It is well with my soul. Isn't that what Peter made reference in 1 Peter chapter 5? Didn't he talk about the fact that we are to resist the devil, but the God of all grace, though he may May we if we go in the suffering when we go in the suffering he's gonna use that to strengthen us and establish us and settle us and Be a blessing not only to us, but others isn't that what he said? Members Lord told Peter in particular that that Satan had requested to buffet him to to sift him and And he said, I prayed for you that your faith wouldn't fail. And when you're converted, strengthen your brethren. Look at that 1 Peter chapter 5. This is in the mindset of that song that we could sing, it is well. God gives more grace to who? To the humble. But He stands against the proud. He resists the proud. Verse 6, Therefore humble yourselves unto the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Amen? It is well. It is well with my soul, knowing that the God of all grace will use this in a way that would bring glory to Him and good toward me. Look, if you would, in 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 1 again. We're just going to continue on where we left off this morning. and thought of what we looked at and we see that when we add things together, it's like this morning when we were working with those biscuits, you had flour, you had baking powder, you had salt and sugar and some shortening and we had milk had all the ingredients necessary to make biscuits but if you did not put those or add that bacon powder to the flour and if you didn't add that salt to that and if you didn't add that sugar to that if you didn't add that shortening to that you're not going to get biscuits it's not going to happen it won't work if you just took plain flour and added nothing to it and that's what Peter is saying look we need to add virtue to faith We need to add knowledge to virtue. We need to add self-control, temperance to knowledge. We need to add patience to that, godliness to that, and brotherly affection to that, or kindness and love. It's just, you're just adding it to the mix. You're building on one another. And we made reference to the fact that this is a progress. This is a progression that we see here. And the progression is, when he refers to that, remember what we said, what does that word virtue mean? Now we know that it is not our aim to live in sinless perfection. You're setting yourself up for failure if that's your attempt. But what our desire should be is to live single-mindedly what our mind gazed upon the Lord. The Scriptures would refer that as being single-minded. That when we are single-minded, our conscience has nothing to condemn us in. As a matter of fact, hold your spot there and turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 2. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. It's verse 12 of chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 I think it's verse 12 that I want to look at Paul writes to the church at Corinth and notice how or what he says to them when he says in verse number 12 he says for our boasting is in this. If we have anything to say that is praiseworthy, boasting about, it's the testimony of what? Our conscience. What is the testimony of our conscience? That we conducted ourselves in this world in what? in simplicity or single mindedness and godly sincerity and not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God and more abundantly towards you that right there in essence is talking of this excellent life this is the life that we would desire to live because if we don't live this life meaning if we're not single minded in our pursuit living from a pure godly perspective of God's agenda what he wants us to do our conscience is going to condemn us I think you know what I'm talking about when I'm not living single-mindedly in simplicity before the Lord and I'm scattered and I'm this and I'm doing that and I'm more concerned about this and things about that really have no value my conscience will condemn you and bring you in judgment and reveal to you that there's no way you're walking in the will of God you're not doing anything for the glory of God and it condemns us but he says we have something to boast about because our conscience is clear in the sense that we gave ourselves fully to be single-minded with our minds fixed upon the Lord to do His work and we did it in the light of God. Godly sincerity means God was shining upon it. He looked upon it and we did it before men in the sense that we exposed ourselves to men and before God. We had nothing to hide and as a result thereof our conscience was clear and we were free to serve the Lord out of an abundant heart. that's that idea of that virtue of an excellent life. I've got to make a commitment to do that. And when I make that commitment to do it, I do as Paul said, or Peter said over in 1 Peter, the only way to do that, I really need to know what God says about this journey of walking with Him. What His Word says about the life of Christ, dying the self and living to the glory of God. I need to know what is acceptable to the Lord. The only way that happens is I've got to add knowledge to that commitment that I make to be virtuous before the Lord, to live that excellent life. And then he says, when I'm not living up to that, I need to be patient. I need to wait and let the Lord work. I need to be patient with myself, but also need to be careful because what does knowledge do? Knowledge puffs up, doesn't it? So I got to measure that out with this temperance of self-control because if I'm not careful and I'm not patient with myself, I will indulge in things I shouldn't be indulging in and I'm going to rag people and down them at the same time because I'm not growing in that brotherly affection and willing to lay my life down for others. It's a progression. I think it starts out with the fact that I trust the Lord and His promises. I've got what He wants me to have. He's given me His Word. I have His promise and commitment to me. Now I commit unto Him to live the life that He set me apart