2 Peter — Chapter 1

In this sermon on 2 Peter 1:1 titled “Faith: The Gift of Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages his people with what they already know—what they are in Christ, what they have, and what awaits them in the future. What is it that makes Christians separate from the world? It is their precious faith. If this concept seems foreign to the listener, perhaps they need to be reminded of the old, old story and realize how they obtained this precious faith: it wasn’t won or achieved, but given as a gift of grace by God through the righteousness and blood of Jesus Christ the Son. Listeners are encouraged to realize the rarity of this gift of faith and that they are among a specific people, a great company—including the apostles, the martyrs, the fathers of the faith, the confessors, the reformers. They have the same faith as these people. Lastly, realize what this precious faith does for the Christian—the wealth of the universe cannot get rid of sins, but faith does. With this precious faith, the Christian is free from the fear of death, able to pass from death to eternal life.

All of Scripture is about the promises of God. What does this mean? In this sermon on 2 Peter 1:4 titled “The Promises of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the great truth of God’s promises given to His people. It is these divine promises from Genesis to Revelation wherein God tells that He will grant peace and blessings. How does God give Christians all these things? The answer is in the person of Christ Jesus. It is Jesus that gives all peace and happiness because it is He who saves from all sin. Sadly, many have mistaken the law of God for the promise itself, for the law looks forward to Jesus, but it is not the promise. The law brings condemnation on all because they are sinners. Jesus, however, delivers His people from sin and fulfills the entire law for them. The only question to ask is, “do you hope in the promise of God, namely Jesus Christ?” Those who die apart from Christ will never know the peace of God. There is no more pressing matter than belief in the great Savior, Jesus Christ.

There is a tendency, perhaps even an insistence upon, turning the Christmas message into an entirely different message than its original meaning. The contemporary Western culture is constantly looking for ways to undermine the truth about Jesus of Nazareth. One way is found in the sophisticated attempt to undermine the supernatural incarnation of Christ. In other words, modern humanity cannot believe in miracles like the virgin birth and God taking on human flesh, so the world encourages the dismissal of this and instead focuses on the Christmas holiday as a great principle to humanity. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes this tendency head-on in this Christmas sermon on 2 Peter 1:12-16. There is much at stake, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, because it is only in the facts of the incarnation – the literal action of God sending His Son into the world – that humanity begins to see the love of God. Listen to this timely Christmas preaching message on the literal fact that the Son of God came to the world to rescue sinners.

It is not uncommon for the Christian to struggle in their walk with Christ, to be overcome with anxiety, or frustrated with continued temptations. While they are promised that God will gradually grow them into the image of His sinless Son, many become frustrated to find that they still struggle with many of the things they wrestled with before becoming followers of Jesus. In this sermon from 2 Peter 1:1, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that many of the problems in the Christian life can be traced to forgetfulness about the truths of the faith. For those who are constantly anxious or discouraged because they still wrestle with many temptations, Dr Lloyd-Jones encourages actively calling to mind the core tenets and promises of Christianity, such as that God has equipped His people with everything they need to live in a way that pleases Him. The character of faith is precious because God Himself has given it, it cost Him His Son, and it is rare. While many people do not have the blessing of knowing Jesus as their Savior, Christians are in the same company as the heroes of the faith who have gone before them. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages the listener to rest in the unsearchable riches of Christ.

How will a Christian stand fast in the midst of trials, and not be discouraged by the continued attacks on Christianity and how few people are following the Lord? In this sermon on 1 Peter 1:1 titled “Preciousness of Faith,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how believers can honor the Lord and hold fast to His word in the midst of persecution. Often when Christians are in the midst of hard times, they tend to think that they need something new to help them out of the rut they are in. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that they need to grasp what they already believe—that God is all-powerful and that their salvation is precious. In this passage, Peter describes faith as precious for a couple of reasons. First, it is rare—many believers are discouraged when they see how many people are not Christians when instead they should be rejoicing that they are part of His family. Instead of counting heads, Christians should look to the character of the few. Second, it is rare because it cost God His own Son. Third, it gives so many blessings—forgiveness of sins, being partakers of the divine nature, companionship, and more. The Christian faith is the most precious thing in the universe, and this alone is a magnificent truth they can stand on in the midst of hard times.

Christians can find themselves discouraged or depressed in their faith, noticing that attempts to grow in knowledge are met with fatigue or busyness. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in this sermon on 2 Peter 1:5-7 how this is not just a coincidence. Symptoms of spiritual depression are subtle and come creeping into the Christian life. Times like this remind the child of God of their life before Christ, one filled with uncertainty, shallowness, and misery. Causes for this spiritual depression come from having the wrong view of faith and sheer lack of diligence. Christians must safeguard their time with the Lord, be diligent to grow deeper in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord, and supplement faith with virtue. Faith grows when the pressures of the world are confronted with the truth of God’s Word. When this is done with patience and diligence, the Christian will not be as prone to fall away, and will begin to grow and enjoy the Christian life with abundance.