Building Blocks of Discipleship

How do we gain the spiritual skills to combat what we encounter in the world and our own flesh? Sarah shares in this episode the building blocks of discipleship based on 2 Peter 1. Join Mary Beth and Sarah for this walk through how to "possess these qualities in increasing measure."  

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18.328500 21.248500 - Well, hello there, Marybeth.
21.248500 23.168500 - Good morning, Sarah.
23.168500 24.608500 - It is good to see you.
24.608500 27.248500 We are on Zoom again.
27.248500 29.808500 Listeners, you might be able to guess that
29.808500 32.428500 by the way that we both sound.
32.428500 33.268500 - That's right.
33.268500 34.208500 We like to switch it up.
34.208500 36.448500 Keep our listeners on their toes,
36.448500 38.408500 quizzing them on their technology.
38.408500 39.528500 - We certainly do.
39.528500 41.128500 And I am perfectly fine with that.
41.128500 45.488500 Just a little bit of that residual cold that's going around.
45.488500 49.408500 It is winter still working through it.
49.408500 51.048500 - We certainly are.
51.048500 53.408500 Well, we have a great topic today.
53.408500 56.248500 We have been discussing some spiritual warfare
56.248500 58.088500 on our last couple of episodes.
58.088500 59.528500 We talked about the armor of God.
59.528500 62.528500 We talked about prayer and how important it is.
62.528500 66.608500 Today, we're going to talk about something else.
66.608500 70.008500 Marybeth, there is a phrase that you actually
70.008500 73.368500 reintroduced me to a couple of years ago.
73.368500 74.608500 Can you?
74.608500 76.288500 I'm dancing and bobbing.
76.288500 77.448500 Excited.
77.448500 80.608500 - Can you tell me what that is?
80.608500 81.448500 - Yeah.
81.448500 83.568500 I think I became most familiar with this phrase
83.568500 85.248500 through Dallas Willard's teaching,
85.248500 88.968500 but I believe it originated with St. Thomas Aquinas,
88.968500 92.968500 which is about our real struggles in life
92.968500 96.408500 are against the world, the flesh and the devil.
96.408500 99.328500 And as Sarah mentioned, our past few episodes
99.328500 104.008500 have kind of touched more on those attacks from the devil.
104.008500 106.768500 That's why we need the armor of God.
106.768500 108.088500 And that's why we went into prayer
108.088500 112.448500 as kind of this weapon in that battle.
112.448500 114.048500 But we thought, you know what?
114.048500 116.688500 We should also talk about the world and the flesh.
116.688500 118.248500 And what came to mind, Sarah,
118.248500 119.448500 when you thought about those things?
119.448500 121.008500 There's a specific verse.
121.008500 122.088500 - Yes, there is.
122.088500 125.928500 This is 2 Peter 1: 4B,
125.928500 128.768500 specifically from the NLT translation.
128.768500 133.168500 These are the promises that enable you
133.168500 136.408500 to share his divine nature and escape
136.408500 140.568500 the world's corruption caused by human desires.
140.568500 143.208500 And the reason that verse is so important
143.208500 145.888500 for this discussion is that it precedes
145.888500 149.248500 what I like to think of fondly as
149.248500 150.948500 the building blocks of discipleship.
150.948500 154.128500 - That's great.
154.128500 156.528500 I love thinking about discipleship
156.528500 160.568500 and unpacking it and doing it in my life.
160.568500 162.288500 And I miss it when I don't have it.
162.288500 167.248500 So this passage, Sarah, from second Peter,
167.248500 171.328500 you have this idea of building blocks of discipleship.
171.328500 173.768500 What is Christian discipleship?
173.768500 175.568500 What are we talking about?
175.568500 178.408500 - We're gonna do a little bit of word nerding here.
178.408500 179.248500 Of course.
179.248500 180.088500 - Per usual.
180.088500 182.008500 - Per usual, exactly.
182.008500 186.448500 When you look at the root of the word disciple
186.448500 188.288500 and discipline, shockingly,
188.288500 190.168500 they come from the same root word,
190.168500 193.728500 it is the Latin word discolpus.
193.728500 195.888500 And it means pupil.
195.888500 197.448500 - I took Latin, did you know this?
197.448500 200.928500 I took Latin for one year in middle school
200.928500 202.768500 and then said, "No, thank you."
202.768500 205.528500 So I don't know that word, but it makes sense.
205.528500 208.808500 It has the same D-I-S-C-I beginning.
208.808500 209.808500 - Yes.
209.808500 213.528500 Discipline, discipleship, being a pupil, training,
213.528500 218.008500 learning, I know for myself, I absolutely love learning.
218.008500 220.448500 And consider myself a lifelong learner,
220.448500 221.768500 if there is something to be learned,
221.768500 224.288500 man, I'll just jump right in and do it.
224.288500 226.568500 Mary Beth?
226.568500 227.728500 - Yes.
227.728500 230.448500 - Will you please read second Peter,
230.448500 233.408500 one, three to six, and eight to 11?
