Salvation Summaries

I am going through each book in the New Testament (again) and writing bullet point comments about how a person becomes a Christian and how a Christian should live.  The following notes are from 2 Peter.

Summary

2 Peter does not contain specific verses on how a person becomes a Christian (part of this may be because it’s written to Christians), but it does include verses that describe a Christian. At a minimum, a Christian has faith and is righteous. Faith is something a person receives from God, though it includes a human element too (it involves one’s mind, and thus understanding and thought). The righteousness of a Christian comes from, or is only made possible by, Jesus’ righteousness.

Most of 2 Peter is about the behavior and punishment of false teachers, though it includes a handful of very good verses on how a Christian should live. Unfortunately, I believe too many Christians today have the view that they “made it” once they became a Christian, and do not need to grow spiritually (it’s optional). Peter criticizes Christians who think this way, calling them nearsighted and blind, and says they have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their past sins (in other words, they have forgotten the sacrifice Jesus paid so they could receive His righteousness to become saved).

According to Peter, Christians are to grow in seven different, and successive, qualities or areas. Starting with faith, they are to add to this:

• 1) virtue (high moral standards in thought and deed),
• 2) knowledge (goes beyond head knowledge to a relationship with the Lord),
• 3) self-control (over one’s desires, especially sensual ones),
• 4) perseverance (when experiencing trials),
• 5) godliness,
• 6) brotherly love (love for other Christians) and finally
• 7) love (for everyone else).

Christians are to add each quality in “increasing measure,” which takes effort. And why ae they to do this?  Two reasons: 1) to become effective and productive Christians, and 2) to “make their calling and election sure” (thus continually prove to themselves and others that they are truly a Christian).

In short, once you become a Christian, you become a participant in a lifelong race of spiritual growth. The race is just that – a race; not a casual stroll through the park. This race takes effort, determination and sacrifice, but the rewards are worth it.

How a person is saved (and other verses relating to salvation)

• Faith, which is a critical element of salvation, is something given by God (2 Peter 1:1).
  • We know that faith comes from, or is received upon, hearing the good news of salvation (Rom 10:17), and this is why spreading the gospel and witnessing are so important.
  • We also know that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
    • Thus, faith involves a person’s mind; his/her thoughts and understanding.

Characteristics of a non-Christian

• The world is defiled and corrupt due to lust (2 Peter 1:4, 2:20). Non-Christians can get caught up in the lust, moral depravity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sinful pleasures) of our sinful and evil world (2 Peter 1:4).
• Non-Christians who are in a position to influence others through their teaching or position (false preachers, ministers, priests, religious teachers, etc.) and get caught up in lust, etc., will be judged and punished (2 Peter 1:9).

Characteristics of a Christian

• Has faith, which is something a person receives from the Lord (2 Peter 1:1).
• Has escaped the lust, moral depravity and debauchery arising from the evil in this world, and is able to participate in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)

How a Christian should live

• Seek to grow in your knowledge of Jesus, for you will receive more of God’s grace and peace from doing so (2 Peter 1:2). Also, a growing knowledge of Jesus better enables you to use His divine power to help you live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).
• Once you become a Christian, you are to keep growing spiritually in order to become more productive and effective as a Christian, and to make your calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:3-11). Those who do not are “nearsighted and blind” and have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their past sins (2 Peter 1:5-11).
• How do you grow spiritually?  You begin with faith, and then add to it each of the following qualities in “increasing measure”:
  • goodness, or virtue (high moral standards in what you think, do and feel)
  • knowledge (from personal experience)
  • self-control (one who masters desires and passions, especially sensual appetites)
  • perseverance (to endure trials)
  • godliness (reverence, devout)
  • brotherly kindness (love for Christian brethren)
  • love
• Be holy and godly in how you live your life (2 Peter 3:12)
• Look for the return of Jesus (2 Peter 3:12)
• Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Jesus (2 Peter 3:14)
• Be on guard to not be carried away by the error of lawless teachers (2 Peter 3:17)
• Grow in the grace and knowledge of your savior, Jesus (2 Peter 3:18)
• Realize that in the last days, scoffers will arise. They will mock the return of Jesus, and deny that God created the world or sent a world-wide flood (2 Peter 3:6-7).

Who God is and what He is like

• God calls us to salvation because of His own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3).
• Because of God’s goodness and glory, He has given us many promises. Through these promises, we can escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires and participate in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). But this takes effort (2 Peter 1:5).
• Loves His Son Jesus (2 Peter 1:17)
• Enables a person to be made right with God via faith in Jesus (2 Peter 1:1)
• He will destroy the earth and the heavens, and create a new earth (2 Peter 3:12-13)
• Spoke audibly to Jesus’ disciples (“This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”).
• God gave His prophets the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to verbally speak and write prophecies (2 Peter 1:21).
• He judges and punishes those who are ungodly and unrighteous (2 Peter 2:4).
  • He sent angels to hell when they sinned
  • During the time of Noah, He killed ungodly people on the earth via a global flood
  • He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed all who lived there.
• Rescues godly men from trials (2 Peter 2:9)
• Wants everyone to repent and thus become saved (2 Peter 3:9)

Who Jesus is and what He is like

• Not only our Savior, but our God too (2 Peter 1:1).
  • Good verse to show to Jehovah’s Witnesses
• God’s Son (2 Peter 1:17)
• Powerful; coming again (2 Peter 1:16)
• Righteous (2 Peter 1:1).
  • The righteousness of Jesus Christ allows us to be made or considered righteous by God (when we put our faith in Jesus) (2 Peter 1:1)
• Provides Christians with grace and peace (2 Peter 1:2)
• Majestic (2 Peter 1:16)
• Received honor and glory from God the Father (2 Peter 1:17)
• Sovereign (2 Peter 2:1)
• Knowing Jesus is what (the only thing that) enables a person to escape the corruption in this world (2 Peter 2:20)