Author: John Johnstone

Sermon: Sunday, 10th May, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Our studies in 2 Peter are drawing to a close with just five more verses to go. And these last five verses contain five exhortations – five things which God is urging us to do in our lives. All of these commands of God flow out of the truth that our lives are not our own to do with as we please; rather, we are made by God, and for God, and will be held accountable to God on the day when Jesus returns to earth at his Second Coming. We looked at these great truths before; God will judge the living and the dead; the earth will be purged with fire and then God will renew the earth with a magnificent and perfect world – heaven on earth. This will be the home of righteousness, and no impurity or sin will ever enter it. This future world, our forever home, ought to shape our present lives now.

1. Pursue holiness

Because we are destined to live in a world of perfect righteousness, we should prepare for that life by pursuing holiness now. ‘So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.’   (2 Peter 3:14) We’ve seen this phrase before in Peter’s letter; ‘make every effort.’ This means we need to give ourselves fully to the lifelong pursuit of becoming more and more like Jesus each day in our characters. We’re not supposed to be lukewarm in following Jesus, or moderate or just follow him when we feel like it or when his views align with our own. This is something full-on and God calls us all to follow Jesus with rigour and energy and enthusiasm and diligence. Make every effort. Do you do this? Will you do this?

Before take-off, an astronaut prepares and trains hard because he is going somewhere with entirely different conditions. Astronauts spend long hours in enormous underwater training pools because water partially simulates weightlessness. They practice movements that would seem unnatural on earth because they are preparing for another environment. The Christian learns holiness now because we are preparing for a world where righteousness is natural and sin is foreign. Astronauts follow disciplined routines: exercise, endurance training, technical study, repeated simulations. They do this, not because discipline earns them a trip to space, but because they are going there. Christians do not pursue holiness to earn a place heaven (we cannot earn that), any more than an astronaut trains to earn a trip to outer space. They train because the destination is already set. Holiness is training for our eternal home.

Yes, we know we can never reach perfection until Heaven. But Peter says we are to strive to ‘be found spotless, blameless.’ This is another way to command us to be like Jesus, by following him closely and doing the things he did. He is our example. Peter describes Jesus in the same way: ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’   (1 Peter 1:18-19) This means that in every area of our lives, at work and home and church and at leisure, we are to continuously practice getting rid of things which displease God and implementing that which pleases him. Peter describes false teachers as ‘blots and blemishes’ who just follow their own evil desires. (See 2 Peter 2:13) Friends, just because you have a desire to do something does not make it right. We all have evil desires and when they come, they must be resisted, and resisted in the strength of God.

‘… make every effort to be found spotless…’   (2 peter 3:14) We will be found by God himself, when he returns. How will he find you? What sort of person will you be? Will he find you pursuing selfish desires building up your own empire? Or will he find you busy with the Kingdom of God? Imagine you are going to a wedding in a week’s time and come out with a massive spot on your face. You’d do all you could to get rid of it. You don’t want to spoil the photos! Or the grey hairs come and we might dye them. How much more should we get rid of moral spots in our lives!

Imagine students in a flat getting an inspection from their landlord. Wouldn’t they want to impress so that they can get their deposit back, or stay there the following year? The person in charge is returning, and they want things to be in order when he does come. ‘And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.’   (1 John 2:28)

Michael Green: ‘All down through the ages it has normally been the case that men who have their hope set on the returning Christ have lived holy and attractive lives.’

Michael Green: ‘There is, moreover, one further quality which the expectation of Christ’s return should bring, a deep sense of peace. The Parousia (2nd Coming) will be a day of vindication. It is by allowing his mind to dwell on the return of Christ that the Christian will regain a sense of balance and proportion, however difficult his present circumstances, and the peace which passes all understanding will take root deeply in his heart’.

In other words, we can enjoy peace now knowing that when Jesus comes back, he will right all wrongs and set things straight. We don’t need to carry that burden.

