If God didn't spare his own son, which was the most he could give, how will he not also, with him, that is with his son, freely give us all? All things. If God gave us the most, He wouldn't hold back the least. In Christ, we are sufficient. We have a sufficient salvation.
Welcome to Grace to You with the Bible teaching of John MacArthur. I'm your host, Phil Johnson. According to author Herman Melville, most men fear God and at the same time dislike Him. They distrust His heart and believe He is cold and mechanical like a watch. Is that really what God is like?
Is He more like a stern teacher than a loving father? Does He even care if you're suffering? Does your happiness matter to God? If you've ever had a hard time believing that God is generous and compassionate, today's message may radically alter your understanding of who God is and how to pray to Him and how to react to life's trials. The truth John MacArthur looks at today could change your life by changing how you view God.
So stay here as John continues his study called Myths About Salvation. And now here's John with the message. Verses three and four of 2 Peter chapter 1. Let me read them to you, seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Now I want you to know those two verses are a mouthful. Not only that, they are a mindful. And they are a heartful of great truth. To begin with, just a basic realization, and that is that life. In general, even for those of us who are true Christians.
is not easy. None of us escapes the troubles of life. in these sinful bodies living on this fallen planet. Temptation, sin. Failure?
Disappointment. Rejection, frustration, unfulfillment, weakness, pain, sorrow, loneliness, fear, anxiety, alienation, all of that comes to all of us in varying forms. It's all a part of our life experience. The question is. Where do we find resources to deal with that?
In fact, to deal with it effectively, In fact, to deal with it triumphantly. Where do we go to solve the issues of life? Can we turn to God? Does he care? Does he love us enough?
to dispense some supernatural help.
Some people, I suppose, just think God is some machine who made everything and really doesn't care that much. Is that true? Or does God care and does God love us and has God given us resources to deal with the issues of life? In fact, Are we sufficient? Are we sort of Self-contained.
Or are the psychologists right? That even though you have God and you have Christ, You're still inadequate and you probably need therapy. And then some other religionists would say, well, yes, you may have God and you may know Christ, but you need more of Jesus. You need um some special anointing from him to really be adequate. Are they right?
Even if we know God, has God just given us a small dose? of supernatural grace. Barely enough to squeak by. Maybe enough to save us, but not enough to sanctify us. Maybe enough to save us and sanctify us, but not enough to glorify us.
I mean, if we come to God through Christ... Are we really sufficient or is there more?
Well, this leads us to at least preliminarily A basic discussion of One of the attributes of God. I took out some of my books this week on the character of God, and I started looking for one attribute in particular, and that was the attribute of generosity. I didn't find it. I didn't find it listed in any systematic theology. I didn't find it listed in any book about God.
I just didn't find it. And I read maybe 10 books through the index, trying to find somebody who said something about. the generosity of God. Have Christian theologians also sort of questioned whether God is really very generous? Is he a little stingy?
Does he just give us barely enough to get us out of hell and not a lot more?
Well, let's look at the scripture for a minute. Just listen to these. and see what you conclude. In Exodus 34, 6, God gives a first-person assessment of his character. This is what he says.
I am compassionate. I am gracious. And I am abounding in loving kindness. In Lamentations chapter 3, verses 22 and 23, it says, The Lord's loving kindness indeed never ceases. His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning. Small is thy faithfulness. Is that what it says? Not in my Bible. It says what?
Great is thy faithfulness. The psalmist said, The Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me. And then the psalmist says, oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. He provides what we need in the day, he provides what we need in the night, and we ought to praise him for it. You see, Scripture says that God is very generous.
In fact, in all the issues of life. It says he is great. Plentiful? tender, abundant. above the heavens and from everlasting to everlasting.
His grace is as far as the heaven is above the earth. That's how great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Listen to what Psalm 121 says. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, from whence shall my help come. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip. He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil. He will keep your soul. He will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. Summing it up, he'll take care of everything.
Absolutely everything. In John 1:16 of the New Testament, it says, For of his fullness have all we received. When we received Christ, we didn't get... part we got fullness. Jesus said in John 10:10, I am come that you might have life and have a little bit of it.
