Father, we come before you this morning and just thankful to you, O Lord, that we are able to meet. Thankful to you, O Lord, that you have made this possible. Lord, we thank you for this place. We thank you for this gathering. We thank you, Lord, that you have ordained this day in order for us to meet with you and you meet with us. So blessed be your name, O Lord. Help us, Father, in this study this morning, Lord, to see more of this precious faith that we have, this righteous Savior that we adore, and this grace and peace that is multiplied to us, O Lord. I do thank you very much for this letter written in 2 Peter. Lord, it's a blessing, and I just pray that we may be ones that hear these things, understand these things, and grow in the knowledge of you. We thank you, Father. We thank you for the Son. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Help us now. Help me as I teach, Lord. Give me strength, clarity. Lord, and just the same for the hearers. We thank you. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen. This morning, we'll begin 2 Peter. The last study was just an overview, introduction to the book of 2 Peter. Today, we will but cover two verses. We're not going to take a deep dive into it, We're on our way. How about that? 2 Peter 1, verses 1 and 2. Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Amen. You know, this morning as we begin this journey, this journey on this timely second letter of Peter, the one who is a bondservant and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, We see Simon, referencing himself as Simon Peter. Simon Peter. It is the same Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, the very one who denied the Christ. Peter. The one who has been restored by the very one that he denied. Becoming the man of rock. From a Simon to a Peter. as it was for Jacob, Israel, Saul, Paul. But I say timely, a timely second letter, not in the sense that the word of God was silent and not speaking truth or not relevant throughout the ages until now. What I mean by timely, I mean because in the midst of what's happening in the world around us, the Lord in his great providence would have us studying this letter in this present time. And so in a world that is not too far removed from the world, the recipients of this letter we're living in and experiencing, our world is very, very similar. Sure, our technological advances, our way or style or comforts of life surpasses theirs in a sense, But we must remember that the heart of man has not changed. Sin and wickedness still corrupt the heart of man as rust to metal. Not to mention that the prince of the air, the ruler of this earth, he hasn't shifted in focus nor purpose. He is a thief that steals or robs the minds of the young and the old that are in Christ in order to kill their faith and to destroy them ultimately and finally. If you remember at the end of the book of 1 Peter, the warning that he gives, the roaring lion who wants to devour, to swallow you whole, not only to kill but destroy anything that remains so that faith, hope, and love have no part in or of you. Anything to distract the sheep from hearing the wise words and following the sure steps of the good shepherd. And as it was in their day, so it is in ours, to hearken back to the triad that I just mentioned of the faith, hope, and love. Faith is being challenged or shaken. Hope feels like yesterday, and love's temperature is dropping. And so it is evident in the letter that Peter is addressing the problem of false teachers who employ and teach heresies. And although he brings to light some of these false teachings, he is more concerned in this letter really to draw out their false or their wicked character or fruit. This is something that we'll get into some more as we advance or progress in this study. But notice the approach that Peter takes early on in the letter to help these saints and us as well. As was mentioned in the last Bible study, which gave an overview of this letter, we can see that his mode of operation in this first chapter before addressing the problems of the false teachers in chapter two is to encourage the saints, really to encourage and to challenge the saints. for them to know who they are and what they are to be about in the midst of these challenges that they find themselves in. Remember, they are suffering from without. This is the same group of people that Peter wrote to in the first letter, the scattered saints, the suffering scattered saints, right? And so they're suffering from without, and now we find that there are pressures from within to compromise the faith. But here in verses 1 through 11, they are encouraged to pursue holiness in the Christian life, to be all the more diligent to make certain about God's calling in choosing them, God's election of them, God's electing them. Peter does this by way of reminder, and he says this. His purpose while he remains on this earth is really to stir them up in the way of reminder, in the things that pertain to life and to godliness. And of course, all of that, of what he will mention throughout the letter is included in that. For them to ultimately grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A very common theme throughout the letter, as I mentioned earlier in the overview study, knowledge, to know. We'll cross that word very often. But think about it this way. Why is he encouraging them to know, to gain knowledge, to grow in knowledge? Well, how else are they, how else are we going to stand firm in the faith that is being