233.408500 234.568500 - I would be happy to.
234.568500 238.808500 His divine power has given us everything we need
238.808500 241.368500 for a godly life through our knowledge of him
241.368500 244.848500 who called us by his own glory and goodness.
244.848500 247.248500 Through these, he has given us his very great
247.248500 249.968500 and precious promises, so that through them,
249.968500 252.648500 you may participate in the divine nature,
252.648500 255.008500 having escaped the corruption in the world
255.008500 257.328500 caused by evil desires.
257.328500 259.528500 For this very reason, make every effort
259.528500 263.368500 to add to your faith goodness and to goodness knowledge,
263.368500 267.808500 and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance,
267.808500 270.168500 and to perseverance godliness.
270.168500 273.368500 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,
273.368500 276.608500 they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
276.608500 279.208500 in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
279.208500 282.808500 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,
282.808500 286.648500 forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
286.648500 288.408500 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
288.408500 291.928500 make every effort to confirm your calling and election.
291.928500 294.528500 For if you do these things, you will never stumble,
294.528500 296.608500 and you will receive a rich welcome
296.608500 300.048500 into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
300.048500 302.448500 - Yeah.
302.448500 303.648500 - Yeah, that's a lot.
305.008500 307.208500 - Yeah, no, it's a lot to think about and take in.
307.208500 311.848500 - It is, so building blocks of discipleship.
311.848500 314.848500 Well, first of all, my darling father,
314.848500 318.568500 who has been a mason, his entire life,
318.568500 320.328500 taught me at a very young age,
320.328500 323.008500 there is no other foundation that can be laid
323.008500 325.848500 than that, which is Jesus Christ.
325.848500 327.648500 So if we're gonna build something,
327.648500 332.648500 we need a firm foundation, the cornerstone, Jesus Christ.
332.648500 335.088500 So in my building blocks of discipleship,
335.088500 336.488500 we start with Jesus Christ.
336.488500 339.848500 The second building block
339.848500 345.128500 is our precious faith in God's promises.
345.128500 348.768500 And we discussed faith quite a bit
348.768500 351.208500 in our armor of God episode.
351.208500 356.208500 But one thing I will say is that faith is sure.
356.208500 361.728500 We have to know that we know that we know.
361.728500 364.968500 So it doesn't do us any good to work on building
364.968500 368.488500 these things, Mary Beth, if we do not have a firm faith
368.488500 373.208500 in Christ Jesus, and that we are literally building
373.208500 375.088500 our life on him.
375.088500 375.928500 - Yeah.
375.928500 381.768500 I think that if we're trying to do this thing
381.768500 383.808500 called discipleship and model ourselves
383.808500 388.088500 and learn from Jesus Christ, it can be just that.
388.088500 393.088500 It can be an empty kind of knowledge, ritual way of living,
393.088500 399.528500 but without that foundation of knowing Christ
399.528500 401.648500 and having that assurance of faith,
401.648500 407.448500 it really becomes just a burden instead of a way
407.448500 412.648500 to know God and to thrive and to live in him.
412.648500 416.008500 - It can't be a halve-two, it has to be a want-two.
416.008500 418.328500 - Mm-hmm, yeah.
418.328500 421.408500 - And all of that, you're just maybe thinking of this,
421.408500 423.768500 you're saying the foundation is Christ,
423.768500 427.048500 and then all of this is from him and through him
427.048500 428.448500 and to him are all things, right?
428.448500 433.448500 So his love for us prompts us to want to do this,
433.448500 435.928500 want to build these building blocks.
435.928500 436.848500 - Right, exactly.
436.848500 441.128500 In fact, the second Peter one, verse three,
441.128500 444.488500 it says, "His divine power has given us everything we need
444.488500 447.608500 for a godly life through our knowledge of him
447.608500 451.128500 who called us by his own glory and goodness."
451.128500 455.248500 So absolutely what you said is true.
455.248500 458.168500 He has given us everything that we need.
458.168500 460.608500 We don't have to go other places.
460.608500 465.928500 After we have our faith, then we're gonna add goodness.
465.928500 469.048500 This would be moral excellence, good character.
469.048500 473.088500 To that, we add the knowledge of God,
473.088500 475.088500 which is our spiritual understanding.
475.088500 478.688500 And that is something that we spend a lot of time
478.688500 480.888500 working on in this podcast, I think.
480.888500 483.248500 Just exploring the knowledge of God,
483.248500 485.448500 the way he's trustworthy in our lives,
485.448500 487.128500 working that out in community.
487.128500 491.408500 And then we have self-control,
491.408500 495.008500 which I like to think of as alert discipline.
495.008500 498.568500 There's that discipline word again.
498.568500 499.568500 - Mm-hmm.
499.568500 501.808500 It's interesting to me that that comes immediately
501.808500 504.248500 after knowledge of God.
504.248500 507.488500 Because there is, it's very easy
507.488500 512.568500 to be overbearing with that sometimes, right?
