Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the journey to spiritual fullness as outlined in 2 Peter 1:1-11, highlighting that true faith, which comes from Jesus Christ, is essential for believers. He explains that this faith should lead to moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, all of which are manifestations of Christ's character in us. The preacher encourages the congregation to focus on Jesus, as genuine faith not only originates from Him but also directs us back to Him for strength and transformation. By diligently applying faith, believers can escape worldly corruption and grow into the likeness of Christ, fulfilling God's intention for their lives. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a commitment to seek Christ continually, allowing His divine nature to produce these qualities within us.

We're going to read verses 1 through 11. 2 Peter verses 1 through 11. And this morning we're going to walk through these verses together. And we're going to understand some very, very encouraging truths this morning from the Word of God. And I trust that the Lord will give us hearts to receive so that we might be encouraged from the Word of God. Let's begin in 2 Peter chapter 1. And I've entitled this, The Road to His Fullness. The Road to His Fullness. Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received the faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Savior, our Lord. Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence. And in your moral excellence, knowledge. And in your knowledge, self-control. And in your self-control, perseverance. And in your perseverance, godliness. And in your godliness, brotherly kindness. And in brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you. For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. For in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. The road to His fullness. A few Sundays ago, we ministered from 1 Peter. And according to what the Bible taught us, 1 Peter was a book of action. Action that was being prompted and initiated by God's love working within the believer. God's love working within the believer comes by receiving the Holy Spirit. Romans chapter 5 verse 5. And the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit of God. And we learned that love, God's love, is a word of action. It is not a passive state or a passive possession. It is that which moves you to action. The very character of love, the very nature of God's love, the very person of Jesus Christ moves you to action. But your very energy, your very power is coming from Him. So it is not an action that is prompted by your own strength, but it is an action that is prompted by the very power of God's love working within you. Now in 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 11, we see the road to His fullness. Herein lies the Lord's intention for every true believer. Verses 1 through 11 show you and show me what God's intention is for you as a true believer. Now we want to go into the first few verses in order to properly understand exactly what the Holy Spirit is telling us. And we want to point out a very, very important fact before we go any further. You will discover as you study 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 11 that the entire context of this portion of Scripture revolves around the person of Jesus Christ. So the idea that the Holy Spirit is trying to teach you and I this morning is this. If these things are to be ours in an ever increasing manner, the way for this to be accomplished is to concentrate and focus on the person of Jesus Christ. He is the author, He is the finisher, He is the very power that produces these qualities within us. And we find this in the very first couple verses. Let's begin in verse number 1. Now when Peter is talking about those who have received a faith of the same kind, what he is saying is to those who have received a faith that is equal in quality and worth. A faith that is equal in quality and worth. Now let's read on here. To those who have received a faith of the same kind or a faith that is the same, that is equal in its quality and in its worth as the apostle himself. By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Here is my question. What makes or what produces this kind of faith? The kind of faith that was equal in quality and worth to those that the apostles had, to those that Peter had, to those that Paul had. Do you want that faith this morning? Do you want to be able to have the testimony that my faith is of the same kind, is of the same quality, is of the same worth as those that the apostles themselves had? I certainly want that testimony. Well listen my friends, it's not difficult. Actually it's very simple. The key in understanding how to possess the faith that is equal in quality to those who possessed it in the New Testament days is found in understanding where they got it from. You see there's, in this day that we live in, there's a lot of quote unquote faith being gendered or being propagated and being stirred within the hearts of many people. But my friends, Jesus Christ is desirous for you and I this morning to have the same kind or quality of faith that the apostles possessed and not this meaningless life void faith that is being propagated in our day to day. And what distinguishes between the true faith versus the false faith is its origin. And we find that in verse number one, the latter part. By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Listen closely. When you possess a faith, when you possess a faith, wherein the object of that faith is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and his righteousness, then that is genuine faith. That is the same quality faith that