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Colin Smith: And to think that he was with us every day of our life on the earth. Why did we not have more faith? Why did we not make more progress? What in all the world were we thinking about? He was with us.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. And Colin, obviously, the he that we're talking about here is Jesus. But I want you to back up just a little bit and give us a little context here. What are we talking about in today's message?

Colin Smith: We're talking about this great promise that God by his divine power has given us everything that we need for life through Jesus Christ. And I'm just thinking when we actually see Christ and see how great he is and realize he was with us by the Holy Spirit every day of our Christian lives. Why in the world would we not have made more progress? I find that a very challenging thought that the presence of Christ means I can make a lot more progress than I have made up to this point in my Christian life. That's always true of every Christian and is one of the great incentives and encouragements in the promise of God. He's given you everything you need for life. So why not press forward in faith and seek to grow as a Christian?

Steve Hiller: And that's what we're looking at in today's message. We're in the book of Second Peter chapter 1. So I hope you'll open your Bibles and join us there as we continue our message, "Everything You Need for Life." Here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Why would anyone become a Christian in the 21st century? Why would anyone who's living a post-modern secular life become a follower of Jesus Christ? Why would that happen? What would compel a person to become a Christian today?

And Peter answers that question right here. The way in which Christ calls us, the way in which Christ draws us, the way in which Christ wins us is through two things. Number one, his glory; number two, his goodness.

Here's why you should follow Jesus Christ. First, just the sheer moral excellence of his life draws, the sheer abundance of his goodness to you draws. Second, his glory, the total impact of his person.

Here's how Jesus gets hold of people. That's what Peter is saying. Jesus gets hold of people. Jesus draws people by his own glory and by his own goodness.

So faith is formed. It is the gift of God, but it happens as the glory and the goodness of Jesus Christ are lifted up and when you see it, when you see the greatness, glory and goodness of Jesus Christ, when you see that, that day you will follow him.

You'll be compelled just as the first disciples were compelled. You see how great he is. That's what draws people to follow Jesus Christ.

And the great promise of the gospel, which Peter is now going to explain to us very wonderfully, is given to those who have this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter wants you to know if you have this faith, then here's what's true of you. If you have this faith in Jesus Christ, then you have everything you need for life and godliness, given to you by God's power through your knowledge of Jesus Christ who has called you. And he did it by his own glory and by his goodness.

Now, what exactly is it that God gives to us in the gospel that enables Peter to say that you have everything you need for life? Notice that there are two things that God gives and promises to those who have this faith. Christ has given us, verse 4, these great and precious promises so that through them, two things will happen.

The first is that you will participate in the divine nature. And the second is that you will escape the corruption in the world that is caused by evil desires. These two things are our focus together.

First, as you come to faith in Jesus Christ, as you become a true Christian, you share this apostolic faith, God is giving to you everything you need for life because by his gracious promise you participate in the divine nature. You say, what in all the world does that mean? How could I participate in the divine nature?

Now, there are two ways, I guess, in which such a thing could happen. One is that somehow you would have to enter into the life of God. And the Bible never suggests that possibility. That is part of Eastern mysticism, but it is no part of Christianity. God is God, and you are you, and I am me. And the Bible never suggests to us that we somehow get absorbed into the life of God.

But the other way in which you could participate in the divine nature would be if somehow the life of God came to you. And the New Testament very clearly and repeatedly tells us that that is precisely the promise of the gospel. When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, God's spirit enters the life of that person.

We have, to use a phrase from the Bible, union with Jesus Christ. We are united with him. And that wonderful truth of the believer's union with Christ is expressed in different ways in the Bible. Perhaps the most striking is the way Peter expresses it right here, when he says that you participate in the divine nature.

Paul really is saying the same thing in a different way when he says, "I've been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." The life of Christ has come to me and is in me. Jesus, our Lord, uses a picture to express exactly the same thing when he said in John chapter 15, "I am the vine, and you are the branches, and if a man remains in me, he will bear much fruit."

All of these are different ways of saying the same thing, that at its heart, Christian life in this world involves God's life, God's spirit, God's presence, God's power, entering into your life and therefore into your experience. And it is on that basis that Peter says, "You have everything that you need for life and for godliness."

You know, I've thought about this a great deal, and I have to tell you, if there was just one thing, if I had a choice that there would be one thing that I could get across to the whole congregation in this year, just one thing, I think it would be this. I'd want to get across that Christianity is more than forgiveness for the past and heaven for the future.

I'd want to get across that at its core, to be a Christian involves the power and the presence of God in your life and in everything you face today. If the gospel only addresses your past failures and your future hopes, it isn't big enough for your life today.

And there are many people in church world who have this partial grasp of faith. They believe in forgiveness through the cross and heaven through the resurrection, but they have no real grasp that God by his powerful Holy Spirit is present in my life today in everything that I face. And that's why at your core, you really think that Jesus is enough for faith, but you don't really think that he is enough for life. You're kind of looking for how you can face life and it's disconnected from the gospel.