512.568500 513.928500 I mean, we see this in the world,
513.928500 517.968500 the street corner preachers waving their posters.
517.968500 521.888500 You have to have the self-control and when to use the knowledge,
521.888500 523.048500 how to use the knowledge.
523.048500 524.288500 So that makes a lot of sense.
524.288500 527.168500 - And I like this concept of alert discipline.
527.168500 531.488500 It's learning, training,
531.488500 535.528500 but not doing it mindlessly,
535.528500 537.728500 noticing what's going on around you,
537.728500 539.968500 understanding why you're doing it.
539.968500 542.848500 And as none of this is done individually,
542.848500 544.168500 it's all done in community.
544.168500 548.168500 Being alert helps us be alert to the needs of others.
548.168500 549.928500 Yeah.
549.928500 553.008500 And after alert discipline,
553.008500 558.008500 we have one of my favorites, endurance perseverance.
559.728500 562.528500 What I like to think of is passionate patience.
562.528500 566.768500 I'm not sure how often I'm passionate
566.768500 568.568500 about patience, Mary Beth.
568.568500 572.608500 I like to live an instant life.
572.608500 575.928500 I want something, I want it now.
575.928500 580.648500 - Yeah, this is the time in history
580.648500 583.768500 when people want that the most, I would, are you?
583.768500 585.568500 - I think that you're probably right.
586.608500 590.488500 - All right, Sarah, so I want you to say that again.
590.488500 594.608500 It's not just perseverance, it's passionate patience.
594.608500 595.608500 - Yes. - Is that the phrase?
595.608500 597.368500 - Passionate patience.
597.368500 598.288500 - All right, yeah.
598.288500 599.128500 - I like that.
599.128500 604.168500 - I like it, but at the same time,
604.168500 606.008500 my body is okay. - I don't like it.
606.008500 607.488500 - Yeah, yeah.
607.488500 610.248500 - I think feeling a little uncomfortable,
610.248500 611.568500 so let's move on.
611.568500 612.408500 - Yeah.
612.408500 615.088500 - What's the next one?
615.088500 617.648500 - Godliness, reverent wonder.
617.648500 621.648500 And I guess, I guess I would say
621.648500 623.288500 Godliness and reverent wonder.
623.288500 626.688500 I think of that song by Rich Mullins,
626.688500 628.168500 our God is an awesome God.
628.168500 634.808500 And we are so small, he is so big.
634.808500 644.408500 And it's not about feeling small in a negative way.
644.408500 648.248500 It's about understanding your relationship
648.248500 652.328500 with a God who created the world and being in awe.
652.328500 655.448500 - Yeah.
655.448500 657.288500 - Wouldn't we want to be like that, God?
657.288500 660.288500 Like wouldn't we want to try to emulate that?
660.288500 666.688500 - And that healthy version of the fear of the Lord.
666.688500 670.648500 We're doing our read through the Bible.
670.648500 673.888500 And I was just talking with a group of ladies
673.888500 676.648500 last weekend about God makes a distinction
676.648500 679.728500 in the Old Testament between what the fear of the Lord is
679.728500 682.928500 for those who are his people and those who are not.
682.928500 686.128500 And what a privilege that we do not have to fear
686.128500 690.048500 in the sense of be afraid of his wrath,
690.048500 693.168500 but we can fear in this reverence and awe
693.168500 697.928500 knowing that we're secure in what you're saying,
697.928500 699.288500 the God of the universe.
699.288500 701.728500 - Yeah.
701.728500 704.568500 - Wow, I feel like I just want to pause
704.568500 708.328500 and stay in this moment, but dead air is not good
708.328500 710.288500 for a podcast.
710.288500 712.168500 - I know, we gotta keep going.
712.168500 715.008500 - So then we move on to brotherly kindness,
715.008500 718.408500 mutual affection, warm friendliness is another good way
718.408500 719.608500 to describe this.
719.608500 724.008500 We live near Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love,
724.008500 727.848500 which is kind of funny sometimes,
727.848500 729.528500 'cause it doesn't always feel like the city
729.528500 731.688500 of brotherly love, but that's another.
731.688500 736.688500 It's a whole other point, but yeah, mutual affection,
736.688500 740.328500 again, community Mary Beth, this is a perfect thing
740.328500 742.448500 to think about in our season on community.
742.448500 747.768500 We don't get to do this Christian life alone.
747.768500 752.568500 I mean, thank goodness, but God loves us through one another.
752.568500 755.448500 I mean, we are called to love our brothers and sisters,
755.448500 759.008500 but to the capstone, the top of our wall,
759.008500 760.688500 a generous love for everyone.
761.688500 765.128500 And when you think about all of these things,
765.128500 769.528500 they all lead to love, but they're all rooted in love as well.
769.528500 771.248500 We love because he first loved us.
771.248500 777.408500 - We can put an image of this online for folks
777.408500 780.568500 to see the stack of building blocks,
780.568500 782.568500 'cause I know that was a lot to take in, but--
782.568500 783.808500 - It was.
