PT-5a “The Believer’s Precious Faith—Part 2: Its Certainty” (2 Peter 1:5-11)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/09/2025 8:30 PM

My Worship Time                Focus: PT-5a “The Believer’s Precious Faith—Part 2: Its Certainty”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  2 Peter 1:5-11

            Message of the verses:  “5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”

 

            In yesterday’s evening Spiritual Diary we began to look at the seventh and last point that John MacArthur is making in his introduction to this section of Scripture, but in it we looked at the first three points that he was making in this seventh section, and in this evening’s SD I want to begin with what he calls “A fourth blessing of assurances.”

 

            “A fourth blessing of assurances is that it strengthens the soul against temptations and trials.  Paul exhorted the Ephesians,

 

‘Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:13; 16-17).’

 

The helmet is best understood, not as salvation itself, but as Paul identifies it in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, ‘the hope of salvation.’  When trials and temptations assaults believers, God protects them from losing their hope.

 

            “Fifth, assurance also compels Christians to love obedience.  The psalmist said, ‘I hope for Your salvation, O Lord, and do Your commandments’ (Ps. 119:166).  On the other hand, the insecurity of not knowing if salvation is certain can cause people to slide more deeply into sins of fear and doubt, which lead to other transgressions.

            ‘Sixth, the blessedness of assurance calms the soul with perfect peace and rest in the midst of life’s storms.  Regardless of the circumstances that buffet believers, there is a divine anchor of security (Heb. 6:19).

 

            “Seventh, assurance enables believers to wait patiently upon God’s perfect timing for needed mercy.  If their hope rests firmly in the certainty of salvation, then believers can persevere in waiting for that hope’s realization (Rom. 8:25; Cf. Ps. 130).

 

            “Lastly, the blessedness of assurance purifies the heart.  John wrote, ‘We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure’ (1 John 3:2b-3).  If believers know they will spend eternity with the Lord, enjoying their reward for earthly service to Him, that will change the way they live (cf. 2 Cor. 5:9-10).”

 

            It looks like I will be able to finish this section in tomorrow evening’s SD, and I have to say that this introduction to these verses from MacArthur’s commentary has spoken to my heart, for which I am very thankful.

 

10/9/2025 8:47 PM