for. Now to live that way, I want to grow in knowledge and His grace. I want to bring my body in subjection to live it. When I'm not living it out the way I need to be, I need to be also patient and persevere and continue on, letting God work with me and be able to work with other people. And I want to do it so that my life is a godly life that it has an effect on other people. You see the front part of these verses is all about how I'm going to live out before the Lord the commitment I make to Him in the effort I indulge in to learn His ways. The second part of those adding to is how that's going to convey to people around me in godliness, how they see it. and then having brotherly affection for them and love for them and for the Lord. You see it's dealing with the will, it's dealing with the mind, it's dealing with the heart, it's dealing with my actions, how I live it out, and it's dealing how I deal with the neighbor around me. That's what the Christian life is all about. It's a heart issue, a heart issue toward excellence, single-mindedness, simplicity before the Lord. It's a mind issue that my mind needs to be what? Renewed or transformed by the renewing of my mind that I can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will. It is that self-control of bringing my body into subjection when it's not doing what this single-minded life is to be about. I can harness that down and keep my focus on the right place. So we're dealing with discipline. of our lives and then it deals with the actions of living and walking by faith that other people will see us how we live and then our affections for them and how we sacrifice before them so those things that Peter is dealing with are dealing with the entirety of our daily walk and life with the Lord starting with each one of us and he says if we do those things go back if you would to 2 Peter 1 and verse number 8 He says if these things, these qualities, talking about faith to love and everything in between, if these qualities are yours and abound or increasing, abounding, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful. Now the word barren there has the idea that something that is unprofitable or useless. And if these things are not part of our life and growing, we don't see that being manifested. What happens is we're going to be useless before the throne of God. Amen. nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus but notice what verse 9 says and this is where we then turn and the way that we look at this because Peter is dealing with a group of people for these qualities may not exist in their life at all that means faith may not be there Love may not be there, and he makes a point, and I'm going to show you how this unfolds. I believe in these passages he's talking about lost people, and I'll show you what I mean by that. He says in verse number 9, for he who lacks these things or these qualities is short-sighted or blind. and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Now first off notice the difference in the personal pronouns. What does he say in verse number 5? Let's start reading there. Or, as a matter of fact, let's just read up a little bit. Let's just start in verse number 2. Y'all follow along with me. Verse 2 says, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to who? Who? us all right let's take it further all things that pertain the life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called who us by glory and virtue by which have been given to who us exceeding in great precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust verse 5 but also for this very reason given all diligence add to your faith virtue to virtue knowledge and knowledge self-control or or temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and the godliness brotherly kindness and the brotherly kindness love now watch verse 8 for if these things are yours and abound you will neither be barren nor on fruit from the knowledge of our Lord but notice verse 9 he isolates not in the hours or the us's and he refers to a singular just an individual for he who lacks these things is blind even short-sighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins I personally hold to the teaching that what he's doing is making a shift and is thinking because one you're always going to have people in the church or collected with the church that are still lost in their sins i really believe that that's just going to happen that jesus taught us about the parable of the four soils right You have four soils and only one soil was legit. The other ones appeared as if they were okay, but due time would reveal that the problem was the condition of the heart. It hadn't been transformed or changed yet. So we know that's going to take place. Now in this passage, what I believe he's doing, he just explained, add virtue to faith. well this is one of the qualities that he's referring to that we need to have if one we're going to belong to the Lord but number two if we're going to be fruitful and not barren you got to have that but if you lack these things, lack what? He's talking about faith as well. He who lacks faith, he who lacks virtue, he who lacks knowledge, he who lacks these things, this brotherly affection, self-control, it's not present in his life. He lacks it. It's not there. He lacks love and this affection for the brethren. He said this person is blind. He's short-sighted. And he has forgotten. Now, a key word in here, and I'm going to explain it to you in a moment, is the word forgotten. now this is a difficult passage really to break down i've even asked some folks in the past uh... when i was studying these passages scripture who who understood greek in and uh... were were good translators can read greek and write greek that type of thing and understood that i asked him if they would would break this passage down from a greek perspective and tell me what what you get out of it and everyone that i asked to do that responded back and say But Nick, this is a very challenging passage. It's very difficult because of the way Peter wrote it. The challenge