There's a great Christian writer lived some hundreds of years ago with the delightful name, Henry Scougal. Scougal. Can you imagine which country of the world he might have come from? Scougal wrote a great Christian book that you can still get hold of today, and it has the most marvelous title, "The Life of God in the Soul of Man." That's the heart of what it means to be a Christian. The life of God in your soul, in your experience, the spirit of God, the presence of God, the power of God that once was out there as far as you're concerned, now coming in here, for God is with you by his spirit in you, in everything that you face.

"Participate in the divine nature," Peter says, "and that is why in Christ, by knowing him, you have everything that you need for life. Whatever it is that you are facing right now and whatever it is that you're going to face in this coming week. He is with you."

Now, on the last day, when we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, try and picture that with me just a little bit. I think that if we're talking to each other in the glory of that at all, because we'll probably be taken up with everything we're looking at, but if you and I were to be speaking to each other, I think to each other, we would probably be saying something like this, you know, "I knew he was great, but I never knew he was this great."

And I wonder if on that day we might be saying to each other, "And to think that he was with us every day of our life on the earth. Why did we not have more faith? Why did we not make more progress? What in all the world were we thinking about? He was with us."

That's what Peter wants to get across. Because when you see that this is what is promised in the gospel, then you will begin to believe that in knowing Jesus Christ, you have everything that you need for every circumstance of life that you will ever face, and you will go out into this week a different person because you're holding this apostolic faith in this Christ that's with you.

Steve Hiller: What a thought, Jesus is with us. If you know him as your Savior and Lord, and he gives us everything we need for life. That is what our current series is all about. And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series, you can come and listen online, just come to openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. You can also listen through the free Open the Bible app, which you'll find at your app store. Back to the message. Here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Now, there's a second part to the great promise, which is equally important, and so let's just look at it for a few moments together. Not only will you participate in the divine nature, but look at what he says in verse 4. This is promised to those who believe, who hold this great faith that we've been speaking of, that you will escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Now, just a side note, this is a sort of Christian worldview question. Do you notice that Peter says very clearly that the corruption in the world is caused by evil desires? You see, you will hear all kinds of discussion about where does the corruption in the world come from? Why is the world as it is? What's the problem? And you'll hear people saying, well, it's lack of education, it's lack of opportunity, it is lack of resources. And all that we can say about that is, well, Peter would disagree. The apostles would disagree.

However much the corruption in the world may be exacerbated by lack of education, lack of resources, lack of opportunity, Peter says at its core, the corruption in the world comes from evil desires, which is why you find corruption in people who have education, have opportunity, and have resources as much as you find corruption in those who do not, because that's its root.

Now you say, well, what evil desires are you talking about? You make your own list, but here's a few starters: envy, greed, lust, pride, laziness. I mean, that's just a few of the evil desires. And Peter is saying this is where the corruption comes from. These things are in us, and they corrupt us.

We were talking just a few moments ago about the moods that can come over us. And perhaps that begins in teenage years. I wish that it would end in teenage years. Why was I like that? What's going on inside me? Why did I say that? Where did that sourness come from? You see, there's something going on inside you, and it's spoiling you. It is corrupting you. That is what Peter is saying here.

You find you look at another person perhaps, and you see what they have, and the success that they enjoy. And instead of rejoicing in that, it eats away at you. You say, well, why am I like that? Well, it's the corruption that comes from evil desires.

Now, notice the marvelous promise that God gives to us here in verse 4. The promise is that by his divine power and through the knowledge of Jesus Christ who called us by his own glory and goodness, you will not only participate in the divine nature, but God promises that you will escape. There's the word. Escape this corruption that comes from evil desires.

Now, I know some of us will be saying at this point, escape? What do you mean, escape? You obviously don't live in the real world. I do. I've been a Christian for years, you may be saying. I have an ongoing battle with evil desires. I have a battle with lust. I have a battle with greed. I have a battle with pride. I fight it every day. You're standing up there, and you're talking about escape? I struggle with these desires all the time.

How many of us have seen the film, "The Fugitive"? You seen "The Fugitive"? Oh, lots of people have seen "The Fugitive." A few haven't. Great film. The story, starring Harrison Ford, about a doctor who is framed for the murder of his wife. He is sentenced to jail. This is great fun because it's set here in Chicago. And while he is being transported to the penitentiary, there is an accident, the bus rolls off the road, and in the chaos that follows, Harrison Ford, the hero, escapes. And he is the fugitive.

Now, think about his position. He hits the road with a mission. His mission is to find the truth and to establish justice. He moves from place to place. All the time the long arm of the law is behind him, sometimes very close to him. All the time he is in danger of being apprehended. He's involved in a great struggle. He is relentlessly pursued. Sometimes you think his position is absolutely impossible. You say the whole world is against him. He'll never get out of this.

But here's the key. He is not in chains. He is free. He's the fugitive. He's on the move. He acts. He is relentlessly pursued, but he is not in chains.