That what he said? No. He said, I am come that you might have life and have it. more abundantly. more abundantly.
In Romans 8:17, it says, We're not just heirs, but we're joint heirs with Christ. And all that God gives to Christ, He gives to us. Let me show you a wonderful scripture. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Just listen if you wish.
I'll read it to you. 1 Corinthians 3. 21. Listen to this statement, middle of the verse. For all things belong to you.
To who? to believers. You say, yeah, but that's a certain kind of believers. No, that was written to the Corinthians, who probably were on the lowest rung of the ladder. Very sinful people in many ways.
They had come to Christ, but They hadn't really been obedient in many areas. And nevertheless, he says, all things belong to you. You see, it is the nature of God to be generous. And when God gives salvation, it is the fullness of salvation. It is grace upon grace.
It is mercy upon mercy. It is all that God can give. Then he goes on to say Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all things belong to you. Paul belongs to you, Apollos belongs to you, Peter belongs to you, all the great teachers. The world belongs to you, life belongs to you, death belongs to you, things present belong to you, things to come belong to you, everything belongs to you, and then here's the cap: and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Wow. We're all wrapped up in whatever God and Christ possess, we possess. We possess the world. God made it for us. We possess life, spiritual, eternal life in Christ.
We possess death to die is gain for us. We possess things present that encompasses every element in life, everything in this life, everything we experience: the good, the bad, the pleasant, the painful, the joys, the disappointments, health, sickness. God gave it all to us to work together for our Good. And we possess things to come: eternal reward, the glories of heaven, the new heaven, the new earth, the millennial kingdom. And we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God, and it's all wrapped up in the same package.
Wow. What incredible Incredible thoughts. No wonder back in chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians verse 9, Paul wrote, That eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and it hasn't even entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. Listen, dear friend. You and I only use a very, very minute portion of all of the grace that is ours in Christ.
Your eye hasn't yet seen it. And your ear hasn't yet heard it. And your heart hasn't yet conceived all that the Lord has granted to you in Christ. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. In verse 8.
brings this to focus. And God is able to make all grace abound. Yeah. That always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. What an overwhelming statement.
Absolutely overwhelming statement. Let me give it to you again. God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. Do you have all you need? Yes, you do.
You have more than you need. You have all grace superabounding, overflowing, so that you are always completely sufficient for everything, and you have an abundance for every good deed. The word sufficiency appears here. Atarkia. The word means self-sufficiency, to be self-contained.
It means to be independent of external circumstances. It means particularly to be independent of the services of other people. Isn't that interesting? That, as a believer, there's a sense in which you're not dependent on other people. You are self-contained and sufficient.
In other words, you have within you grace upon grace upon grace in Christ abounding to every need of life.
So that you are sufficient. Always for all things. And the apostle then is clearly saying that the believer by divine grace is made self-sufficient, made competent and capable to meet the demands made on him and her. We look at life and we see everything in life and we see all the trials and troubles of life. Listen, there is no reason if you're a Christian to imagine that you're not sufficient.
You always have all sufficiency in everything. Why? Because a generous God has dispensed a superabounding grace which you have not yet even conceived of, let alone. Used Hear it in these words, Ephesians 1.3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
We have it all. He's blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Every spiritual blessing. In chapter 2, verse 7. He says, in the ages to come, from salvation on and throughout eternity.
We will Experience the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Grace upon grace upon grace. In chapter 3 of Ephesians, Verse 17. He says I want you to be rooted and grounded in love, and I want you to be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth. I mean, can you get a grip on what you have?
It's breadth and height and length and depth. You get weary, don't you, of Christians wandering around looking for something more? More what? Look at Colossians chapter 2. Verse 8.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Don't let anybody capture you to the human system.
Now listen to verses 9 and 10. For in him that is in Christ, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.
Now look at this. And in him you have been made complete. What a statement. What an absolutely marvelous statement. In him You have been made.
Complete.
Now, in spite of all of this revelation. about God's amazing generosity. Nobody writes about that. And in spite of all of this revelation about God's amazing generosity, Christians. still think God was stingy.