attacked? How else will we stand against false teachers and their teachings? But by knowing what we know and growing all the more in the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that's how. And so here in the beginning two verses, we find actually a rich introduction to the letter. One in which Peter covers much in just two verses. But to break it and borrow from Lloyd-Jones, he says, you must know what you have and then you must add to it and increase it. Peter does just that in these few verses. He's reminding the saints what they have, how they have it, and how they are to grow in it. it being or referring to faith. Remember, if the enemy can cause us to stumble in our faith, to begin to believe the lies that come out of his mouth, then we will begin to question what God said and who God is. Which in turn, it results in a mind that is confused without knowledge and not desiring the things of God. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he says, Paul nailed it. And although he is now in heaven with Christ, that fear still remains. And it rings through really throughout the ages of the church. Well, I have broken down the study this morning into three different headings or categories that we can build off of. One, being the precious faith. Two, being the righteous Savior. And three, being multiplied grace and peace. So we have precious faith, righteous Savior, multiplied grace and peace. We've got to remember Peter is reminding and encouraging the saints in these areas right from the beginning. And Thomas Schreiner actually summarizes these few verses very well as he says it has such central themes that appear later in the letter. They appear here as well, the centrality of faith in the Christian life, the saving righteousness of God, the primacy of Jesus Christ, and the importance of knowing God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, if we think about this precious faith, we think about this faith that is unique, that is one of a kind, that holds a certain value, a certain honor, It is precious, but you may be wondering, where is that word precious found in the text? Well, it's not in the NASB, it's not in the ESV, but we'll get to that. But for now, let us turn to the faith that Peter mentions, the faith that Peter mentions. There are two different ways that faith can be understood within this passage. He says, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours. Well, some take it to mean the faith as it pertains to or belongs to a body of doctrine, a truth, a teaching, a set of beliefs, the Christian faith, the faith, the faith that which was once for all handed down to the saints as mentioned in Jude 3. But the other view is more of a, I would say that's more of an objective view. This other view would be more of a subjective view. or subjective faith. In its most simple and basic form or meaning, it really is a personal faith or trust in God for salvation. It is a believing faith, a faith that believes the very gospel, the good news that the beautiful feet brought. It's a faith that comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. It is a saving faith. It's a redeeming faith. It's a faith that doesn't disappoint. Listen to what Paul has to say about this faith. He says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He says, for with the heart a person believes. resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. There is a righteousness and a salvation for those who believe and confess the Lord Jesus Christ." But not only that they confess the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is Lord, but that He has risen, that He's risen from the dead. You know, the statement of the two women, the statement of the two men that were clothed in dazzling clothes, And when the two women came to them at the tomb, the statement stands true today, a most wonderful announcement of the risen Christ. What do they say? They say, why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. In the tomb, among the dead, that's not where Christ belongs. And that's what they're saying. He is the living one that gives life, that gives life everlasting to those who believe, to those who have faith. But the mystery of mysteries regarding this precious faith, why me? Why you? Why the recipients of this letter? Why or how is it that I was able to believe and not others? It must be because I was in the right frame of mind or more intellectual or smarter when I heard the gospel. Or maybe it was because of hearing the gospel repeatedly that I finally said, I might as well give it a try. Or maybe yet I was overcome with enough emotion, maybe because I said the sinner's prayer or repeated after someone a nicely packed prayer. Or just maybe it was me finally getting my life all fixed up and allowing Jesus to come into my heart. That's all wrong. All wrong. We must see that on our own, this is what Peter's getting at, we wouldn't and couldn't have ever come to this precious faith if it were not something given to us by God himself. This is what Peter is saying, you see it there, that this letter is written to those who have received a faith. Not the faith, but a faith of the same kind as ours. In other translations, it is a faith that has been granted, it has been given, it has been allotted, it has been obtained. The word Peter uses there carries the meaning to obtain or receive something as a portion, by lot, by a divine will. So we are to understand, as Paul so clearly established, that by grace we