is Peter, the way Peter wrote this, and it's neat how God uses each man's personality, but how he used the personality of Peter, Peter's grammar was like Nick's grammar. It ain't that good. Are you with me? And the way he wrote was a challenge in some of the ways. And in this particular passage is a challenge in its structure. But the word forgotten is a compound word that's only used this one time in the Scriptures from a Greek perspective. And the compound word is two words that come together that means that actually has failed. The first word means to fail. that fail to do something. And the second word means to take hold of or to possess. No different than you and me. Have you ever been somewhere and you get down the road and you're like, oh man, I forgot my phone. You ever do that before? You failed to take possession of it, put it in your pocket and get on the road. Anybody ever do that besides Stephanie and me? Or your keys? What is something else? You ever been in a store and you realize you forgot your wallet? Ladies, you didn't have your checkbook or your debit card? Kay Redden, was that recent? It was Bill's fault? I'm telling you, have you ever rushed her and you got her on the ball and you was rushing her and she got down the road or you got to where you're going and she didn't have what you needed and she looks at you and said, if you wouldn't have rushed me, I would have had everything I needed. Has that ever happened? Well, you see how the idea of the word forgotten would be used in that perspective because it's the idea of failing to take hold of something. But the point is that it's not how we use the word forgotten. We use the forgotten in the sense that, well, he had it, but he forgot it. So now he don't have it. Did I lose you all there? That wasn't too hard, was it? It means that he failed to take possession of. is what it means not that he forgot it in the sense that he once had it and then forgot it what what happened to him in his life and because he forgot it he's living a totally another life now and that's why these qualities don't exist that's not what the passage is saying and I believe there are several clues in there one with the pronouns that I just mentioned how everything's about us and our and that and then when it gets to this section it refers to an individual to a he what the passage is teaching is that a person who lacks these qualities has failed to take hold of the purification that comes in the blood of Christ this person may be involved with the church may be around the church, but they've never been washed in the blood of Jesus. They're still lost and perishing. And the point is, not that they forgot to take hold, they've never taken hold to possess the cleansing work of Jesus Christ, to be purged from their old sins. That's why they don't have these qualities. What qualities? They don't have faith. Faith is the simple, basic necessity for salvation. Right? We are saved by what? by grace through faith. And a man that lacks faith and lacks love. The scripture says that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts in Christ Jesus. Now our love is to grow but if we lack love to begin with, lack brotherly affection, lack any of these things, if they're not present it's because we have not taken possession of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus to forgive us of our sins. and I trust and hold on to the fact that this is what this passage is teaching is this is that the scripture says he who lacks these things is blind which is described in the scriptures for an example we'll look at it turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 all this has a point and I'm going to show you what I mean 2 Corinthians chapter 4 look if you would in verse number 1 Paul says, therefore, since we have this ministry, this service, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. To receive mercy means you've taken possession of mercy. It was given to you, but you possess it. You welcomed it. You've taken hold of it, verse 2. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Verse three. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are what? lost or perishing. Watch verse 4. Whose minds the God of this age has done what? they're blinded, they're blind, who do not believe, lest the light of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but we preach Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of the darkness, who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. What Peter is telling the church there when he writes in 2 Peter, he's saying if a person does not possess faith, knowledge, love, affection, temperance if these qualities are void and empty in his life this person is still blind and the evidence of that is that he's short-sighted what does that mean short-sighted? somebody who's nearsighted what does nearsighted mean? you can see up close but you can't see afar Let me illustrate again using the word, I love the word of God. The word of God answers all our issues when we use it. Amen. And the fact that what God wants to show us. So we see a blind person is blind because the enemy, Satan has blinded them for fear they are saved. There are people who gather with us and gather throughout this country and around the world that are still veiled and have blinders over their eyes that do not possess faith in Christ. who do not have the love and all these qualities that Peter is talking about but they're still part of the fellowship with the people but are still in their sins they're still perishing a lot of them deceived don't even know it and that's part of the blindness they're under deception and that's where we want to be used by God to that when we recognize that people lack faith and they lack these qualities how we can be praying for them we've got to know that these qualities are not in their life and they're being deceived and they think they're okay I don't have to walk up and slap them in the face and tell them wake up and you're missing this thing I need to start discerning and praying for them that's the point now we see this is the work of the enemy behind this we were born in this condition but go to Philippians chapter number three Philippians chapter three Philippians 3. Are we thinking on this idea of being shortsighted or nearsighted? The Scripture says in chapter 3 verse 17, 17 Brethren, join and follow in my example, and note those who so walk as you have us as a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, I now even tell you weeping, that they are They are enemies of the cross. Why? What is the evidence of this? Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, and who set their mind on what? Why do they set their mind on earthly things? They are blind and as a result of being blind they are shortsighted. They can't see beyond what's right before them. What's right before them? Earthly, temporal, insignificant things. They don't have a heavenly mindset. They don't look toward heaven. They don't seek heavenly principles, they don't seek principles outside of this world to live by because their eye or their mind is so set on the things of this world they're short-sighted, they're nearsighted, they can't see beyond what they have right before them because they have no help to see that, they're blind to that. Are you with me thus far? That's a short-sighted, nearsighted person. Notice the difference in verse number 20. Verse 20, For those that belong to the Lord, for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. That's the difference between a person that is connected to the church and a person that is a genuine and authentic believer. People that are, because Paul is writing to a church that he understands there are people that are among you at Philippi who claim to be part of the church but they're really enemies of the cross. And the evidence of that is that they live for this life right now. The evidence of that is that they glory where they find their most apparent pleasure in things that are shameful. things that are shameful they're not even worth discussing and talking about they're shameful things because they're temporal things and their inward desires is their God that's what they give place to the God is their belly meaning whatever they want they go after whatever they want to do that's what they do why because that's what they serve they serve themselves and he's saying that's the difference between a believer and an unbeliever that are among you and he's letting them know don't follow them because they are the wrong pattern to follow I'm giving you a pattern to follow what pattern do we follow look in chapter 3 again look in verse number verse number 8 when he says yet indeed I count all things lost for the excellence there's that that word excellent keeps popping up don't it We're talking about this virtue, the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. Chapter 3 of Philippians, verse number 8, all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. Verse 9, and be found in him not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. Remember, that person that Peter was talking about, they lacked that quality of faith. Verse 10, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead. Now verse 12, not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brother and I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal, the prize of the upward call of God in Christ, and therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind, and if in anything you think otherwise, go to God. He'll reveal it to you. Nevertheless, to the grief from which you have already attained, let us walk by the same rule and let us be of the same mind. And then he goes in to refer to those who are enemies. The enemies of the things of God that are not promoters of the cross of God are those who are short-sighted. They're nearsighted. They can't see beyond what's right before them, this present day, this life. So they live life to the fullest right now, but have no heavenly mindset. That's somebody who lacks the qualities of faith and those things that Peter was talking about. They're blind because they have a veil over their eyes. They're shortsighted because they can't see beyond this day, this world, this earth, and that's what they pursue. And the scripture would describe them as being enemies of the cross. Now go back to Peter again if you would. Everybody with me thus far? You got a question or anything? I know some of your translations when you read that, you're thinking, man, how does that, how do you get that? Because I know like the New Living or the NIV or the New King James, these different translations, sometimes they look like you're dealing with somebody who's saved, who's just neglected the fact that they've been washed in the blood and have put that aside. They're just living life for themselves. But that's not what this passage is teaching. It's teaching the fact that there are people out there who think they're okay, but they lack these qualities. And I believe what Peter was doing was attempting to show them that if you lack these things, you're blind and short-sighted. And the evidence is clear in this. And you need to examine where you are. Why? Watch what he says next. he says therefore verse number ten therefore brethren be even more diligent to do what make your call and election sure if you do these things you shall never what stumble Okay, so that's a good point, isn't it? Why do you think he brings in the fact that you need to make sure you're calling an election? The word election is dealing with salvation. We're dealing with this selection of God, a belonging to Him. why do you think he would pull that in and bring it to light if he was talking about somebody that didn't belong to him he's saying you need to affirm that that you belong to the Lord because if these qualities are not there you don't belong to him and you need to examine that and make sure and when these qualities are yours You're one, you're going to be fruitful, you're going to be useful, but you're not going to stumble and your conscience is not going to cripple you and keep you down. You're