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- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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REQUISITES OF
CHRISTIAN VIRTUE: PREREQUISITE - 1 (2Pe 1:3 from vss. 3-10) 7-22-12 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. PERCEIVE THE SUFFICIENCY
OF GOD’S POWER (3) A. Paul can pray that “grace
and peace be multiplied” to the believer (vs. 2) because (“ōs - conjunction, as) He has provided
everything for the believer. This is the first requisite that the believer
must perceive in order to have Christian Virtue. Christian virtue has been
infused into the believer by the “divine power.” 1. “Divine”
is the Greek adjective thei,os
which is similar to the noun theo,s (God).
2. Theo,s
is a name that identifies God as
God. Thei,os
denotes an attribute that comes from God. 3. Contrary to the Greek pagan view of
polytheism (poly - many & theoi - gods),
theo,s is the
sole Divine and Personal God of the Scriptures. Everything that comes from theo,s (God) is thei,os (Divine) and comes from the sole Divine
and Personal God of the Scriptures. 4. Therefore “power” (du,namis,
Eng. dynamic) which comes from Him is not only divine but is unequaled by
any other power that exists. 5. This divine power has been “granted”
(dōre,omai
- to give or bestow) to the believer (“to us”). So the power for
life and godliness is not based on self-help and self-determination, rather
it is realized by faith in what God has bestowed. In fact, God has bestowed
this power and continues to bestow it (perfect middle participle - dōre,o,mai) so that the
believer has a constant divine supply. a) This was
the power that spoke the world into being (Heb 1:3). b) This power is of surpassing greatness (Eph
1:19; 3:20). c) It strengthens the inner man (Eph 3:16). d) It is the power of the resurrection (Phil
3:10). 6. Paul
emphatically reveals that God’s divine power covers not some but “everything”
(pa,nta - all or
everything, emphatically placed first in construction) pertaining to life
and godliness. B. He has provided everything
concerning “life” (zōê -
existence or quality of existence) for the believer. 1. Certainly
this would include “eternal life” (1Jo 5:11-13). 2. He also has provided everything
pertaining to an abundant, victorious, manner of life for the believer (Joh
10:10). 3. The parameter would include every aspect
of general life (Jam 4:4). C. God has also provided
everything the believer needs to be “godly” in this life. 1. “Godly”
comes from the Greek word euse,bia
which literally means “good worship” or one who conducts themselves in a
good worshipful manner. It would mean one lives with well-directed reverence.
Though the word would emphasize external behavior, such behavior stems from
internal and heartfelt godliness. 2. A believer’s public conduct is to live a
godly life (1Ti 2:2). 3. A believer is to discipline himself in
godliness (1Ti 4:7, 8). 4. God’s truth is in accordance with
godliness (Tit 1:1). 5. Godliness is putting sound doctrine into
practice (1Ti 6:3). 6. The believer is to live godly in light of
the Lord’s Coming (2Pe 3:11). D. This power comes through
the “true knowledge” (epi,gnosis
- full and true knowledge) of God. 1. This
knowledge is not simple knowledge but a knowledge that is real and fully
aware of the truth. 2. It is the true knowledge of knowing
Christ and His salvation (2Pe 1:2; 1Ti 2:4) and becomes fuller as the
believer grows in the knowledge of Christ (2Pe 3:18; Eph 4:13; Phil 1:9; Col
3:10). 3. It comes only through the revelation of
God’s Word (2Pe 1:4) and causes the believer to grow in godliness (Tit 1:1).
This is the point of 2Pe 1:4. 4. It is knowledge of our “glorious”
God in all His attributes and particularly His perfect and virtuous “excellence”
(arête - virtue or moral excellence). God is the perfection of virtue
and moral excellence the likeness of which He has bestowed upon the believer. |
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