783.808500 786.248500 - We can give you a visual.
786.248500 788.728500 - Yeah, we can recap them briefly.
789.688500 792.688500 Jesus Christ is a foundation to that we add
792.688500 797.128500 our precious faith in God's promises, good character,
797.128500 800.568500 a spiritual understanding of the knowledge of God,
800.568500 802.928500 alert discipline, our self-control,
802.928500 807.128500 passionate patience comes next,
807.128500 809.808500 and then godliness, which we approach
809.808500 814.128500 with a reverent wonder, warm friendliness,
814.128500 817.088500 and then capping it off a generous love for everyone.
819.568500 823.728500 - One of the things that I was thinking about
823.728500 826.648500 as we were discussing this topic
826.648500 829.408500 is just the different ways that I've been discipled,
829.408500 831.288500 and I also get to be part of groups
831.288500 833.728500 that are discipling one another,
833.728500 835.208500 and what a beautiful thing it is.
835.208500 840.008500 - Yeah, this is the way Jesus designed the church
840.008500 842.168500 to grow and flourish on the earth
842.168500 845.168500 was through his disciples, making disciples.
845.168500 846.968500 And that idea of multiplication
846.968500 850.728500 is what God has primarily used throughout history
850.728500 854.128500 to bring people to himself.
854.128500 855.168500 - Yeah.
855.168500 858.248500 - This started for me when I was super young.
858.248500 859.808500 You know, I grew up in a Christian household
859.808500 861.368500 where my parents were discipling me,
861.368500 864.128500 and then I've had the privilege
864.128500 868.128500 of being discipled through youth groups, small groups,
868.128500 870.368500 young adult small groups, college ministries,
870.368500 871.608500 the churches I've been a part of.
871.608500 876.488500 And I have seen, I don't know if you have experienced this,
876.488500 878.328500 when you're visiting churches or moving
878.328500 880.888500 or making a change in your life,
880.888500 884.608500 to me there is a big difference in a church
884.608500 888.328500 that focuses on discipleship versus one that does not.
888.328500 891.328500 And it's just the natural ripple effects
891.328500 895.048500 of people who are committed to not just showing up
895.048500 899.128500 on a Sunday morning, but living the day-to-day life
899.128500 901.728500 as a disciple with other disciples
901.728500 904.248500 that we can't do it on our own, as you say.
904.248500 905.408500 We talk about this all the time.
905.408500 906.728500 We can't do it on our own.
906.728500 907.568500 - Yeah.
907.568500 912.568500 It's, and that there has to be a desire.
912.568500 915.608500 We also think about this a lot,
915.608500 918.088500 and we've discussed it on more than one occasion.
918.088500 921.448500 It's one thing to say, yeah, I'm a Christian,
921.448500 923.368500 I'm following Christ.
923.368500 925.768500 It's another thing to live that out.
925.768500 929.568500 And it's not easy, which is why we need community,
929.568500 932.288500 but there has to be, it has to be a desire.
932.288500 934.768500 There has to be a deep desire.
934.768500 937.728500 You have to throw off everything.
937.728500 940.048500 I think of the Apostle Paul talking about running the race.
940.048500 942.408500 You know, throw off the sin that so easily entangles,
942.408500 943.848500 which is really what we're doing here.
943.848500 946.248500 When we speak about the flesh in the world,
946.248500 949.928500 and run the race, and how do we run the race, right?
949.928500 952.088500 I always want to know, well, how?
952.088500 953.568500 Let's research this, right?
953.568500 955.528500 Well, here we go.
955.528500 957.448500 Here's a way that we can do that.
957.448500 959.968500 Mary Beth.
959.968500 962.048500 - Yes. - I have a question for you.
962.048500 963.208500 - Okay.
963.208500 965.648500 - Of the nine building blocks of discipleship,
965.648500 968.088500 which one do you find the hardest?
968.088500 971.008500 - All of them.
971.008500 972.288500 I will say...
972.288500 977.008500 And again, this goes back to things we've talked about
977.008500 978.608500 on the podcast before.
978.608500 982.288500 I think it's that next to last one,
982.288500 984.448500 the brotherly kindness, mutual affection,
984.448500 988.008500 warm friendliness, that is not my natural bend.
988.928500 993.368500 And I can be friendly all day long,
993.368500 998.368500 but to me, it's harder to have a natural outpouring
998.368500 1002.848500 of that characteristic in my life.
1002.848500 1006.128500 Knowledge of God, yes.
1006.128500 1007.528500 Let's do it.
1007.528500 1012.528500 Goodness, I'm a person who tends to follow the rules.
1012.528500 1018.328500 Precious faith, I feel like that's something that God
1018.328500 1020.128500 has given me a deep assurance.
1020.128500 1022.448500 It's not something I personally have ever struggled with.
1022.448500 1023.608500 I know some people do.
