remember, and we think of the young people that when you get that word, Lord.
It has to do with his authority. He's not only our savior.
Is our Lord, that is the one we must obey, one we must be subject to, and this grace and peace.
Qualified and absolutely word that he uses as the result of.
Of.
Going on in subjection to Jesus as Lord.
You see the the Lord Jesus has filled a deafness slave in connection with his own down here.
And he's, he's their Lord, He's up in heaven. We're subject to him for him, that we should go to him about all our affairs.
And this knowledge of God.
God that gave his Son and.
From Jesus our Lord.
Is the means of grace and peace being multiplied. We're going through a world of sorrow and turmoil and trouble and danger on every side.
The very foundations of society are trembling, as it were. We wonder sometimes just what is ahead of this country and other countries too. But the Christian can wend his way through this tangled scene with peace in his soul and enduring to the grace of God.
00:40:02
At unmerited faith, leading him, and guiding him, and directing him.
Through all the difficulties of the way.
And this is not just merely a knowledge we get through reading books.
Or even reading the word, necessary and important as that is, but it's learning God's ways and his character as we go on.
Through this world which we were singing has become a wilderness. Why?
Moses said, Show me thy way.
And so it says in Psalm 103.
He made known his ways to Moses. You know, God answers prayer, Show me thy way. So he He did show him his way. Now I believe that's the character. And if we got the character of Peter, it's a wilderness epistle.
And the character is his ways with us.
So we have the Father and we have the discipline in Peter.
So that.
The knowledge that we acquire in this that this chapter speaks about is that kind of knowledge.
It's a knowledge that's acquired.
Through the word of God, but by the experience and walking with God down here, learning his ways. I believe that's what Peter's speaking about when he says knowledge hears it now.
And then we find that there is power connected with that knowledge. That's the next verse according as His divine power has given them to us.
We need power to long because we have a very cunning enemy and there are many difficulties and dangers.
But we have not only power, but we have divine power, and that divine power becomes.
A position, as it were for us through this knowledge.
Then we get the power.
To connect that with the last, First of our chapter this morning, third chapter.
Passover.
Three the 17th and 18th, 1St the 3rd chapter. He therefore beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest the author being LED away with the error of the wicked, all from your own steadfast. But grow in grace. That's not all, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and as we grow in that grace.
As we as that knowledge increases.
Similar to that which the Apostle Paul brings before the Philippians, that I may know of him on them, the apostle here says to him the glory both now, forever. Amen. I'll connect that with the grace of this second verse.
And presents praise before the soul crying in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Jesus Adams.
Interesting in the introduction, nearly every offensive to see that this great and feed our man and in practically every occasion is connected with God. I think that's very remarkable and very striking, because it's only natural for us to feel a certain distance from God. And if we are not fully acquainted with the gospel, we'll picture God as being the one who would have done that had it not been for the intercession and the mighty work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. And as a result, I fear that there are many true Christians.
Who are most thankful to the Lord Jesus For the what that work on their behalf, but they still feel a distance from dog and and uneasiness shall I say. But we're great and peace are mentioned. They're so often associated with the very particle, and these things are hullified through the knowledge of God and of even our Lord the more you and I know the heart of God.
00:45:04
And our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord is great and deep, will be multiplied through us. I know it's only natural for us to feel that the lordship of Christ in some way involved the restriction and the restriction. And the same whisper that was heard by Eve long ago is still heard by our ears today. That's a large ship of Christ. Great restriction, that restraint, that if we were just a little more free from this.
Delivery would be very pleasant, whereas the brave and the feast that God wants us to enjoy in associated with His loving heart and with the Lordship of Christ our Savior recognize and express in our lives that must lose. Amen. And there has to be that obedience.
And acknowledgement of lordship. Otherwise there is not the joy in the Christian life, because joy goes along with obedience, does it not?
Now in this.
This third verse is divine power.
Just how would we apply this thought is divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us by glory and virtue.
Well, the person might say, I know that brother, sister, so and so, they're very intelligent and they can lay hold of these things, but I can't.
But that isn't true. It isn't a question of natural intelligence.
The under the understanding and laying hold of Scripture is more connected with our state of soul than it is.
Natural intelligence. And I believe we we have an example before us with the writer here that he was a that he was spoken of as an unlearned and ignorant man.
A fisherman? Well, yet look what he writes to us. But you see, it isn't in the power of the flesh, and there isn't in the power of human intelligence. Is that what the Spirit of God himself brings about and instructs in the soul?
I think that this is where faith.
Comes in.
Faith must lay hold of this according as his divine power hath given to us. It isn't something that we work for. But he has already provided this for His people. Now faith lays hold of it, and faith says He's given us this power in connection with all things. The understanding of Scripture, The Walking in the path of faith, enjoying communion, all these things belong to the Christians.
