Unshackled! - 2 Peter 1:3-4
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Sunday March 28, 2010
Unshackled!
2 Peter 1:3-4
The stench is horrendous, but you’ve grown accustomed to it. What makes other people involuntarily turn away and cover their noses – that’s everyday experience 4u. You’ve been locked in this cell for years, a short chain anchored in the floor is around your ankle. You’ve adapted to your unwashed body and the stench of being surrounded by your own filth. Then seemingly, w/o warning, there is a mighty commotion around you - the sounds of a fierce battle. You hear the ping of gunshots ricocheting off the prison walls and the screams of dying men – and then all is still. An unfamiliar figure comes to your cell, unlocks the door, and announces that there has been a change of gov’t, the warden and the keepers of the prison are all dead. He throws you a key and tells you to unshackle yourself and walks off. You sit there dazed. The day that you have been waiting for years to come, has come. The cruel jailer and his men have been killed/prison door is open/key is in your hand. If you walk out of your cell, no one will stop you. If you walk out of the prison complex itself, there is no one who will stop you. The only thing stopping you is the shackle around your leg – and you have the key! That’s where we are in this text.
This prison was your prison/this cell was your cell/this shackle was your shackle/this liberty is your liberty/this key is your key. Your jailer was Satan and the prison was condemnation. Satan has been defeated and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15
Satan's hold has been broken/all his demons have been routed. The prison door has been flung open and a key of promise has been given 2u. There's only one thing stopping you – the shackle around your ankle. Question: will you continue 2b shackled by your sins or will you walk out of them? Will you remain in the corruption of your sinful desires or will you step out n2 God’s divine nature?
Our passage speaks of divine power/divine nature and human power (lust)/human nature (corrupt).
Corruption came n2 the world by way of lust. Adam/Eve – day you eat of it you shall die – a process of death/decay will be released n2 the human race. Here is the development of corruption: shame/ guilt/hiding from God/avoiding responsibility/making excuses/ blaming others/hatred/murder/revenge… Do you want to escape from all this? God has made a way. He has put a key in your hand.
There is corruption/process of the decay of death working in you – even you who know Christ. What God has made can go in the opposite direction of what God has intended - in the day that you eat of it you shall die. We still eat what corrupts us/kills what God intends to do. We eat what kills joy/holiness/testimony/impact. We stay shackled in our sins and the corruption of sin – guilt/shame/excuses…
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. G6:8
Jesse Mason – side of pork was rippling in the morning – it was maggot infested pork. - a picture of corrupted human nature. Some of ur here w/ defiled conscience/ weight of shame – corruption is working in you – ur shackled. Yes, ur saved from the penalty of sin, but not from the power of sin. God purposes that we just don’t escape hell in a future life, but also escape corruption in this life. He just doesn’t want to keep you from hell, he wants to get hell out of you. Corruption is at work.
God has given you a key – His divine power grants you the key of His promises so that you might partake of the divine nature. The only way to escape the corruption that is in the world and partake of the divine nature is to believe in the promises of God. That’s the key to unshackling yourself from the chains of sin. The divine power has made available the promises of God. The promises of God are the key to the divine nature. Faith turns the key of God’s promise that sets you free from the bondage of sin n2 partaking of the divine nature.
Partaking of the divine nature is not automatic – might become (possibility)
Some would say, “All I need is the power of God.” That's not what our text says. If all you needed was the power of God to break free of the shackles of sin, that would be all that God would give. In our text, it is not God giving you divine power to escape corruption, it is divine power giving you the promises of God that you might partake of the divine nature/thus escape corruption. The emphasis isn't on getting corruption out, but getting the promises in and thus partake of the divine nature. The nature of God will flush out corruption.
Escaping corruption-not a matter of deliverance, but transformation. UR not delivered from corruption, but transformed out of it.