1023.608500 1027.528500 But for me, it's the, when all that goes outward,
1027.528500 1030.168500 when it's how my treating other people,
1030.168500 1032.568500 I think that that would be where I struggle the most.
1032.568500 1037.448500 I'm gonna flip the question.
1037.448500 1042.448500 Which one, Sarah, do you think comes easiest to you?
1042.448500 1046.048500 Like, which one are you like, yep, got it?
1046.048500 1047.568500 - That's a good question.
1047.568500 1050.288500 Not in a prideful way, but you know what I mean.
1050.288500 1056.328500 - I think it's probably the same one you struggled with.
1056.328500 1057.488500 - That's so funny.
1057.488500 1059.368500 - Which is the warm friendliness
1059.368500 1060.488500 and the brotherly affection.
1060.488500 1065.488500 In fact, sometimes I tend to skip over the other,
1065.488500 1067.928500 they're building blocks for a reason.
1067.928500 1072.808500 I find that you need to sit in each one
1072.808500 1075.448500 before you move on to the next, which sounds silly,
1075.448500 1077.168500 'cause you can be nice to people
1077.168500 1082.168500 whether or not you know God, but it's the why.
1082.168500 1086.008500 It's the substance that's underneath the reason
1086.008500 1087.608500 that you're doing it.
1087.608500 1092.608500 And so I think I'm naturally engaging and friendly
1092.608500 1096.528500 and welcoming, however, why?
1096.528500 1101.528500 Am I doing that to fill some deep-seated inadequacy?
1102.048500 1105.528500 Which, yeah, I have some self-esteem issues.
1105.528500 1108.008500 We've discussed this before and I'll say it again.
1108.008500 1109.208500 I'm a people pleaser.
1109.208500 1110.968500 I am recovering co-dependent.
1110.968500 1112.288500 I all these things.
1112.288500 1116.448500 So yeah, I'm gonna run right to that brotherly affection
1116.448500 1117.608500 and warm friendship.
1117.608500 1124.528500 But I have to focus on the knowledge of God,
1124.528500 1127.848500 my alert discipline.
1127.848500 1131.928500 And so that when I get to that warm friendliness,
1131.928500 1134.888500 it's tried and true.
1134.888500 1139.208500 And it's not just trying to fill an empty hole that I have,
1139.208500 1142.808500 but it's because my empty hole has already been filled by God.
1142.808500 1150.288500 - Well, and that speaks to what second Peter says,
1150.288500 1154.208500 if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,
1154.208500 1156.248500 they will keep you from being ineffective
1156.248500 1159.288500 and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1159.288500 1161.088500 - Hmm, exactly.
1161.088500 1165.808500 - It's the idea of increasing measure,
1165.808500 1168.968500 day-to-day, discipline, growing, learning.
1168.968500 1172.448500 I will say as a caveat, I'm a terrible,
1172.448500 1175.888500 just self-disciplined person in general.
1175.888500 1179.408500 Left to my own devices, I would be a disaster of human being.
1179.408500 1184.248500 So I never lived by myself, except for two weeks
1184.248500 1188.888500 before I got married, like I need other people in my life daily
1188.888500 1190.688500 to help keep you on track for things.
1190.688500 1195.688500 And so, yeah, this resonates that it's very easy
1195.688500 1199.008500 to slip into being ineffective and unproductive.
1199.008500 1203.448500 And we have to keep coming back to these building blocks.
1203.448500 1206.288500 - And I think this comes back to being proactive
1206.288500 1209.088500 or being forewarned as forearmed.
1209.088500 1213.568500 If we know who we are, if we know that maybe we're not
1213.568500 1216.008500 so good at following through on things,
1216.008500 1218.448500 if there's not somebody else there to make us do it.
1218.448500 1220.048500 And that's what accountability is for.
1220.048500 1221.368500 That's why that comes in.
1221.368500 1226.368500 I mean, I am not really good at budgeting.
1226.368500 1231.728500 So I make myself do it and I put all these artificial
1231.728500 1234.168500 checkmates and different account, whatever.
1234.168500 1235.888500 It's sort of like this double-edged thing.
1235.888500 1238.088500 Like, well, I'm not very disciplined about this.
1238.088500 1240.208500 So I have to be extra disciplined about this.
1240.208500 1241.608500 Does that make sense?
1241.608500 1242.448500 You know what I mean?
1242.448500 1245.648500 And so I think that that's what these building blocks
1245.648500 1248.328500 are about is like, hey, ask yourself, am I good at this
1248.328500 1249.608500 or am I not?
1249.608500 1252.528500 And we can ask God to help us reveal those things to us.
1252.528500 1256.048500 But can we spend a little bit of time, Mary Beth,
1256.048500 1258.368500 just kind of want to break some of these verses down
1258.368500 1259.808500 a little bit more?
1259.808500 1263.808500 Just to, again, give kind of an explanation
1263.808500 1267.528500 of why we're making such a big deal out of this.
1267.528500 1269.048500 - Yeah, yeah.