going to have your eyes on the Lord doing what God called you to do and you won't fall. When you do fall, praise God, God's going to pick you right back up. It's saying that you're not going to be without sin. It's saying you're just not going to fall away and stumble and just wallow in the mire because you have an objective, you have a goal, you have a name, and an entrance. Notice what he said in verse number 11, I believe it is. What's going to happen? For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. An open door to come on and do the work that God's called us to do, kingdom work. Come in the gate and do the work that He's called you to do. Now, why did I share that with you tonight? One, following up what we talked about this morning. How many of you want to be fruitful and abundant and abounded in the work of the Lord? I pray for all of us do. And it's the aim that we've got to surrender to this single-minded, excellent life, to be whatever God's called us to be. That's what we want to be. There's only one Davin and Sandy, one Stephanie, one Lauren, one Bill. There's only one of us. We're not to be like Moses or Joshua or Caleb or anybody else. I'm not to be like Mr. Norman. He's not to be like me. but God is conforming us all into the image of Christ and he saved us uniquely in and of who we are to be who we are to manifest his glory through our lives but we have to make the commitment to be what he's called us to be but in the process of that to be useful and to be fruitful I also have to recognize there are people yet around me that lack these qualities that are still blind, short-sighted, perishing in their sin, and I can't take that lightly. Amen? That's where that brotherly affection and that love comes to play, where I'll sacrifice and do what is necessary in praying and to win them over unto the Lord, that I can be that example that people could see what it means to live all out for the glory of God. That I don't want my life to be somebody to say, well, look how such and such lives. I mean, they live just like I do. It ain't no different than me and him, and he claims to belong to the Lord. I want my mark to be different than that. I don't want it to be any question whatsoever of who I serve and who I belong to. When people know me, talk to me, read about me, read from me, speak to me, they're gonna know for sure that this fella loves Jesus Christ. He loves his word because he can't talk without talking about his word. That's just who he is. And I believe anything less than that is deception and crippling people around us. And that's where we have to pursue to be excellent, single-minded in such a way that our lives are unique. Not that we don't mess up. Not that we won't sin. Not that we won't get in the flesh. Not those things. Those things are going to happen, no doubt. But that we also know how to repent. and we know how to surrender that unto the Lord and ask God for help to get out so that we can authentically represent Him on the earth. Amen? Peter had a good word for us. and he even tells us he says look this is so important to me that i know i'm about to die it ain't much longer the way jesus prophesied and said i was going to die that i know that ain't too far out and i'm gonna do everything i can to set you up to leave you these reminders to help you when i go that's the heart of a champion amen knowing that i'm leaving a legacy behind me greg that that i when he says it look what he says in verse number twelve and then we'll close out he says for this reason what I just told you is so crucial and fundamental that this is just not right now we're talking about heavenly things eternal things for this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things though you know and are established in the present truth I'm going to keep telling you about them because they're so fundamental yes i think it is right as long as i am in this tent that is saying that i i'm in this body i'm living to stir you up by reminding you knowing that shortly i must put off my tent just as our lord jesus christ showed me moreover i will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease that's the heart of a of a man of god amen said I'm going to do whatever is necessary you're going to get tired of me telling you these things over and over and over and over again but they are very important and I'm going to keep telling you and not only will I tell you now but when I die I'm going to set up things so every time you think of me hear about me read something from me it's going to remind you of these things I'm going to make sure of it that it's that way and that's the way we need to live amen a persistent, persevering life that gives glory to God in all that we do and say. Anybody have a question or anything? Yeah. Yeah. Virtue. All right. We'll do that real quick. So if you don't have them and you want to write them down, the word virtue means excellence. And that speaks of the heart. You are making a heart commitment. Your heart, he's saying, add to the faith your persuasion. You're persuaded in Christ. You're convinced of Him. Add to that persuasion your confidence in Him. Add to that a commitment of the heart toward excellence. You're committing to be excellent. then the word knowledge that is we're dealing with the mind excellence or virtues dealing with a condition of the heart Now that I've committed my heart to be excellent, now I need to bring my mind into subjection. I need my mind to be transformed. Knowledge. Knowing. That word is the gnosis, which means to know. And I need to know. If I'm going to be excellent, I need to know all that I can know about the Christian life, about Jesus and about his ways. And the one that's going to teach me is the Lord. Amen. So I'm dealing with the heart, virtue, dealing with the mind when it comes to knowledge and dealing with the body when it comes with what? What's the next word? Self-control, temperance, the body. You see, but he started with the heart and then the mind growing which is able to bring the body into what? Subjection. You see, if