Through the knowledge of him.
Scholars the the Saints at Corinth were so inclined to be dull because they were carnal.
And.
Do you doubt with what we're living in? Days when the Saints of God are very, very much like this ain't Sitaram they were reigning as kings.
They were walking as men. They just shared the ordinary thoughts of men, as it were. And when we are on that level, a sluggish level.
Why we cannot be growing in the knowledge of the full knowledge of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ, the apostle says to the Saints at Corinth. He says awake.
Your righteousness.
For some now he's addressing Saints, for some have not the knowledge of God.
They say it comes, No, God is her Father in the gospel that was their portion. But they were not getting further and deeper acquainted with the one who does love our acquaintanceship with himself.
Our confidence in himself, our intimacy with himself. Now I can talk on these things, but my soul also would like to learn a little more practically, these things. Now to the Saints at classy the Apostle Paul writes Colossians 19 and 10.
00:50:02
Verse 9 Morris to the full knowledge of his will, but first 10 is what I want to get to.
Colossians 19 For this 'cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with a full knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that he might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful.
And every good work and notices increasing or brewing.
In the OR by the knowledge of That's a full knowledge of God. True belt. That's good. The true knowledge of God now.
In our chapter, we've just been going over this verse I want to touch upon though by going back to verse 2 again, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the full knowledge it has that significance.
Full knowledge of God now that would be increasing our acquaintanceship with Him and of Jesus our Lord. Now He's mentioned in the next verse. This is mentioned next verse again, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the full knowledge of Him.
That has called us to glory.
Now in verse 8 for if these things be in you and the power.
They make you that ye shall neither be idle nor unfruitful in the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And our brothers already read that the last verse that Peter writes, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Well, the question is fully equipped.
To meet every danger and every difficulty, because it says here have given unto us all things.
Well, there's nothing there. The soldier dreads more than to be in the battle and to not have any ammunition. Well, it's nothing left for him but to retreat, flee from the presence of the enemy. Well, the Christian can never be in his spiritual warfare in that position. It never can be.
Need never be a time when he isn't fully equipped.
No matter how subtle the enemy is, or how clever his attacks may be, or how the world may present itself, the Christian is fully equipped, if he uses the equipment that God gives him to meet every situation, no matter if we were in the time of fire and ****** we're facing maybe to be burned at the stake, or whether what we see today is perhaps more dangerous and difficult.
And even times of persecution, all the subtle ever saw the enemy to deceive, to rob us of our spiritual blessings. That's what Satan is seeking. Especially I believe in this land at the present time to do for the Saints of God. He knows that we have Bibles everywhere. He knows that we have whole shells of books that have been written on every scriptural subject.
You know that we have the truth of the church, and we know about the heavenly calling. Well, Satan is making every effort to rob us of these truths and to drag us down to the level of this lost world as soon to be under the fire of God's judgment. But we're prepared, and we should realize our danger and make use of all the equipment.
That is, that he has given us to faith these dangers and not to, as he fails to lose our steadfastness to turn and flee from the enemy.
And.
00:55:00
Me, the sad humiliating defeat for nearly breaks your hearts with all the know something that you have loved and seen walking in the truth to see how the enemy through pryder or in some way or the other has tripped them up.
You're no longer going on the following of course. Willfulness and disobedience. Well, we need never to get into those those those states where Satan will have the advantage of us if we make heels of the very things that are mentioned here.
But Brother Hill was brought before us is the knowledge of the heart of God and all the authority of our blessed Lord.
To let our wills and our thoughts go for nothing if we have his mind and his will. And isn't it beautiful that the very writer himself was willing to take such a humble place instead of insisting that he was right? When when younger man than himself who was converted long after Peter takes the stand against him, he was willing humbly to admit that Paul was right, and to only speak of him was the dearest affection.
Is significant true evidence that the one who wrote this is the one who was upheld today. And having been a person, folks, I pointed this out to a couple of priests. One time I sat in Peter himself tell us that his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness where they were, insisting that we must also be bound by subsequent church teachings and relations and whatnot.
And we were reminded that they saw warning that nothing need be asked, that with God himself that is prostitute. Do you and I want to be in the enjoyment of the possession of eternal life we have involved for all that we need, in order that this may be our happy, happy privilege. Feel that I want to walk you lovely. Do we have again a word of God?
All that in need it the light, the wisdom, and the power, in order to walk the dog in every circumstance. Your I may be found dead even in 1968, when circumstances are so very different from the circumstances in which the missile was written in Divine power has given unto us all things that pertain on the life of sausage. How sad then it is to see if Krishna.
Even in evangelical circles that they will take this look.