1269.048500 1272.888500 - Okay, so let's start with verse three, his divine power
1272.888500 1275.008500 has given us everything we need for godly life
1275.008500 1276.888500 through our knowledge of him who called us
1276.888500 1279.488500 by his own glory and goodness.
1279.488500 1285.128500 I mean, Mary Beth, he'll supply all our needs
1285.128500 1286.528500 according to his riches.
1286.528500 1292.408500 This verse has a promise and it also gives us
1292.408500 1296.488500 a starting point for how to even approach this,
1297.968500 1301.608500 which is to get to know Jesus Christ.
1301.608500 1302.888500 We have to do that.
1302.888500 1309.408500 - Yeah, there is a part of this passage
1309.408500 1314.408500 that feels unattainable, right.
1314.408500 1320.888500 And it is unattainable without his divine power.
1320.888500 1322.128500 - Correct.
1322.128500 1323.768500 - And that's what I have to keep coming back to is,
1323.768500 1327.328500 this isn't Mary Beth mustering up all these things.
1327.328500 1332.328500 It is his divine power growing my knowledge of him.
1332.328500 1338.168500 - And then when we think about that glory and goodness
1338.168500 1344.288500 that Christ has, he has given us promises.
1344.288500 1347.328500 He's given us his very great and precious promises
1347.328500 1349.408500 so that through them you may participate
1349.408500 1352.168500 in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
1352.168500 1353.688500 of the world caused by evil desires,
1353.688500 1356.568500 which is the verse we talked about in the beginning.
1356.568500 1360.088500 And wow, that's good news.
1360.088500 1362.528500 - Yeah.
1362.528500 1366.328500 And how many promises have we discussed on this podcast
1366.328500 1369.648500 that God just continues to keep, right.
1369.648500 1372.248500 We don't have to doubt his precious promises.
1372.248500 1374.528500 - Yeah, we don't, he's so trustworthy.
1374.528500 1376.128500 - What a great word.
1376.128500 1377.248500 - Trustworthy.
1377.248500 1379.728500 - Yeah, you've heard that before.
1379.728500 1381.248500 - Trustworthy.
1381.248500 1382.568500 God is trustworthy.
1382.568500 1386.288500 - And so then what comes next in this passage, Sarah,
1386.288500 1391.128500 that's where we get into the building blocks.
1391.128500 1393.048500 - So to participate in the divine nature,
1393.048500 1396.568500 which is becoming like Christ, hence discipleship.
1396.568500 1399.888500 In escaping the corrupt world of evil desires,
1399.888500 1402.808500 we make every effort to add to our faith goodness
1402.808500 1404.928500 and to goodness knowledge and to knowledge self-control,
1404.928500 1408.768500 to self-control perseverance and to perseverance godliness.
1408.768500 1411.568500 And that is exactly our building blocks there.
1412.608500 1416.208500 - Well, to touch on that concept of corruption
1416.208500 1418.328500 in the world caused by evil desires,
1418.328500 1420.288500 we mentioned this at the top of the episode,
1420.288500 1425.008500 but just like within our own hearts,
1425.008500 1429.048500 there is, as Paul said, the things I want to do,
1429.048500 1431.608500 I don't do the things I do, I don't wanna do.
1431.608500 1432.968500 The same is true in the world.
1432.968500 1435.088500 God created the world and it was good,
1435.088500 1437.088500 but it's also fallen.
1437.088500 1441.008500 And there are things in the world working against us.
1441.008500 1445.728500 And there are cultures and systems and values
1445.728500 1448.328500 that the world has that are not built
1448.328500 1450.888500 on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
1450.888500 1454.488500 And sometimes it's easy to forget that.
1454.488500 1457.168500 - Yeah, and that we're not the only one
1457.168500 1459.808500 dealing with evil desires.
1459.808500 1462.248500 Everyone else in the world has those as well.
1462.248500 1465.168500 And those evil desires are working.
1465.168500 1467.648500 Yeah, it's so for what--
1467.648500 1470.968500 - Well, then it's that duality of beauty
1470.968500 1472.608500 in the world and goodness in the world.
1472.608500 1475.848500 And people created in his image and desires
1475.848500 1477.088500 for things that are good,
1477.088500 1480.608500 but it's how that has been corrupted
1480.608500 1482.168500 is what this passage is saying.
1482.168500 1483.688500 Here's how we overcome.
1483.688500 1486.848500 - This next section talks about,
1486.848500 1488.368500 if you possess these qualities
1488.368500 1490.368500 in increasing measure, again, our building blocks,
1490.368500 1493.488500 they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive,
1493.488500 1495.368500 but that implies my method.
1495.368500 1499.608500 There is action associated with the knowledge of Christ.
1499.608500 1500.448500 - Yeah.
1500.448500 1502.328500 - You're a Christian, you're in it.
1502.328500 1504.648500 Like we talked about spiritual warfare.
1504.648500 1507.368500 It's not if, it's when.
1507.368500 1508.848500 And this is the same way.
