GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY II PET 1:1-11
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: [2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, [3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How do we grow old in our relationship with Christ ? How do we make our calling an election sure ? How do we obtain an entrance into the everlasting kingdom ? By Growing Old Gracefully By diligently adding to our Faith
I will be using a play on words to illustrate my points as we do this study
Add to your FAITH: INNOCENT INFANCY
2 Cor. 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Add to your Faith – VIRTUE: TOUGH TEENS
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Ephes. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eccles. 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Add to your Virtue – KNOWLEDGE: TEACHABLE TWENTIES
2 Tim. 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Titus 2:7 In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works:
Add to your Knowledge – TEMPERANCE: TIRELESS THIRSTIES
1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
2 Tim. 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Cor. 9:25 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Add to your Temperance – PATIENCE: FORTITUDE FORTIES
1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
2 Cor. 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Add to your Patience – GODLINESS: FERVENT FIFTIES
Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Gal 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
Add to your Godliness – BROTHERLY KINDNESS: SPIRITUAL SIXTIES
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. Add to your Brotherly Kindness – LOVE: STEADFAST SEVENTIES
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
1 Cor. 16:13-14 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. [14] Let all your things be done with charity.
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Result will be Entrance into Heaven: EVERLASTING EIGHTIES
Rev. 2:10 : be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Titus 2:2-5 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY Add to your FAITH: INNOCENT INFANCY Add to your Faith – VIRTUE: TOUGH TEENS Add to your Virtue – KNOWLEDGE: TEACHABLE TWENTIES Add to your Knowledge – TEMPERANCE: TIRELESS THIRTIES Add to your Temperance – PATIENCE: FORTITUDE FORTIES Add to your Patience – GODLINESS: FERVENT FIFTIES Add to your Godliness – BROTHERLY KINDNESS: SPIRITUAL SIXTIES Add to your Brotherly Kindness – LOVE: STEADFAST SEVENTIES Results will be Entrance into Heaven: EVERLASTING EIGHTIES
So: GROW OLD GRACEFULLY