Of salvation and eternal life. And they will be horrified and try to produce the keeping of the law, or something like this, or their booked off holder by the dozen. But then having done so, having found themselves in possession of eternal life, they close about the same, look around and they run out. How shall we serve God? How shall we worship God? What denomination shall we join? They forget that Peter inspired himself tell us whereby are given unto us.
All things that pertain under life, That's awesome.
Please look and get that the assurance of eternal life gives us.
In our whole life, our assembly lights our attention. We not only need the sort of speak, the equipment that we were speaking about.
All things that pertain us and not like God, but we need an object before the soul, although we might have the word at our fingers in and be able to to beat the animal. So how his attacks.
Her own, so on. But we must have an object before our souls, and that comes in in the last part of the verse, doesn't it?
Him that hath called us now read that instead of two.
By glory and virtue now there is the the object before our souls as we sing in that little hymn. The glory shines before me. I cannot linger here, and not only to have the glory as the goal before our soul, but to have what the Apostle speaks of here as virtue.
That is, I take virtue as spiritual energy, something like the like Moses. Moses knew that.
01:00:11
That Israel was God chosen people, and that he had promised them.
The land of Abraham as their position, but it took something more than that knowledge of that coming glory.
And leave before Israel for him to forsake Egypt. That's where virtue comes in, isn't it? It says that when he came to years he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, and to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. There we get moral or spiritual courage to act upon the truth of the glory.
That was the head. Of course. We have a brighter glory, the glory of the coming.
One who is going to.
Tell her to be exalted and reign over this world, and we associated with him as his bride sit on his throne. That's the glory that's before us, but it takes real energy and purpose of heart to go on with that glory before our souls.
I've enjoyed.
You thought in the 84 sub in connection with what you've been bringing for us before?
Very.
Use that. God has called us, called us under His eternal glory. It's the glory, the eternal glory that's before us. But you you mentioned Israel, and we can apply what we get. If it's 84 song to ourselves in the in the fourth verse, let's intervene as well in my house.
Well, we're going to dwell in the Father's house, That's what's before us. But then in the fifth verse left, it is the man who strengthens in thee. You mentioned spiritual courage. Well, if we have courage or strength, that would virtue pizza, if blessed, is the man whose grace is in thee. That's where it comes from. It is in ourselves and the state of soul of convention. It says in whose hearts are the ways of them. I believe in other translations.
In whose heart is the highway that is here in Israel? On that journey you spoke out to Zion. For them, for us, it's the heavenly Zion. Well, it says. And whose heart is the highway? Who passed him through the valley of Baca or tears or weeping? That's the character of this scene, the Valley of Zakah.
But it says they go from strength to strength. There's that virtue again, spiritual energy. There's progress because they have the end. Before them for us is Christ before the soul. They go for strength to strength. And I think the rendering should be every one of them shall appear before God and science.
The end of the journey is sure we're going to be with the man and the glory and and then just not to take going to all the details but in the 11Th verse, the Lord God is the son and the shield a son. There you get light and warmth that we need and a shield would be for protection. Well our strength left is the man who strengthens in me. He's the one who's the shield for us and it says he will give grace and glory.
Glory at the end and great for the entire journey and all our needs down here, please follow us by glory and virtue. And but it's been mentioned the state of soul no good thing. While he withhold from them to walk uprightly there has to be that uprightness.
For that state of soul is characterized by walking uprightly.
Scripture.
Well wait, let's just start by this cheeky fire age.
01:05:22
My Grace.
Great.
Grace.
I can make it.
Up.
16 migraines.
Salvation.
01:10:37
Grace is that which rises above our needs, is it not and?
After our needs are met, God is acting now according to what's in himself, His own thoughts, not just what our needs require. He saved us, but He's called us by His grace. He saved us through grace. It's a gift of God. But grace takes us into the heavenly things and all the provision that brings us into the place of sonship, the inheritance, and all these things.
Not because of a need, but because of what was in God's own heart. And that's where grace leaves us for all eternity. Well, in the next verse we find that we not only need a power and.
We need an object, but we need encouragement along the way. When you get that encouragement in the fourth verse, where you get where bar given unto us, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these he might be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Again, we have that word pressures used by Peter.
For these promises are very precious to the soul. If we enumerated all the promises that have been made God's people force, that would be an immense subject himself.
Well, one promise we have, the Lord says, Behold, I come quickly, I will come again and receive you unto myself where I am. There he may be also. Doesn't that a precious promise? And isn't it a great promise, greater than Abrahams promises for blessings in the land, and it's really heavenly calling and blessings?
Brother Barry, I thought that by believing I had a divine nature. What does this mean?
Well, it's really the practical side. It's the new nature put into action, isn't it? Theater looks for things in the practical side of things. He does not given so much to instruct us in doctrinal truth like Paul.
Whereby that he might be may be partakers of the divine nature. Of course, we know from other scriptures that as soon as we were born again, we had a divine nature. We had the very nature of God Himself.