1508.848500 1511.848500 Like when you come to know Christ,
1511.848500 1514.788500 there is action associated with that.
1514.788500 1520.408500 Whether we are out there working hard
1520.408500 1523.128500 and doing these building blocks of discipleship
1523.128500 1526.888500 or other things, God is at work within us.
1526.888500 1528.808500 But we have to do something too.
1528.808500 1532.048500 We can't just sit still and sit in our own broken selves.
1532.048500 1534.808500 Sometimes the action is just surrender,
1534.808500 1537.808500 but there has to be something.
1537.808500 1541.888500 - Yeah, I mean, you can't rest from something
1541.888500 1543.488500 if you're not doing something.
1543.488500 1545.568500 - Mm, right.
1545.568500 1548.888500 So you can't really value rest
1548.888500 1551.728500 unless you have been acting, right?
1551.728500 1552.568500 - Correct.
1552.568500 1555.728500 And so we have that Sabbath that God has given us.
1555.728500 1558.408500 - Which means we gotta get after it, right?
1558.408500 1560.808500 - That's right, exactly.
1560.808500 1562.928500 Whole other podcast episode right there.
1562.928500 1563.768500 Okay.
1563.768500 1568.608500 This next part makes me a little sad and uncomfortable.
1568.608500 1572.968500 Whoever does not have them, these things,
1572.968500 1575.128500 is nearsighted and blind.
1575.128500 1576.608500 Forgetting that they've been cleansed
1576.608500 1577.928500 from their past sins.
1577.928500 1581.448500 Paul David Tripp first of this
1581.448500 1583.968500 is I think eternity amnesia.
1583.968500 1585.088500 I often get that.
1586.368500 1589.008500 And yeah, it's back to kind of what I was thinking
1589.008500 1590.248500 when we read that whole passage
1590.248500 1592.808500 that this can seem really daunting and overwhelming
1592.808500 1596.288500 and how could I ever, how could I ever be like this?
1596.288500 1602.208500 And Peter addresses just that, right?
1602.208500 1605.208500 Don't forget you've been cleansed from your past sins.
1605.208500 1607.648500 You were now free to go and send no more.
1607.648500 1612.528500 And even knowing that we will again,
1612.528500 1617.048500 that doesn't hinder us from increasing our knowledge of Jesus
1617.048500 1620.128500 from increasing perseverance, all these things.
1620.128500 1620.968500 - Yeah.
1620.968500 1623.448500 And evil would want us to stay in that shame.
1623.448500 1626.528500 Evil would want us to not be effective.
1626.528500 1631.368500 And it is important to remember that.
1631.368500 1635.168500 And this is why so many things that we struggle with
1635.168500 1638.088500 in life are so complicated.
1638.088500 1642.728500 'Cause it's not just just the flesh or just the world
1642.728500 1646.888500 or just the devil working against us in any one situation.
1646.888500 1648.888500 Sometimes it's more than one.
1648.888500 1649.728500 - Yeah.
1649.728500 1654.088500 And don't, I mean, there's many passages in the scripture
1654.088500 1656.288500 about don't deceive yourselves.
1656.288500 1660.128500 Speaking to how our own mind, our own thoughts,
1660.128500 1664.048500 our own desires can deceive us just as much
1664.048500 1666.008500 as the world or the devil.
1666.008500 1668.728500 Which is I think is why it's so useful to be able to go back
1668.728500 1673.728500 to the inherent word of God and read the truth about ourselves.
1673.728500 1675.368500 - Yeah.
1675.368500 1678.608500 - So therefore, my brothers and sisters,
1678.608500 1682.608500 make every effort to confirm your calling and election.
1682.608500 1685.528500 Which again, a whole other topic,
1685.528500 1687.568500 understanding our calling and election.
1687.568500 1689.528500 Mary Beth and I know that part of our calling
1689.528500 1692.328500 is making this podcast episode for you today.
1693.728500 1696.928500 And for if you do these things, you will never stumble
1696.928500 1699.648500 and you will receive a rich welcome
1699.648500 1704.128500 into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
1704.128500 1707.608500 - My drop.
1707.608500 1711.568500 - I mean, what do you make of that?
1711.568500 1712.888500 You will never stumble.
1712.888500 1716.328500 But I do stumble.
1716.328500 1717.168500 - I don't know.
1717.168500 1718.328500 Like I want that.
1718.328500 1719.848500 Yes, please give me that.
1719.848500 1722.288500 Can I have a thing where I don't stumble?
1722.288500 1727.288500 Like, but then it's like, okay, but did I do those things
1727.288500 1729.328500 that he just mentioned in the passage?
1729.328500 1732.568500 If I am doing the things that he just outlined,
1732.568500 1735.608500 all those building blocks, I will not stumble.
1735.608500 1736.448500 - Right.
1736.448500 1739.008500 Of those things, I mean, we still have to be firm
1739.008500 1740.288500 in the armor of God.
1740.288500 1743.568500 I mean, yeah, it's a lot, isn't it?