the apostles had. Friends, this is a faith that we must reaffirm every single day of our life. A faith whose focus and whose attention is upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Hebrews chapter 12, Jesus Christ is the author of this faith. And he's also the perfecter of this faith. So essentially what the Holy Spirit is telling us this morning is this. A faith of the same quality as the apostles is one that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, listen, and goes back to the Lord Jesus Christ. It comes from Jesus and it goes back to Jesus. I receive faith by the Lord Jesus Christ and then the character of that faith causes me to look back to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is like a reciprocation. I receive from him faith and then the nature of that faith causes me to look back to him. Here's how you test whether or not the faith that you have is truly a faith that is coming and being nurtured and being birthed by the word of God and by the Holy Spirit. A faith that is genuine in its quality and character is one that first of all comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and secondly by nature of its quality it brings you back to him. It comes from him and it brings you back to him. What does it bring you back to? It brings you back to his righteousness. It brings you back to his majesty. It brings you back to his sufficiency. Listen, faith is not focusing on yourself. Faith is not focusing on your abilities. Faith is not focusing your attention on the preacher. Faith is not focusing your attention on your emotions. But faith that comes from God enables you to focus all of your attention back to the author of that faith and that is the person of Jesus Christ. This is genuine faith. This is quality faith. Are you finding this faith growing in your life? A faith that comes from him that enables you to go back to him? See when people say I have faith from him but go somewhere other than him it's not faith from him. That which you receive from God always brings you back to God. Particularly faith. Particularly faith. So we look to Christ. In your daily life. In your daily work. In the daily monotony of responsibilities. Coping with pressures and problems. The Lord will teach you how to keep your eyes upon Jesus. A faith that God births in your spirit will enable you to look back to him. It will enable you to trust in him. Listen this is the kind of faith that enables you to accomplish verses 3 through 7. 3 through 7. God gives us faith so we can see Jesus and keep seeing him. And as you keep seeing Jesus you are changed into his likeness on an ever increasing manner. This is a spiritual discipline that the Lord will teach you as you continue to seek him. Now let's begin in verse number 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Now do you see what's happening? In verse number 1 we discovered that we received a true faith. A genuine faith. A faith that is of the same quality as the apostles. What's the result of that faith? The result of receiving true faith is an abundant revelation of him. The Lord Jesus Christ. Of his knowledge, of his excellence, of his beauty. Now see the very character of faith brings you to Christ. No one ever receives faith from him and then goes in another direction. You can't receive from him and then go in another direction and have that true faith still operating. It brings you to him. Verse number 4. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises. In order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature. Having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. I like this. Everything about faith thus far has revolved around whom? Jesus. The divine nature. His divine power. His divine promises. And by those things we become able to escape the corruption that is in us and in the world through lust. Now Roger listen closely. The struggle with the corrupt lusts within us. And the desires that aren't good in us. The struggle against those things can be overcome on a daily basis as we learn the secret of looking to Jesus Christ on a daily basis to make up the lack that we don't have within ourselves. How many are familiar with the late Corrie Ten Boom? Most of us are. Tremendous testimony. To make a long story short. I will give you an illustration this morning to show you how faith from him enables us to escape the corrupt desires that are working in us today. Listen friends. When you become a new creation in Christ. And you become born again. You do not become free from the corrupt desires of the flesh. They are with you. And you must learn how to battle them. Corrie Ten Boom. Boom or Boom? Boom? Corrie. She was in a concentration camp. Two things happened to her that were very very significant to her. First of all she was required to strip naked before a guard. Secondly she watched her sister as she was murdered by a guard. Now I would suppose that these things would leave an impression upon you. Would they not? Excuse me. Oh. She what? Oh she died. Okay. I always get stories mixed up. But nevertheless after she got out of the concentration camp. She was speaking. And guess who she met at the gathering? The guard who murdered her sister? Or the guard? Was it the guard who murdered her sister or the guard whom she had to strip before? Okay. It was the man who she stripped before. And he went to her and said, Corrie. I'm a Christian now. God has forgiven me. And now I want to ask you to forgive me. She said at that moment. She sensed in her heart. Unforgiveness and bitterness and hatred toward this man. And she uttered a prayer within her heart and said, Lord Jesus. You see what is in my heart. But I'm willing. I'm willing to let that faith that you have placed