And he may have given them salvation grace, but not enough grace to be sanctified, or maybe enough grace to be sanctified, but not enough grace to be glorified. You might lose your salvation. Or he maybe gave you enough grace to be saved, and enough grace to be somewhat sanctified, and enough grace to be glorified, but not enough grace to handle your problems. You've been cheated in terms of the resources necessary for life. Beloved, that is an unthinkably thankless attitude toward a generous God.
Listen to the words of Solomon, who was wiser than a lot of people in this world. In Ecclesiastes 3.14, he said this, here's something I know. I know this, that everything God does will remain forever. and there's nothing to add to it, and there's nothing to take from it. That's good.
Whatever God gave you, you can't add to it. And you can't diminish it. Are we sufficient in Christ? Or do we lack Resources. Do we need more of Jesus?
Do we need more of supernatural power? Do we need some kind of human help?
some kind of therapy, some kind of psychology. Beyond scripture. Good. Thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm eighty four: eleven.
Nothing's missing. You say, well, why do so many people doubt that?
Well, one reason people doubt it is because they're not really saved. They don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, so they are insufficient. They just think they're saved. Another reason people doubt it is because they're ignorant. They don't know what they have.
And that's why Paul said to the Ephesians, I want the eyes of your understanding to be enlightened, so you'll know what is the riches of his grace. Another reason some people don't experience it is, even though they're truly saved and they are sufficient. And even though they may be well taught and know they're sufficient. They're not walking uprightly. And so the resources are there but not available.
But for the true Christian and the obedient Christian. there is complete self-contained sufficiency. Think of it in these terms: Romans 8. This is very, very strong. Romans 8 and verse 32.
Listen to this. He who did not spare His own son. but delivered him up for us all. Stop there. He's talking about God.
God didn't spare his own son. God sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die on a cross for our sins. All right. If God didn't spare his own son. Which was the most he could give, right?
The most he could give. Paul says. How will he not also, with him, that is with his son, freely give us? all things. Here's his reason.
If God gave us the most, the sacrifice of his own son. How could we imagine that he would hold back the least? The good things which the death of his son purchased. That makes sense? If God gave us the most, He wouldn't hold back the least.
You say, oh, yes, God gave me his best gift. The Son, forgave my sin through the sacrifice of the Son, but he won't give me enough. Peace to handle this situation. No. Now if he gave you the best, will he hold back the least?
You see, all of this speaks of the great reality that in Christ we are sufficient. that we have a sufficient salvation.
Now I'm not discounting Fellowship. I'm not discounting the wisdom in mutual care and kindness and counsel. But I am saying when it comes to spiritual resources, we are by the indwelling Spirit, through the miracle of salvation, self-contained, sufficient believers. Salvation isn't a stingy gift. Matthew 22, 4.
Jesus likens Salvation to a wedding feast. And the reason he used a wedding feast. Was because it was at a wedding feast when everything was done lavishly. When you became saved, it was God dumping lavishly on you what a. What a person would do at a wedding feast.
You remember in Luke 15, when the prodigal came home. Pictures the sinner coming to God. What did the father do? Father said, get the Best robe. Get a ring on his finger.
Get sandals for his feet, kill the fatted calf, start the music, let's dance. This is a celebration. That depicts salvation. It isn't God saying, well, here's salvation, but don't expect more. It's a full-blown, lavish wedding feast celebration with everything that God could possibly dispense.
That's how God works. All of that leads us to verse 3. You didn't know that, but it does. What does verse 3 say? Seeing that His divine power has granted to us what?
Everything pertaining to life and godliness. As Peter introduces this marvelous letter, He is talking about our salvation. Being sure of our salvation is the first. Place to take your stand against false teachers, and false teachers are his main theme. But he starts out talking about our salvation, which is where we take our stand against false teaching.
He's already talked about the source of our salvation in verse 1. He's talked about the substance of our salvation in verse 2. And now he's talking about the sufficiency of our salvation in verses 3 and 4. And it is, frankly, one of the greatest statements in all the pages of Scripture.
So let's talk about the sufficiency of our salvation. We can't say everything that ought to be said. We don't have time for that. But I want to give you a few words to hang your thoughts on, all right? As we look at these two verses, they just literally ought to cause us unending joy.