have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. This faith is profound. This faith is unique. It is not something that a human being can achieve or conjure up. It is divine. It is of God. So don't misunderstand though, this gift of faith. That God doesn't believe for you as if your mind went offline and then all of a sudden you come back online and you are clueless to what just happened. We have a part, but not the part. We must understand that on our own, we can never come to the knowledge of saving faith if it were not for God. for the God who is rich in mercy, for the God who is great in love, for the God who has made us alive together with Christ, who has raised us up with him, who has seated us next to him in the heavenly places with him, so that we may be trophies of his rich grace and kindness toward us in and because of Christ Jesus. He's done it. He's opened up our eyes to the reality of sin and the need of a Savior, all while being rebels and enemies of God. We know these things, brethren, but what should this drive us to be like? What kind of people ought we to be, knowing this, of what Peter says, that we are of those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours? We ought to be the most joy-filled people upon this earth. We ought to be the most content people upon this earth. We ought to be shouting from the housetops who this great God is. We ought to be the humblest, kind, gentle, and loving people on this side of heaven. This faith that we have been given, as Peter will actually expound in these coming verses, it's going to change the way you live your life. It's gonna change the way you know Christ. But what about this adjective, this adjective that describes the word faith, precious? Well, as I said, that word is actually translated such in the King James Version. In the NSV, it's a faith of the same kind as ours. In the ESV, it is a faith of equal standing with ours. I personally like the word precious, and Peter does as well. However, it most likely is better translated as the same kind or equal standing. Even though I like precious and I'm probably going to use it, know that the word really means more so the same kind or equal standing. You know, precious brings out the intrinsic or great value of the gift, which is still valid. But the equal standing portrays the reality that there is not a faith that results in something greater in status than another, but one that brings all people under the rule and headship of Christ. There's equal standing as it pertains to our relationship with Christ. Well, this is one of those words that is used only once, as I mentioned in the introduction to 2 Peter, throughout Scripture, although it is often used during that time. Josephus, Philo used it in their writings, classical Greek writings, they used it as well. The Greek lexicon actually carries the meaning of being equal in honor or value. Or simply put, equal like, of the same kind, or value. It was often used in the royal court, for example, to denote equality with superiors, with kings, with persons of rank. But as it pertains to the readers and us, this faith is special in that it has equality in honor, value, and privilege. By the way of comparison, Peter adds the pronoun our. same kind of faith as ours. He's stating that the faith that you scattered suffering saints have received by the will of God is of the same kind that we as the apostles and or Jews have received. There's a debate between, is it ours referring to him and the apostles, the disciples? Is ours referring to the distinction between Jews and Gentiles? We really don't know what Peter's saying there. It could mean one or the other or both, but nothing less. The results are the same. There is no distinction. There is no division. We are all one in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you could be in the middle of a jungle or in the big city. You could be one who has committed horrible and wicked, evil sins, or one who has been brought up as a respectable young boy or girl. You could have lived during the time of the apostles, or you could have lived a thousand years from now. It doesn't matter. When it comes to this faith, we are all on equal standing, equal privileges, equal honor as it relates to Christ and our salvation. I like the way that John Calvin put it, and it's a little bit longer of a quote, but I think it really gives insight into what Peter's saying here. He says, Peter calls it like or equally precious, not that it is equal in all, but because all possess by faith the same Christ with his righteousness and the same salvation. Though then the measure is different, that does not prevent the knowledge of God from being common to all, and the fruit which proceeds from it. Thus we have a real fellowship of faith with Peter and the apostles." There isn't just one that has received this faith that is more justified than any other. No, we all come from the same mold, entitled ungodly. And yet by faith, all who are in Christ stand in the same relation to God, justified. I know how many more truths there are that we can mention that makes this faith so precious. Forgiveness of sins, we have peace with God, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have strength in this life, and we have a living hope for what awaits us in the future, heaven, to be with our Christ. and so much more, but how can this be? How is it that we have received this faith? What is the source of this faith? What is the source of this salvation? What is the means or the ground of this