within me. I'm willing to let that faith turn my eyes from what's in me. Turn my eyes from those wrong corrupt desires of the human nature. I'm willing to let that faith turn my eyes to Jesus Christ. Who is able by his power and by his spirit. To give to me what I cannot come up with in myself. And that is forgiveness. And as she breathed this prayer and reached her hand out to shake his hand. She said God supernaturally filled her with his love and his forgiveness. And she looked at that man and said, Brother, I forgive you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And her whole body and mind was filled with the love of Jesus Christ for that man. That is a picture of what Peter is trying to show us in these verses. True faith always brings you back to Christ. When you are in the practical world of struggle and temptation and difficulty. When you're wrestling with feelings and struggles. That you know could become dangerous to your spiritual health. So understand that when you become a partaker of the true faith. In every crisis, in every situation, in every temptation, in every trouble. In every circumstance that you find yourself. You can go back to the one who gave you that faith for the grace that you need. For the power that you need. For the enablement that you need at that moment to be an overcomer. In whatever it is that you face. The most important lesson that you will learn as a Christian. True faith focuses on Jesus Christ. I say that over and over again because it is the most important thing. True faith focuses on Jesus Christ. Now listen, this is the good part. When we can understand and learn by God that true faith focuses on Jesus Christ. And once we learn to allow this faith to focus our attention on Jesus. Verses number 5 through 7 will begin to abound in our life. So what we are going to do is we are going to walk through. All of these divine qualities that are found in Jesus Christ. And show you what will happen in your life. As you allow genuine faith to lead you on a daily basis back to Jesus Christ. Let's read verse 4 again. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises. In order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature. Having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also. Applying all diligence in your faith. Now this is the key to understanding the entire part. You apply diligence to your faith. What does it mean to apply diligence to your faith? Diligence to faith equals a continual looking unto Jesus. When you apply diligence to your faith. You are affirming three things. Your faith came from Jesus. Your faith has been given to you by Jesus. And your faith will lead you back. To Jesus. Applying diligence to your faith. Is looking unto Jesus. Now a few weeks ago we learned that. To look unto Jesus. Suggests that we have to turn away from something first. And we learned that a person can say they're looking to Jesus. But if they haven't turned away from themselves. Or from their circumstance. Or whatever it is. Then they're not really looking to Jesus. They're looking at both something else and Jesus. So the pure glance. That God wants to teach you. The pure gaze. That God wants to teach me today. Is that which enables us to have a faith that comes from Christ. That by that faith we can look unto Jesus. And look away from everything else. There is where we find an entrance. Into the glorious road of growing into his image and likeness. So when we apply diligence to our faith. This is what results. In your faith supply moral excellence. Now moral excellence. Listen closely. Moral excellence. Is the actual substance of Christ's moral excellence. Being created in us. Temptation. Anger. Lust. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. What do I do with it? How do I deal with it? Apply diligence to your faith. Look unto Jesus. And the look unto Jesus. Will inevitably by the power of God's spirit. Produce in you. Moral excellence. So your faith will add to your character. Moral excellence. The moral excellence will be. His very righteousness living through you. Expressing itself through you. Number two. We add moral excellence. To that we have knowledge. This implies a knowing as a result of seeking to know. An inquiry and an investigation to know. So faith that is diligent. Will not only produce moral excellence. Secondly it will produce knowledge. And of course it will be the knowledge of Christ. It will be the knowledge of who he is. And his power and his love and his majesty. Now are you seeing something here this morning? These are results. These are the fruits of. These are not something that you produce. These are something that he produces in you. Your responsibility. And my responsibility. Is to apply diligence to our faith. Which is simply to keep bringing it back to God. We get it from him. We bring it back to God. When you're cooking the steak sandwiches. And someone comes along and says. Roger. You don't know how to cook steak sandwiches. Let me show you. And you feel that envy or that jealousy. Or that hatred well up within you. What do you do? You apply diligence to your faith. You look to Jesus. In a moments time. This can take a second. You look to Jesus. Oh Lord. Help me. This isn't right. And he'll rescue you. From that corrupt desire. He'll rescue you. See. This becomes a way of life. Applying diligence to our faith. Number three. Moral excellence. Knowledge. Thirdly. Self control. Or temperance. Self control. Or temperance. This is the fruit of Christ. Working in you. That produces the strength. For self control. And the proper use. Of God's knowledge. Working in you. Do you ever find it necessary? To exercise self control? Do you see where self control comes from? Jesus. You