When we see the immensity of our sufficiency in Jesus Christ. The first word I want you to put down is the word power. Power. These words will just take us through these verses. Seeing that his divine power, now power is the source of our sufficiency.
Whatever sufficiency has been given to us is because of supernatural energy, not because of our power, not because of anything we did, not natural power, not human power, divine power.
So, Peter begins with a well-founded assurance that in our salvation benefits, the power of God is in full operation. Boy, what a thought. Paul said it this way.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can Ask or Think according to the power that works. In us. What power? The power that raised Jesus from the dead. Resurrection power operates in us, and we can do what we can't even think, we can't even speak.
Divine power. His divine power. His Probably goes back to modifying Jesus our Lord. The power of the Lord Jesus. You say, well, maybe it could go back to God.
It could, except he probably wouldn't use the term divine because if he was referring back to God, it would be enough to say his power, since inherent in the word God is. deity The fact that he adds divine is probably Leading us to assume that his goes back to Jesus our Lord, whose deity someone might question. And so he says, Jesus, our Lord, and it is his divine power. His divine power. Beloved, the Christian can never experience a power failure.
You hear that? You can get unplugged. And you can turn the switch off, but the power never fails. Can't. It's there.
Divine power, the moment you put your faith in Jesus Christ, divine power is granted to us. For Christians The word granted, I wish we had some time to look at it more closely. It is a word. Compound word. in the perfect tense, which means That God has generously granted to us permanent power.
Something he gave us in the past with continuing results. There can never be a power failure. These things are not naturally found in us. They have to be given. And Jesus, our Lord, by divine power, generously, continuously gives joy.
them to us. You're listening to Grace to You, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur. The title of John's current study, Myths About Salvation.
Well, thinking about the generous nature of God that we saw in the lesson, for some people, maybe even for you. These are difficult days, and circumstances are making it hard to see the generous aspect of God's character. That brings to mind some encouragement John once gave to believers who might be struggling to trust God during trials. These comments are still timely, so let's hear what John said. When I think about trusting God in the midst of trials, I always think of James chapter 1, where James writes, Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
for the testing of your faith produces patience, and patience has a perfect work. We don't learn much in our prosperity. We do learn much in our trials. It is the means by which God grows us into Christ's likeness. Trials are God-ordained opportunities for growth.
God-ordained opportunities for growth. But if you're going to benefit from the trial, you have to bring the right attitude to it. and the right attitude is not to be fearful or worrying or anxious, And I would like to help you to be able to accept the trials that come your way and see the hand of God in the most beneficial path. And to do that, I'd like to remind you about a book called Anxious for Nothing. You know, the Bible says, be anxious for nothing, don't worry.
And that's the title of the book, Anxious for Nothing. It's a book that can help you deal with the things that trouble you. And we all have those things, don't we? It takes you through the basic principles found in the Bible for getting past your fears and your worry. It'll show you how to cultivate contentment.
Wow, isn't that a blessing Yes, that is a blessing. And friend, on days when you're struggling with trials and you aren't even sure how to pray, John's book, Anxious for Nothing, can be a great help. This practical book can help direct you out of your fear and uncertainty. Order a copy when you contact us today. Anxious for Nothing costs ten dollars and fifty cents and shipping is free.
It comes with a study guide in the back that will help you apply what you're learning to your life. To order a copy of Anxious for Nothing, go to Gty dot org or call us at eight hundred fifty five GRACE. That's our website one more time, gty.org. and our phone number 8005 GRACE. When you visit our website, you'll also find thousands of free resources.
You can download more than 3,600 of John MacArthur's sermons free of charge in MP3 and transcript format, and that includes John's current series, Myths About Salvation. You'll also find daily devotionals, Grace to You television, blog articles, and all of these resources can help deepen your understanding of scripture. and enrich your worship. If you're not sure what to try first, click on Grace Stream. That's a continuous loop of John's teaching through the entire New Testament.
Our website again, gty.org.
Now for the entire Grace to You staff, I'm Phil Johnson. Join us as we continue John MacArthur's series Myths About Salvation with a look at all that God has given you in Christ. It's another half hour of unleashing God's truth. one verse at a time on tomorrow's grace to you.