Ur $10,000 in debt/utterly in despair as to how ur going to pay off this debt. Your aunt dies and leaves you $10,000. PTL! You spend yourself $20,000 n2 debt/utterly despair/grandfather dies leaving you $20,000. PTL! God doesn't work like this.
UR not delivered from the flesh – ur transformed so that you become a partaker of the divine nature. The flesh can’t be cast out as a demon can be. UR transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son and ur transformed from corruption to partaking of the divine nature.
Divine nature – godliness. What does the divine nature look like? Vv5-7. Each of these attributes singly/all in total describe the divine nature. To partake of something is to have that something in common w/ someone else - koinonia. To partake of something is to have a connection w/ someone. What is partaken of is common property. The wife wrecks the car and the husband is affected. The husband gets a pink slip and the wife is affected. Car/job is common property. How do I hold he divine nature in common w/ God? Through the promises – He invites us to eat of His word. Eating of His Word in faith – key to trans.
There is a personal dimension of the promises of God. It’s not what you know, it’s Who you know. For many people, Christianity is all about the what – what do I need to know/do/say? In reality, it’s all about the Who – knowing/loving/serving God. Ex. – What is the dress code around here? Ask the Holy Spirit what you should wear to church. What would a person who knows and loves God wear? A life of following Jesus isn’t rules, but relationship. And a life of following Jesus doesn't stop w/ just knowing the written word of God, it is about knowing the living Word of God.
Two words for know – one emphasizes an intellectual knowledge (1 + 1 = 2)/other emphasizes an experiential knowledge. A euphemism in the Hebrew for sexual intercourse is that a man knows his wife. The word here is the 2nd one – an experiential knowledge – not a theological, but a street level knowledge of God.
The only way to escape the corruption that is in the world and partake of the divine nature is to believe in the promises of God. Corruption – transformation – Divine nature
If I told Bill Gates that he could partake of my wealth, he would laugh - offer only attractive in the context of dire poverty.
True knowledge of v3 is synonymous w/ promise of v4.
V3 granted to us true knowledge pertaining to holiness of life
V4 granted to us promises to partake of the divine nature
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Unshackled!
2 Peter 1:3-4
The stench is horrendous, but you’ve grown accustomed to it. What makes other people involuntarily turn away and cover their noses – that’s everyday experience 4u. You’ve been locked in this cell for years, a short chain anchored in the floor is around your ankle. You’ve adapted to your unwashed body and the stench of being surrounded by your own filth. Then seemingly, w/o warning, there is a mighty commotion around you - the sounds of a fierce battle. You hear the ping of gunshots ricocheting off the prison walls and the screams of dying men – and then all is still. An unfamiliar figure comes to your cell, unlocks the door, and announces that there has been a change of gov’t, the warden and the keepers of the prison are all dead. He throws you a key and tells you to unshackle yourself and walks off. You sit there dazed. The day that you have been waiting for years to come, has come. The cruel jailer and his men have been killed/prison door is open/key is in your hand. If you walk out of your cell, no one will stop you. If you walk out of the prison complex itself, there is no one who will stop you. The only thing stopping you is the shackle around your leg – and you have the key! That’s where we are in this text.
This prison was your prison/this cell was your cell/this shackle was your shackle/this liberty is your liberty/this key is your key. Your jailer was Satan and the prison was condemnation. Satan has been defeated and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15
Satan's hold has been broken/all his demons have been routed. The prison door has been flung open and a key of promise has been given 2u. There's only one thing stopping you – the shackle around your ankle. Question: will you continue 2b shackled by your sins or will you walk out of them? Will you remain in the corruption of your sinful desires or will you step out n2 God’s divine nature?
Our passage speaks of divine power/divine nature and human power (lust)/human nature (corrupt).
Corruption came n2 the world by way of lust. Adam/Eve – day you eat of it you shall die – a process of death/decay will be released n2 the human race. Here is the development of corruption: shame/ guilt/hiding from God/avoiding responsibility/making excuses/ blaming others/hatred/murder/revenge… Do you want to escape from all this? God has made a way. He has put a key in your hand.