see why the apostle said. A faith of like precious value. Because when you have a faith that comes from him. It is a faith that never fails you. It is a faith that always brings you to him. Who is always able to give you the grace. For the moment that you are in. So that you can triumph and become an overcomer. And find these things ever increasing in you. Overcoming and putting down the works of the flesh. That would want to react. So we have. Number three. Self control. Number four. Add to your self control. Perseverance. Perseverance is the divine quality. That enables us to abide and wait patiently. While under persecution or testing. Perseverance is the divine quality. That enables us to abide and wait patiently. While being tested. Fortitude. Endurance. Long suffering. These are the fruits of Christ. We are partakers of his divine nature. This is what his divine nature in us will produce. As we apply all diligence to our faith. Looking unto Jesus Christ. You know. So many times. And you affirm whether this is correct or not. So many times if you mingle in with Christians. You will find Christians are struggling to obtain these. Are they not? But here's the problem. They're trying to obtain these in the wrong way. You see you can't come up with these. Through reading a book or self improvement. You can't come up with these by just maybe changing your mind a little bit. And maybe reading a good book on how to be a better person. You see these don't originate in the human heart. They originate in the divine nature which you have become partakers of. And now our faith going to him daily. Enables that nature to produce these qualities in us. So see get your eyes off yourself. Get your eyes off self-help programs. And get your eyes on Jesus Christ. And the word of God. And he is committed Roger. To produce these in you. As you simply steadfastly look to him. In all things. Number five. Number five we have. Adding to your perseverance. Godliness. Godliness means. You are well devoted. In doing. That which is always pleasing. To God. Listen you are devoted in doing what is pleasing to God. Which includes. Actions. And deeds. You know think about this. Godliness. Well devoted. It comes from a word that means. Well and devotion. Well devoted. Think about this. What different things are people devoted to? Some are devoted to making money. Some are devoted to their dogs. Some are devoted to horses. Some are devoted to real estate. Some are devoted to. Becoming a millionaire before they are 28. I would have missed that goal. Godliness suggests. Being devoted. To doing what is pleasing to God. So a godly person. One who. Expresses godliness. Is one who is well devoted. To pleasing God. Would you like to be godly? Isn't that marvelous? Applying diligence to your faith. Will produce in you godliness. What did Jesus say? I always do those things. That please my Father. There is godliness in action. Why? Because Jesus. Continually. Applied. Diligence to his faith. He continually. Received from his Father. And then allowed that faith. To bring him back to his Father. I can do nothing. Except my Father. Give it to me. See he was constantly reaffirming. His dependency upon God. His sufficiency upon God. That his competence was not of himself. That's what it means. To apply diligence to your faith. Then he teaches us the same thing. I am the vine. We are the branches. Ye can do nothing. Except ye abide in me. You can do nothing. Except you take that faith. That I've given to you. And bring it back to me. And let it serve. As a continual reminder to you. That without me. You can do nothing. Without me. You are lifeless. Without me. You are like a branch. That is cast aside. And it will wither up. And be burned. Boy I like this faith. That comes from God. Don't you? It cripples you. But yet you walk. It makes you blind. But yet you see. It weakens you. But yet you can do all things. That's biblical Christianity. Friends. A faith that doesn't take you back to him. Is not the faith. That the apostles preached. And taught. So. Godliness. Devoted to pleasing God. When I studied that out. I said Lord. Make me a godly man. So many times we have these crazy ideas. Of what a godly person is. Someone who does this. And doesn't do that. And wears this. And doesn't wear this. And goes here. And doesn't go there. No no my friends. Godliness is a well devoted person. To pleasing God. Wow. I believe the Lord wants you to be a godly. Individual. I believe the Lord wants godly families. I believe God wants you to be a godly businessman. You can be devoted in pleasing God. Anywhere. And everywhere. I think it was D.L. Moody who said. A plumber's supreme goal. Is not to be a good plumber. But to please God. An engineer's supreme goal. Is not to be. A good engineer. I said supreme goal. Is not to be a good engineer. An engineer. But to please God. There's a place. To do your best. In your respective calling. And we're not minimizing that. But friends. You've got a heavenly calling on you. And that is to please God. Craig I mean it. I didn't even realize you were here until I said it. A plumber. That's me. Number six. We are to add to our godliness. Brotherly. Kindness. This is such a beautiful, beautiful word. Brotherly kindness. Is to love. In abundance. The very members of our own body. Which are the members of the body of Christ. The idea here is. To love. Those of your own family. Brotherly. Kindness. And we are members of the same body. If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Brotherly. Kindness. To love. The brothers. We're members of the body of Christ. Which make us all part of the same family. So number six is brotherly kindness. I have a question for you. If a farmer plants. A crop. What