faith? And Peter answers that, and what makes this faith most precious is that at the very center of it all is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we have been granted this precious faith. And it is to the second point of our righteous Savior that we turn to. But before we look at who Christ is, the four aspects or four titles of Christ that Peter brings out in just these two verses, we must first attempt to establish what Peter is stating as the source of this faith. the grounds, the means. You know, many commentators, as it pertains to the word righteousness, and as it pertains to that word, many commentators have concluded that the righteousness that Peter is referring to is God's fairness, His righteous or justice in giving equal salvation. So this has more to do with the moral uprightness of who God is. And they see the term of the same kind, Isotemos says, supporting this view. You know that we're equal in honor, equal in privilege, equal in standing, and this is because God is a God who is equal to his people in his uprightness. In other words, the fairness of God. And as one commentator who supports that view puts it, he says he refuses to make distinctions between the various recipients of his mercy and his love. Although I agree with that statement, I would have to disagree with the conclusion that the righteousness of Christ mentioned here in verse 1 has to do with the moral uprightness of God. Thomas Schreiner, who also carries that view, brings out the reason quite well when he mentions that the phrase, through the righteousness of God and Savior, actually modifies the participle received. Something is being accomplished here, is what he's saying. Because of the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we have received this faith. It is because of the grace of God, the gift of God. This is also something that the context supports in itself. And Peter will unfold for us in verses 3 and 4. And so we can conclude and state that the source of this faith, this salvation, this privilege or equal standing is because of the righteousness of Christ that is imputed or attributed to us. One of the reasons. This is what the righteousness that Peter is talking about here. And so God has granted us faith and the righteousness of Christ. And listen, if faith is the faith that justifies, that's the faith he's talking about. In other words, if we are justified by faith, then the only way that it would make sense for us to be justified is because of or through the righteousness of Christ. Not because God is morally upright or fair, although he is, but it is because of what Christ has accomplished. It's what Christ has done. It is because of the cross. It is for those who have faith in Jesus. And that is why Paul mentions in Romans 3.26, for the demonstration, he says, I say, of his righteousness at the present time that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Well, there it is. God is just and a justifier because of the righteousness of Christ. I mean, what else can make us acceptable before God? What else can cover my sins but the righteousness of Christ, clothed in his righteousness? But now I want us to see another important aspect of all of this. You notice the sentence structure or construction that Peter uses of the name of Jesus there. And Peter is not talking about the righteousness of God, but the righteousness of Christ, who is God. How many of you have heard of Granville Sharp? Okay, we have a couple. Okay, three. The person, Granville Sharp. Okay, he was an abolitionist that worked with William Wilberforce in abolishing slavery in England. That's a quick summary of his life, okay? Real quick. How many of you have heard of the Granville Sharp Rule? Probably the same three people. Okay, good. Granville Sharp Rule. I think I'm going to quote Daniel Wallace on just giving a quick example of what, of who Granville Sharp was and how he came to this world or what this world means actually. He said that as he, Granville, studied the scriptures in the original, he noticed a certain pattern. Namely, when the construction which consists of article, the article, noun, chi, which is and in Greek, noun. So that would be article, the, noun, chi, and noun. When that construction appeared within the Bible, it involved personal nouns which were singular and not proper names. They always referred to the same person. He noticed further that this rule applied in several texts to the deity of Jesus Christ. Now one needs to be careful though with this rule as it can be carried too far. As a side note, just Unitarianism. But as a matter of fact, Wallace believes that the strongest and best use of this rule to support the deity of Jesus Christ is actually found here in 2 Peter 1.1 and in Titus 2.13. And so we read here that Peter is attributing deity to Jesus. Even the pronoun our actually supports this view that Jesus is God. If this wasn't Peter's intention, then all we need to see or look to is the very next verse, and we see a different construction there. He would have written it as such, the knowledge of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord, where two articles exist. More so, this pattern, this Granville Sharp rule, or this pattern, It follows well the rest of the references Peter mentions throughout the letter. In 2 Peter 1, verse 11, he says, it's the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In 2 Peter 2.20, by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3.2, the commandment of the Lord and Savior. 