From Faith To Love

The Effort Required to Really Experience Jesus

2 Peter 1:5-8

• the thought of having salvation and God but continue to pamper ourselves… cannot experience Jesus AND self
• whats the REASON for v5?
  • when we focus on pampering ourselves (self-worship)
  • make every effort
  • Example: making KD, a good meal (you have knowledge and faith it will be good) requires your effort to make it good

if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge (experience) of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1:8)…
7 critical questions for a productive and effective Christ experience…to confirm your salvation through grace is genuine:

1. How can I make sure my faith has the right flavour?
   • add goodness
     • virtue, moral goodness…
     • for what you were made
     • to reflect glory of God, reveal His excellence
2. How can I make sure my goodness doesn’t just become sappy moralism (ie. Jerry Springer’s schpeal at the end of each show)?
   • add knowledge
     • new world view sets Bible aside and depends on experience in order to experience Christ (ie. only use emotions)
       • BUT Word tells us we can only experience Christ through coming closer to the Word
       • we must consistently and continuously rub shoulders with Christ through first the Word
     • basing experience of Christ solely on experience/emotion is superficial and useless
3. How can I make sure this faith keeps me moving toward Christ and not away from Him?
   • add self control
     • our “intro” to Christ is/should be “deny self and take upon the cross of Jesus”
       • BUT addicted to pampering ourselves; self centeredness
     • THEREFORE we must deliberately interrupt our pre-occupations with ourselves
     • escape the worldly evil desires (self-fulfilling desires)
     • 1 Pet 5:8
       
4. How can I detoxify myself from myself?
   • add perseverance
     • there will be failures, there will be hardships…persevere
     • stop manufacturing “pain-free” quick fixes
     • 2 Satanic things to bring you down:
       1. world from outside
       2. desires from inside
5. How can I make sure this is all shaping me from the right place and for right purpose?
   • add godliness
   • • this isn’t about being a better person…if everything you’re doing is to be better person YOU’VE MISSED THE POINT OF CHRIST AND BEING A CHRISTIAN
       • you are supposed to be forming a better relationship with Jesus!
     • salvation isn’t about going to heaven…its about JESUS
       • do you want Jesus? do you want to be like Jesus?
6. How can I make all this a cause bigger than one?
   • add brotherly kindness
     • guarding Spirit-given unity from damage
     • can’t experience Jesus if no brotherly love
7. How can I graduate to the highest form of authentic Christianity?
   • add love
     • agape love
     • deliberately choosing self-sacrifice for the good of another
     • love based on what the agent is (God), not the object