Now I find that little picture helpful. I hope you do too. If you are a Christian believer, understand your position in Jesus Christ, and it will begin to make sense of your experience. See, I am the fugitive. I have escaped from the chains of bondage to Satan. I have been released from the kingdom of darkness. That's what it means to become a Christian. But Satan is pursuing me. Sin and temptation are always breathing down my neck. Satan who once held me in the chains of his darkness is always after me, but God is with me.

Satan is out there like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The Lord Jesus Christ is in here, strengthening me in the struggle, guiding me in this great mission of life to which I am now committed. I've found it helpful to just condense it down to a phrase this way that's based on Romans chapter 6 and verse 14. When you're a Christian, sin is your enemy, but it is no longer your master.

Sin is my enemy. Feel its hot breath down the back of my neck many times. But it is not my master. It is not my master. What Peter is saying here is the same as Paul says in Romans chapter 6 and verse 14. What you have to understand about your position in Jesus Christ is that you are not a captive. You are not in chains. You can move. You can act. And this freedom is God's gift to you in the gospel.

So in these last moments, let me just give this word of encouragement to Christians who feel defeated. And there are Christians who feel defeated in church every Sunday morning. I want you to hear the promise. God says to you, if you are in Christ today, that by his power and through your knowledge of Jesus, you have everything that you need to face life, including all the battles, all the trials, and all the temptations, and all the struggle. You have everything you need to face life because his spirit is with you, you participate in the divine nature, and because in the miracle of his grace at your conversion, you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires. You have a battle, a lifelong battle, but you are not in chains. You are the fugitive.

Stop telling yourself you're in chains. You're merely repeating Satan's lie. And if you tell yourself you're in chains, you'll never move. You'll never act. You'll never grow, which is why so many folks who say they believe never grow or flourish in the Christian life. Because there's a little compartment, and it's about yesterday, and it's about tomorrow, but it's never about today. It's never about God's power. It's never about his presence.

I thank God for this promise, don't you? Do you thank God for the sheer scale of the gospel? More than forgiveness for the past, more even than heaven for the future. God's power with you, at work in you, to change your life today. Peter says, "Let me tell you about a faith that is big enough for life, for everything you will ever face."

It comes through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and it is the gift of God's power at work within you through Jesus who calls you by his own glory and goodness. And you have everything that you need for life because by his grace you participate in the divine nature. His spirit is with you. By his incredible mercy and by his great power, he has released you from the chains. Sin is your enemy, but it is not your master.

And I hope, therefore, that our response would be one of two things this morning. Either that you will say, "Thank God, that's what I've got." And believing the promise of the gospel, you'll be encouraged as you go out into whatever you're facing this week. And if you can't say, "Thank God, that's what I've got," I hope you'll say today, "Please God, that's what I need." And as you ask, and as you draw near, and put your trust in Jesus Christ as he calls you to do, he will come to you, and he will save you.

Steve Hiller: So which one of those can you say? That's what I've got or that's what I want. You know, if you're listening today, and you can say, "That's what I got," I hope you're encouraged by what you heard. But if you're saying, "That's what I want," then I hope you'll contact us here at Open the Bible. We'd love to talk with you, pray with you, and introduce you to Jesus. You can call and talk to one of our staff members by calling 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. Or open the bible.org.

Well, today's message, "Everything You Need for Life," is the first message in a series by that same title. And if you ever miss a broadcast in the series, you can come and listen online at openthebible.org. Open the Bible is a listener-supported ministry. We're able to do what we do and bring you Pastor Colin's teaching each day because of your generosity. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we're going to send you a copy of Pastor Colin's brand new 30-day devotional book called "Grow in Love." And Colin, who is this book for?

Colin Smith: Well, people have very different experiences of love. And perhaps you knew what it was to grow up with a godly mother, a godly father, who loved you well and you've had all the benefits of that. But you still find now you've come to adult life that you want to know how to grow in love yourself. And if that's where you're at, this book is for you.

But there are other folks who have not had the blessing of being loved well. And if that's been your experience, you may find that you struggle with some real questions. What does it mean to love another person? What does real love actually look like? Where are you going to find it? Well, you're not sure that you know. Well, this book is for you. It's going to show you how receiving love from God through Jesus Christ can put you in the position where you're able to give love and receive love from others well.

Steve Hiller: Well, we'd love to send you a copy of Pastor Colin's new book. It's called "Grow in Love," and it's our thank you for your financial support this month. You can find out more or give online at openthebible.org or when you call 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365 or openthebible.org. For Pastor Colin Smith, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening, and I hope you'll join us next time. This program is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: Hi, this is Pastor Colin again, and I want you to know about "Watch Your Doctrine." "Watch Your Doctrine" is a six-session course that is geared for leaders, but accessible for every believer. The six sessions will introduce you to six central truths of the Christian faith. How we know God, how God speaks to us, how sin affects us, how God's Spirit brings new life, how we're made right with God, and what Jesus accomplished on the cross. There are questions at the end of each session, and you can use them on your own or you can discuss them with a friend. For more information or to begin this free online course, visit openthebible.org/courses. That's openthebible.org/courses.