you don't make a heart commitment, your mind's not being transformed. You know what's going to happen? Your body's going to influence you and do whatever it wants to do. If you crave this, you're going to go after it, and you can't bring that into subjection. So it's talking about the body. What's the next word? patience, perseverance that is talking about that we have to be one I believe patient or persevere with ourselves in the sense that we've made this heart commitment our minds being transformed we bring in our body in subjection when we fail we need to continue to get up and keep walking with the Lord we need to be we need to be persistent and patient and therefore being patient with ourselves is going to help us be patient with with others as well. We're going to be patient with others. Our next word is what? Godliness, which speaks of how we live before men. It's talking about characteristics that point toward God, that when people see what we do, godliness is pointing unto God. This is His way of living. So it's talking about how we live life Then you add that, what do you add to that? Brotherly kindness, which means that brotherly love, that affectionate type love, that we are affectionate toward people, we show compassion to people, we understand that we are in the people business, amen? Believers are in the people. Who'd Jesus die for? people didn't die for buildings though buildings come along with this when we gather and we know it was by by for his work and for his cause but he died to redeem people this building is going to burn up ain't it our homes are going to burn up but that brotherly affection for one another that I grow in loving one another with an affectionate heart. So it's not only how I live, but also how I show the love of Christ to other people. And then that last word, add love to that, that's that agape love, which means that sacrificial love that I'm willing to lay my life down for the cause of Christ. That's not based on circumstances. Doesn't matter if people love me or respond positive to me, I'm laying my life down sacrificially to do God's work. So whether you love me or not, I'm loving you. So you see, it deals with the heart, it deals with the mind, it deals with our body. It is how we are going to commit to this long term and be patient and knowing that these things are being worked out. That not only did Christ forgive me, but I can forgive me for messing up, for not doing, for fouling up. Because you know how it is. When your conscience condemns you, you messed up, and then you just beat yourself up. Well, you've got to persevere. You've got to be patient, not only with you, but then those around you. And a lot of times, that's tough, isn't it? And when you're trying to achieve this excellent way, if you're not careful, if it's all based on knowledge, growing a knowledge, you're going to be prideful. And pride will boast in itself and it's going to look down on other people who are not where you think they ought to be. But if you have brotherly affection and living out this godly life, you're going to be able to overlook the fact that they're not where they need to be, but I am in another place that I can help them get there. I can show them, I can work with them, I can be patient with them, I can lead them. And I'm the one who God's going to use to help them. And it puts you in another position because you're sacrificial. So you see how all these things, how they fit and work together? It's the life of the believer being lived out by God's glory. Profitable, beneficial, fruit-bearing. Chapter 2, verse 21 says, For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness, and after knowing it, turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. The true proverb says that, when the dog returns to his own body, from the south to Washington, it shall return to you all as it might. that people who what we're talking about has been exposed and around but then take off and just abandon and leave. It just shows you that they never took a hold or possessed what was true. Because you can't possess Jesus and then abandon Jesus. That don't happen. That's why we believe in what we call not only the preservation of the saints, which is the work of God, but also as a result of that, the saints persevere, the perseverance of the saints. The scriptures teach us, they who persevere unto the end shall be saved. And it's not because they persevere, they say, but the result of salvation, they continue in perseverance. It's the work of grace and the reason why, yeah. That also you hunters out there, anybody ever give you slack on which they don't trust the Bible anyway, ain't nothing you can do about it. But that passage in Peter when he says like brute beast made to be caught and destroyed. They say you killing all them animals out there and doing this and that. That passage in Peter is referring to that God created brute beast. Now when I think of brute beast automatically, what do y'all think of? A grizzly, a lion, a brute beast. The word though means those that lack the ability to reason. That's saying that's non-human. So a deer is a brute beast because it lacks the ability to reason like a human. And God says he made them to be caught and destroyed. So by faith and a good conscience you have no trouble. hunting and taking game and killing things such as that because scripture says God made them. Now the reference is toward false prophets, but he uses game as the principle to apply to false prophets. So we can hunt fish, cattle, whatever it may be to eat steak. How many of you like eating a good steak? Hey, there's some tree huggers out there that wouldn't want you to eat steak. but that is a animal that doesn't have the ability to reason and God gave it to man for his benefit amen amen anybody else have anything amen father we thank you tonight we bless you love you praise you help us with these things we we do want to surrender this to you and ask you to use it in our personal lives so that we can be fruitful for your glory we love you and praise you in Jesus name amen Amen.