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The Book of Second Peter: Message Nine
By Dr. Michael Guido, D.D.
When ice first starts
to form, you can hardly see the first film. If you keep stirring the
water, you'll keep the ice from forming. But once it films over, and
you don't disturb it, it hardens the surface, and it becomes very
thick. At last it becomes so solid you can walk and skate on it. So
it is with your conscience. It films over slowly but surely, and
when it becomes hard, it can bear the weight of sin. Therefore you
must keep stirring your soul, by adding to your faith virtue,
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and
love. If you don't, the ice will quickly form.
When I was about five years old my
mother gave me a violin, took me to a famous violinist, and said,
"You teach him to play, and I'll teach him to practice."
There were some days when I didn't want to practice sixty minutes,
instead I wanted to play with the boys. But mother told me of a
famous violinist who said, "If I neglect my practice for one
day, I'll notice it; if I neglect it for two days, my family notices
it; and if I neglect it for three days, the public will notice
it." Just so, there must be that daily adding of these virtues
that are found in 2nd Peter 1:5 through 8. And we must,
says the Bible, "exhort one another daily...lest any be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin!" There must be that
practice of searching the Scriptures daily. If there isn't, there'll
be sorrow and sin. For it's written in 2nd Peter 1:8 and
9, "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. But he that lacketh these things is blind,
and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from
his old sins."
Let's take a look at the word
"barren." Many are the believers that are barren. They
haven't helped the godly to grow in grace, nor have they helped the
sinner to seek the Savior, nor have they brought the backslider to
the blessed Son of God. My friend, you're not saved for yourselves
alone, but that you may be used to save other souls. As the poet
described it,
"O strengthen me, that while
I stand firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand to
wrestlers in life's troubled sea."
"But," you may say,
"I can't lead anyone to the Lord just now. I've only been saved
a few days." Then begin by bringing them to church. That's what
D.L. Moody did. After his conversion he asked the church leaders if
he might have the front pew on the following Sunday night. They
hesitated, but on seeing his love for the Lord and the lost, they
consented. That Sunday night he filled that pew with a gang of his
friends. After the service he asked for two pews, and on the
following Sunday night he filled them. That's how he got started,
and he went on to bring the multitudes not only to church, but to
Christ. Begin that way, and you'll not be barren!
Let's look at the word
"blind." It's written in 2nd Peter 1:9,
"But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar
off." There are some folk who are short-sighted. They see
things only as they appear for the moment. Their eyes are fixed on
material things, not spiritual things; on earth, not heaven. They're
more interested in gold than God, sports than the Savior, lodge than
the Lord, pleasure than prayer, books than the Bible. There are some
folk who squint. A minister from England said one night, "I
want to give you some good advice. It's this. Don't squint."
Then he went on to say, "When Peter got out of the boat and
started to walk on the water to the Lord, something happened, and he
began to sink. Then he cried, 'Lord, save me!' and He did. When they
reached the shore, the Lord said to His disciples, 'Wherefore didst
thou doubt?'" And the minister added, "The root meaning of
the word 'doubt' is just this, looking two ways at once." Why
did Peter begin to sink? Because he had one eye on the Savior and
the other eye on the storm. He should have had both eyes on Christ.
So
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow
strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
Let's look at the word
"blank." It's written, he "hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins." Some folk seem to think of the Lord
as a kind of "spare tire." A spare tire, you know, is
forgotten for months until, suddenly, on the road, there's a flat.
Many forget the Lord when things go well. But when sorrow and
sickness come, then they remember the Lord, and want Him to help
them. He wants you to call on Him when you're in trouble, but He
wants you to remember Him when you're not in trouble. You'll do well
to forget your sins, but don't forget your Savior.
copyright 2000 Guido
Evangelistic Association
All Scripture
verses are quoted from the New King James Version..
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Scripture Study on the book of Second Peter.
This series of
messages on the books of the Bible were originally
written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program,
"The Sower." They are collected and
reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual
edification.