But that that divine nature that we have needs to be fed, put into action, and therefore please great and precious promises.
Are given four and you notice in this way it says having escaped the corruption that is in the world through less.
The more we're occupied with the precious promises of these wonderful trolls of the word, enjoying them in our souls, the less the attraction of the world around us, it appears, the Lord Blessing.
The Old Testament Saints had the divine nature, That is, they were born of God, all the household of faith throughout all the dispensation, and just men. They all had a new nature.
And exercise faith too. But here there is that which rises above those past blessings, and so.
By these.
Greater, notice, greater or greatest.
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And precious promises.
That is, it has to do with the heavenly and.
That by these ye.
May become partakers of the divine nature. I suppose this is an advance over Old Testament truth in that we now have eternal life in a special sense.
That is, we know of God as our Father.
The Holy Spirit, as the power by which we know Him can cry, have a Father. That's relationship. We know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Redeemer who has finished the work, has shed His precious blood. We know where his by redemption, by His blood and therefore eternal life is the divine life of God which we have in relationship to Himself with all the happy.
Well, Communion.
And blessedness of knowing a mistake this.
Life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ in our sin. Now that's the characters of that new life which we have in Christianity, and the Apostle Peter is rising to that very thing.
Don't you see a Brother Brown in Crescent on today? In the evangelistic groups, they'll preach the Gospel.
And all kinds are very powerful God and get people, people saved. And then how do they seek to hold those believers together?
Well, we see it ends up in entertainment. All kinds of entertainment becomes more and more of a worldly system. Maybe they've got to have a band, music and all kinds of social affairs and so on. And that kind of a thing is.
In danger, creeping among the gathered Saints. We don't need to condemn others when we see the same thing creeping in among ourselves. Yes, our God's way of preserving is is sinks. It's just what we get here. See great and precious promises are what feed the divine nature and are used that we might escape the corruption that is in the world through less. And that's why we will.
We should press upon all the importance of attending the reading, meetings, being there, being over the word of God. If you take that away, if we have, we neglect the prayer meeting and the reading of the word together. Being over the word, we may have a very clear gospel and see how people get saved and then just fall into a worldly system of.
Entertaining our young people and so on, and ourselves too. Is there not a tendency of increasing social activities?
We ought to be discerning and on our guard, lest we be carried away with wanting an over amount of the social activities. I hope you understand me.
Think of Christian and faithful in that good old story of pilgrims progress. I really admit they had turned their backs on the city of disruption and they had the celestial city before there, and they found it necessary to pass through Bannock and fair along the way. Well there was plenty of corruption and charm and single interest in Vanity Fair. But you don't find the two of them walking through, saying, I must not, I must not, I must not. They have Access to them was exceeding great impression.
The journey of the Celestial City. And they went through Vanity Fair with their eyes fixed on that which lay ahead, much for the annoyance of the people in Vanity Fair who tried to distract them. And, you know, belong, President, we love young people. You and I are cracking through a world that is positively characterized by corruption, as well as by all kinds of things that are quick, charming, and how can we be delivered from us by the grave of God? We had a exceeding grace and frank of God.
We have a Florida future ahead and surely we have even now in our soul by the breakthrough that we can fill us with delight along the way and we'd be more like things who went to Vanity Fair when there times on language lay on the other side. I want to just say this alright? I remember as a boy attending meetings just like this and sitting and listening at Brother H Rule and Brother Potter and Brother Heaney and I just said to myself all are they talking about I couldn't even.
01:20:25
Get the threaded things. I just wondered what it was all about.
But to know the continual attendance of meetings like that, why they're not, you cannot see things and things that I wasn't interested in while they became a real interest to me by just being present, especially after we play reading the news, I began to see there was something of real interest and importance. But if we give up because we don't understand the the teaching, why we'll miss the whole path.
This is the kind of thing I had in mind generally and speaking to the children about the danger of moving away from the placement and assembly and somewhat believe misunderstood the convention were made and question murder for every daughter. For any Christian to move away from this assembly. There might be a late history morning when attended for young people for children Oxford grown up to my feet many land of the Lord to go someplace where there is nothing assembly. I was thinking later about the assembly I believe in Des Moines and started to come up with voting there.
This is the eighth rule the Lord may well leave and well established godly family.
They're settled out in the place where there's nothing assembly and sorry testimony there. I come in history where primarily for young people who are not attempting to this matter, who like this, this very thing we're talking about the benefit of being under the sound of the words and having scholarship with the state and so much needs there every day.
Thank you, honey. Dirty.
Our faithful and Angel friends.
Loud. Brave. No lighter magic or anything.
First in the last compared to the brightest baseball crazy.
#23
oh God.
We know.
What's your dream?
For 9393.