do you think his supreme joy is? When he sees the crop. Yielding the right fruit. Friends. What do you think. Jesus's supreme joy is. When he looks down and sees this great big farm. That he is the headmaster over. And that's the body of Christ. What is he looking for? Moral excellence. Knowledge. Self-control. Perseverance. Godliness. Brotherly kindness. He is looking. For the expression of himself. In you and I. On to the last one. Adding to brotherly kindness. The marvelous attribute. Of charity. Charity. Charity is an abundance of love. Expressing itself. Through proper. Attitudes and actions. Manifested toward each other. Charity is an abundance of love. Expressing itself. Through proper attitudes and actions. Manifested one. Toward another. And the greatest of these. Is charity. The apostle Paul tells us. In 1 Corinthians. Chapter 13. I want to invite you if you would please. To turn your Bibles to Colossians. In closing. Colossians chapter 1. We've been teaching quite a bit on. The practical. Christian life. And there's a reason for it. But the reason is. I believe the Lord wants us to see. Where we're going. In him. And let me tell you friends. This is where we're going in him. And we are living in a dangerous day. These things are not the goals of Christians anymore. Notoriety. Bigness. Greatness. Power. Money. These have become the goals of the church. I am rich. I'm in need of nothing. I'm increased with goods. Friends. The Lord is grieved when we lose sight of what really pleases God. These are the things that bring joy to the Father's heart. These are the things that you should become preoccupied with. The glorious character of Christ. Coming forth in your life. Not how many people you know. Not how much money you necessarily have. Not how great your ministry is. Or how many people you can influence. No. No. God will take care of all that. But it's your responsibility. To set your attention on these glorious attributes. Let me tell you something. If you determine in your heart. That you're going to love God. And seek Jesus everyday. And apply diligence to your faith. God will produce these things in you. And I guarantee by the promise of God's word. When you die. Or if you are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. You're going to stand before a king. Who's going to say well done. Thou good and faithful servant. But on the other hand. If you spend all your time. Wasting around. Following the latest religious gimmick. And you forget about all these things. Then. What I believe is going to happen. Is as you go up and meet the Lord. You're going to see smoke behind you. You know what that means? Our labor was in vain. Because God's looking for these things in our life. Colossians chapter. I'm not sure what chapter. I know I said Colossians chapter 1. But. I'm not sure that's it. We'll find it in a minute here. And this will be in closing. Colossians chapter 3. Verses 1 through 10. Let's read it together now. Follow along. If then you have been raised up. With Christ. Keep seeking. The things above. I like that. Keep seeking. That's continuous action. That's the same as this. Add diligence to your faith. Keep seeking. Keep bringing back to God. What he gives to you. Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind. There's another action. Set your mind. On things above. Not on things that are on the earth. For you have died. And your life is hidden. With Christ in God. Wow. When Christ who is our life. Is revealed. Then you also will be revealed. With him in glory. Now here we go Roger. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body. As dead. To immorality. Impurity. Passion. Evil desire. And greed. Which amounts to idolatry. You see. We can consider ourselves dead to these things. Because we refuse to allow them to express themselves through us. Doesn't mean that you're tempted. See the lusts of the flesh. Remain. The desires of the flesh. But you are no longer a servant to them. Because why? You are seeking Christ. You are adding faith. You are adding diligence to your faith. God's producing moral excellence in your practice. Rather than impure. Sexual. Garbage. So you. You don't yield to the desires of the flesh. By setting your mind on God. And by adding faith. And diligence. And looking to Jesus Christ. Verse 6. For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come. And in them you also once walked when you were living in them. But now you also put them all aside. By faith. That's how you do it. You do it by faith in Jesus. Anger. Wrath. Malice. Slander. Abuse of speech from your mouth. Do not lie one to another since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices. Here's verse 10. Verse 10 describes 2 Peter chapter 1. What we just read. And have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him. Who created us? Christ. We are being renewed into the true image of Christ. Is this the image of Christ? Moral excellence. Knowledge. Self-control. Perseverance. Godliness. Brotherly kindness. And charity. These things are being produced in us through simple faith in God. The like precious faith. So in conclusion, beloved, remember this this morning. God has a goal for your life. You might be renewed into the image of Christ himself. This goal is realized when you become a partaker of the genuine faith that was preached by the apostles. And then, that's not sufficient in itself. That will save your soul. But friend, you can just fizzle out. And really never have a true knowledge of God. Unless once you receive that faith from him, you apply diligence to it. And allow it to bring you back to Christ. And you will have these things produced in you by his power. And by his spirit. Anyone have any questions? Yes, Roger.