There is corruption/process of the decay of death working in you – even you who know Christ. What God has made can go in the opposite direction of what God has intended - in the day that you eat of it you shall die. We still eat what corrupts us/kills what God intends to do. We eat what kills joy/holiness/testimony/impact. We stay shackled in our sins and the corruption of sin – guilt/shame/excuses…
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. G6:8
Jesse Mason – side of pork was rippling in the morning – it was maggot infested pork. - a picture of corrupted human nature. Some of ur here w/ defiled conscience/ weight of shame – corruption is working in you – ur shackled. Yes, ur saved from the penalty of sin, but not from the power of sin. God purposes that we just don’t escape hell in a future life, but also escape corruption in this life. He just doesn’t want to keep you from hell, he wants to get hell out of you. Corruption is at work.
God has given you a key – His divine power grants you the key of His promises so that you might partake of the divine nature. The only way to escape the corruption that is in the world and partake of the divine nature is to believe in the promises of God. That’s the key to unshackling yourself from the chains of sin. The divine power has made available the promises of God. The promises of God are the key to the divine nature. Faith turns the key of God’s promise that sets you free from the bondage of sin n2 partaking of the divine nature.
Partaking of the divine nature is not automatic – might become (possibility)
Some would say, “All I need is the power of God.” That's not what our text says. If all you needed was the power of God to break free of the shackles of sin, that would be all that God would give. In our text, it is not God giving you divine power to escape corruption, it is divine power giving you the promises of God that you might partake of the divine nature/thus escape corruption. The emphasis isn't on getting corruption out, but getting the promises in and thus partake of the divine nature. The nature of God will flush out corruption.
Escaping corruption-not a matter of deliverance, but transformation. UR not delivered from corruption, but transformed out of it.
Ur $10,000 in debt/utterly in despair as to how ur going to pay off this debt. Your aunt dies and leaves you $10,000. PTL! You spend yourself $20,000 n2 debt/utterly despair/grandfather dies leaving you $20,000. PTL! God doesn't work like this.
UR not delivered from the flesh – ur transformed so that you become a partaker of the divine nature. The flesh can’t be cast out as a demon can be. UR transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son and ur transformed from corruption to partaking of the divine nature.
Divine nature – godliness. What does the divine nature look like? Vv5-7. Each of these attributes singly/all in total describe the divine nature. To partake of something is to have that something in common w/ someone else - koinonia. To partake of something is to have a connection w/ someone. What is partaken of is common property. The wife wrecks the car and the husband is affected. The husband gets a pink slip and the wife is affected. Car/job is common property. How do I hold he divine nature in common w/ God? Through the promises – He invites us to eat of His word. Eating of His Word in faith – key to trans.
There is a personal dimension of the promises of God. It’s not what you know, it’s Who you know. For many people, Christianity is all about the what – what do I need to know/do/say? In reality, it’s all about the Who – knowing/loving/serving God. Ex. – What is the dress code around here? Ask the Holy Spirit what you should wear to church. What would a person who knows and loves God wear? A life of following Jesus isn’t rules, but relationship. And a life of following Jesus doesn't stop w/ just knowing the written word of God, it is about knowing the living Word of God.
Two words for know – one emphasizes an intellectual knowledge (1 + 1 = 2)/other emphasizes an experiential knowledge. A euphemism in the Hebrew for sexual intercourse is that a man knows his wife. The word here is the 2nd one – an experiential knowledge – not a theological, but a street level knowledge of God.
The only way to escape the corruption that is in the world and partake of the divine nature is to believe in the promises of God. Corruption – transformation – Divine nature
If I told Bill Gates that he could partake of my wealth, he would laugh - offer only attractive in the context of dire poverty.
True knowledge of v3 is synonymous w/ promise of v4.
V3 granted to us true knowledge pertaining to holiness of life
V4 granted to us promises to partake of the divine nature


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