1743.568500 1747.608500 As long as we're on this earth,
1747.608500 1749.328500 that is gonna be the push and pull.
1751.568500 1755.368500 Of having the power of the spirit in us,
1755.368500 1759.128500 knowing that if we do these things, we won't stumble
1759.128500 1762.008500 and also dealing with the desires of the flesh
1762.008500 1763.368500 and the world.
1763.368500 1764.808500 - I think there's something to be said
1764.808500 1769.808500 for the favor that God has for his children
1769.808500 1773.008500 who are trying real hard.
1773.008500 1778.248500 I think when we look back at the passages and Psalms
1778.248500 1781.168500 and just see the way that David poured his heart out to God
1781.168500 1782.808500 and boy, David was a screw up.
1782.808500 1785.488500 I mean, you can read the stories,
1785.488500 1787.808500 but God called him a man after his own heart
1787.808500 1789.848500 because he kept trying.
1789.848500 1791.888500 You know, he didn't give up.
1791.888500 1795.608500 - I mean, Aaron built a golden calf for the Israelites
1795.608500 1797.568500 and then God made him high priest.
1797.568500 1798.408500 - Yes.
1798.408500 1802.608500 - You know, it's, there's, he can redeem anyone.
1802.608500 1804.808500 - He certainly can.
1804.808500 1809.808500 That, to me, is a kind of like this gem or nugget,
1809.808500 1814.808500 just a beautiful treasure to hold on to, something to cling to.
1814.808500 1817.128500 - Yeah.
1817.128500 1821.568500 There's so many dualities in what we're talking about.
1821.568500 1824.368500 There's the accomplished work of Christ on the cross.
1824.368500 1825.888500 He's done it.
1825.888500 1828.168500 It's paid for, it's done.
1828.168500 1830.928500 But then there's also what you've been talking about.
1830.928500 1833.688500 So what do we do, right?
1833.688500 1834.448500 What are we doing here?
1834.448500 1836.728500 It's not earning our salvation.
1836.728500 1839.488500 It's living out our relationship with him.
1839.488500 1841.328500 - Right, thank you for bringing that up.
1841.328500 1843.928500 I want to be very clear on this.
1843.928500 1848.448500 When you believe that Jesus Christ is your savior,
1848.448500 1853.808500 that he is the divine God and Son of God,
1853.808500 1857.248500 that he died for your sins, that he was crucified,
1857.248500 1859.888500 that he was buried and he rose again.
1859.888500 1864.208500 You have everything you need.
1864.208500 1866.568500 I'll refer you back to the beginning of this passage
1866.568500 1868.728500 of everything you need.
1868.728500 1871.288500 And you are saved.
1871.288500 1877.568500 So be sure and firm in that and know that that is the absolute truth.
1877.568500 1882.288500 There's not a whole long list of things
1882.288500 1884.088500 that you have to do to qualify.
1884.088500 1887.928500 No, that's not what we're talking about here.
1887.928500 1892.928500 The discipleship is coming out of an outpouring of gratitude
1892.928500 1897.208500 for the salvation that we have been freely given.
1897.208500 1899.848500 It's not a requirement, it's certainly not.
1899.848500 1904.848500 So please don't take this as a denouncement
1904.848500 1906.528500 for the way you're living.
1906.528500 1908.488500 This is not about that at all.
1908.488500 1911.168500 - Right.
1911.168500 1915.248500 These are for the people who have already bought in,
1915.248500 1916.248500 already committed.
1916.248500 1918.688500 - Yeah, that's right.
1918.688500 1920.728500 That's a good point, Mary Beth.
1920.728500 1925.728500 Sometimes when Christians are speaking to Christians,
1926.968500 1931.088500 non-Christians can hear that and take it as,
1931.088500 1935.568500 I'm struggling for the word.
1935.568500 1937.208500 - Condemnation, judgment.
1937.208500 1939.728500 - Yeah, that's my girl every time.
1939.728500 1945.248500 We're not here to condemn, nobody's here to condemn.
1945.248500 1949.168500 But what we are here for is to encourage
1949.168500 1952.968500 our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ
1952.968500 1955.248500 to become more like Christ.
1955.608500 1960.608500 - So then, just as you receive Christ Jesus' Lord,
1960.608500 1965.928500 continue to live your lives in him,
1965.928500 1969.048500 rooted and built up in him,
1969.048500 1972.208500 strengthened in the faith as you were taught
1972.208500 1975.768500 and overflowing with thankfulness.
1975.768500 1978.368500 It's Colossians 20:6 and 7.
1978.368500 1979.808500 - Pretty much sums it up.
1979.808500 1984.208500 - Well, listeners, thanks so much for joining us today.
1984.208500 1987.448500 We appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives
1987.448500 1988.288500 to listen in.
1988.288500 1990.568500 I'm Sarah.
1990.568500 1992.888500 - And I'm Mary Beth.
1992.888500 1995.408500 - And this is Trustworthy.