2 Peter 3.18, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But we must see beyond that. We must see that Peter really can't get through two verses without mentioning the wonderful truth of this righteous Savior. This is evident. He calls out Jesus as God, Jesus as Savior, Jesus as Christ, and Jesus as Lord, just in the very first two verses. Think about that for a moment. Jesus as God. Jesus is God. He is not the Father. There are titles of God, actually, throughout the Old Testament that describe Him as a shepherd, as a bridegroom, as a vinedresser, as a rock. Christ came to do the Father's will, not His own. In John 17, we have one of the clearest and most wonderful pictures of the relationship between Jesus and the Father. After the resurrection, Thomas wasn't corrected in the statement that he made in saying, when he saw the Lord, the risen Lord, he says, my Lord and my God. Christ was to be named Emmanuel. God is with us. And in a particular situation, we know of the Jews, the Pharisees, grabbing stones in their hands to stone him because he was claiming to be God. So Jesus as God. But what about Jesus as Savior? Our Savior? Peter mentions Jesus, our Savior, even in the four references I just read, he references this title of Christ very often throughout this letter. Although it's not used very often throughout the rest of the New Testament, it's quite often used here. And as he does, he highlights the three tenses of salvation. As one commentator actually put it nicely, he says that Peter says that we have been cleansed from our past sins, as he looks back to chapter one, verse one, of the present tense, Christians have escaped the corruption of this world. by knowing the Savior. And of the future, we know that the delay of the second coming of Christ is because our Lord's patience means or is equal to salvation. That's what it means. He's being patient because he desires for men to be saved. And really, of the last one, the future, Peter focuses most on that last meaning of salvation throughout this letter. The final and full salvation that awaits all who are in Christ because He saves to the uttermost, Jesus our Savior. But this Jesus, this Savior, He is truly the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. His name shall be Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Scripture is pretty clear on who this Savior is and what He has accomplished. We are to just really remain in awe of who He is, and we should really just cry out, hallelujah, what a Savior. But what about Jesus as Christ? You know, many today, if Christians included, wouldn't even know what Christ actually means. You would ask somebody, well, that's just his last name. No, it's not his last name. But there are many who don't know what Christ means. Sadly, very sad, many use it in the very wrong way, the name of Jesus Christ. You know, one commentator makes note that this combination of Jesus and Christ is so normal today that it is difficult to recapture how radical it must have seemed to Peter and the other first Christians as they used it in their teaching and praying. Christ in the Greek carries the meaning of the anointed one. In the Hebrew, it carries the meaning of the Messiah. He is the long-awaited one that would fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that are spoken of him. That he will be the one that will bring restoration and hope to the people of God. He's the one that would fulfill the purposes of God the Father. When Jesus asked his disciples, who do you say that I am? Peter's response, of course, Peter's response. But Peter's response was not something that was commonly heard or spoken. It was, at that moment, more like a revelation, a new understanding or insight into who this man, Jesus, really is. That he is the Christ, that he is the Son of the living God. And thanks be to the Father who has revealed that to Peter. And Peter, on the day of Pentecost, he carries that even further, as if that was in his mind, of what his testimony was, that the Father had given to him. But Peter affirms that, and he says this, he says, God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Lord and Christ. He is the Christ. He is the anointed one, the set-apart one, the set one from God. He is a long-awaited Messiah. The Old Testament speaks of Him. The New Testament testifies of Him. He is the Christ. And lastly, in the end of verse 2, we come to Jesus as Lord. And this particular title, though, is really evidence that again points to Jesus as God. For the title of Lord is used throughout Peter as referring to both the Father and Christ. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word Lord, or Kyrios, is the standard translation for the Hebrew name of God, Yahweh. It is said that to call Jesus Lord, a commentator says, is among the people who knew their Old Testament, was to say that Jesus was present all the way through the history of Israel as their covenant Lord. He is the Lord of the new community. And this description of Jesus raises him above the human level. It is the mention of Peter at Pentecost making that wonderful and deeply theological statement. He says, There it is. Peter doesn't give any room Not one inch of wiggle room, no excuses. This is who He is. Too many today try to pin Jesus or have Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. It doesn't even make sense. It isn't an either or type of relationship here. He's either your Savior and Lord or nothing at all. He saved me and He rules over me. My allegiance is to the King who saves. My obedience, my praise are to the Lord whose love constrains me. He has full claim on my life, for He alone purchased it. There's an interesting observation that a scholar makes that 2 Peter was written to people who claim Jesus as Savior, but do not obey Him as Lord. And that appears to be the reason why the writer, Peter, significantly combines the roles of Lord and Savior. Well, we need to see Him and worship Him as God. We need to see Him and worship Him as Savior, as Christ, and as Lord. All four of these titles that Peter draws out in these two verses are not insignificant at all. And as we proceed through the study, I think that we will begin to see more and more of this. It will be more clear to each of us, along with the fact that we are to be a people that grow in the knowledge of Christ. And I move to the last point here, and that is the grace and peace that is to be multiplied. Grace and peace to be multiplied. It is important for us to see that this faith of the same kind that we have received through the righteousness of this wonderful God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is something that we experience as God's saving grace through faith. We need to see this, that we enter into a state of no condemnation, that we are at peace with God, that we are justified, that we are declared righteous. However, Peter tells us in the beginning of verse two that there is more. You ever think about that? It doesn't just stop at justification. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. What manifold wisdom is that? What richness of mercy and grace that He not only saves us, but multiplies to us more grace and peace as we grow in the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Simply amazing. This is really beyond any normal greeting of any letter in that day or in our day. This is profound. It is packed with encouragement and truth for us this morning. And so what are we to understand from this? Well, simply put, it's this. Grace and peace come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. Not only come, but are multiplied. That means it's increasing. Peace cannot precede grace, for it flows from grace. Grace as in the unmerited favor of our God, as we just read, in the giving of faith, in the righteousness of Christ, and what Peter will unfold in the verses that follow, the things that pertain to life and to godliness. All of this is to result in peace. Peace with God in our standing or position with God. Peace of God in our living. And we should be a people that press on towards this experience of grace and peace until, as it's written in Ephesians 3.19, until we are filled with the fullness of God. Which means until we reach our final destination. What knowledge is this that Peter's writing about here? Remember, this term is used quite often within this letter, and there are actually two different terms used to describe knowledge, one which we are familiar with, and that's gnosis. The other, Peter uses, is epikynosis. There are some who would associate epikynosis with a deeper knowledge that focuses on the knowledge that leads to or is gained at conversion, as opposed to a more general knowledge attained, humanly speaking. Without pressing the meaning too much, though, for in certain areas where the two words are used, they overlap in meaning, one thing we can say for certain, there is indeed a greater knowledge given or available to those who are in Christ as compared to those who are not in Christ. At the very fundamental or basic understanding, there is a knowledge of our sin and the need of a Savior. For we know we cannot save ourselves. We need someone greater. We need the great one of God. And so as Paul mentions to the Corinthians, he says that there is a great light that has shone in our hearts. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God that is found in the face of Jesus Christ. He is that light. So here, Peter is bringing out that there is a knowledge that is wrapped up in the multiplication of grace and peace that goes beyond the intellectual. It is not simply knowing about this God. There's more. It is to be known by this God. It is to be in communion with Him and through His Word and in prayer. To know Him in such a way that it changes your lifestyle or your way of living. There is a commitment to the way you live that wasn't there prior to the knowing Him or gaining the knowledge of Him. This is something that Peter will begin to unfold for us in the verses that follow. So for now, we're actually going to end there, as I will touch up on verse 2 as we go through verses 3 through 11 there. So amen. May the Lord help us in this. Let me pray. Father, we do come before you, and we are grateful to you, O Lord, that your kindness has not been absent, your goodness is ever upon us, and that you have called us, you have given to us by your divine will this precious faith, Lord, that we are ones that are recipients of the righteousness of Christ, and that he is our Lord, he is our Christ, he is our Savior, he is our God. Lord, we thank you that we, in this Christian life, this Christian walk, this pilgrimage, that we are not left alone, but as we know more of who you are, as you reveal yourself through Scripture, and we gain more knowledge of who you are by the power and strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, grace and peace is multiplied to us. Oh, how wonderful. Let us grasp that, Lord. Let us pursue that, Lord, to know You more. In the name of Christ, Amen.