2. Make the most of your opportunities to tell others about Jesus

‘Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…’ &nbsp: (2 Peter 3:15) As we saw last time, the reason Jesus’ return has been delayed is not because of slowness on God’s part, but to give sinners the space and opportunity to turn from their evil ways and seek God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. So, when you go to work tomorrow, and interact with unbelievers, God is giving you an opportunity to share with them, before it is too late for them. This is a sobering thought and a considerable responsibility for us. ‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’   ( Matthew 24:14)

Here is a simple question: are you praying for opportunities to speak to other people about Jesus? What about the 10 people we are praying for on our bookmarks?

Angus Macleay: ‘Peter’s priorities are godliness and the gospel. We are to get ourselves ready to meet Christ and help others get ready to meet him too’.

3. Be lifelong students of the Bible

Peter mentions the writings of the apostle Paul in such a way that it is clear they were already regarded as part of holy Scripture: ‘… our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.’   (2 peter 3:15) It’s also fascinating to read that Peter found some of Paul’s writings hard to understand – perhaps he is thinking of parts of Ephesians or Romans! This should make us think, if even the apostle Peter had to wrestle with Paul’s writings in order to truly understand them, how much more ought we to do the same.

We need to have a life-long devotion to deep Bible study. We will get very little from the Bible if we merely dabble in its teaching now and then. If we want to grow in any field of expertise, whether at work or a hobby, it always takes a lot of effort. It requires work and study. Why should growing in the knowledge of God be any different? We don’t just wake up one morning with an amazing Bible knowledge. This is another reason why the practice of family worship is so key for our children, so they grow up with a broad understanding of the Word of God.

4. Don’t get sucked in to false teaching

‘His [Paul’s] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.’   (2 Peter 3:16) Be warned: many people twist the Bible. They all offer all kinds of things in order to justify their own positions, and repeat arguments they’ve heard, but to distort God’s truth is a serious business. For example, people say things like ‘Jesus never said anything about gender dysphoria or homosexuality or premarital sex’ as if that means Jesus approves of such things. This is twisting Scripture. Why? Because Jesus says, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.’   Matthew 5:17-18) In other words, Jesus agrees with all the Old Testament teaching on gender and sexuality. ‘Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.’   (2 Peter 3:17) Let’s be honest, we are surrounded by moral teachings which are contrary to Jesus’ teaching and Biblical teaching and are under enormous pressure to cave into the popular views of the age. Peter is saying to us – the Bible is God’s Word, so study it closely and do not deviate from it. Be steadfast in the truth of God.

5. Grow in grace and knowledge

‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’   (2 Peter 3:18) When babies are born, there is a natural expectation that they need to grow and develop. They need milk and love and exercise and warmth to do so. They experience different things, learning to crawl and then walk. The same is true in the spiritual realm. We are born again as brand-new Christians. But then we must grow and continue to grow. And to do so we need spiritual nourishment, protection, exercise and knowledge.

Ultimately, this growth comes from God, but we need to consider what makes us grow, what conditions are necessary, and then ensure that we are found in places which will nurture our growth. If we do not take this seriously in an ongoing way, then we will stagnate spiritually and experience stunted growth.

We don’t often think about this, but even Jesus had to grow in grace as a human being. This means we can look to see how he developed and model ourselves on that. He is both our example of spiritual growth and our source of power (by his Spirit) for growth. ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’   (Luke 2:52) As Jesus grew in grace, he developed more and more of the fruit of the Spirit in his life. And we also see him developing in his obedience. Yes, he always obeyed his Father, but this obedience culminated in his obedience to death, even death on the cross. This leads to a crucial question – how did Jesus grow in this way?

In one sense, the answer is not ‘rocket science’. Jesus grew as he searched the Scriptures, as he devoted himself to prayer to his Father and through Christian fellowship. Of course, if we are to grow in grace, we must focus on exactly the same things. Jesus’ grasp of the Bible is seen in his temptation in the wilderness. As Satan tries to tempt and trap Jesus, how does Jesus respond? With Scripture! He quotes again and again from Deuteronomy.

It is clear he loved the Word of God and memorised it. Most of us will be familiar with the way Jesus had regular periods of prayer in his own life, in spite of being busier than any one of us here.

S Ferguson: ‘There were times of intercession – there was so much for which he had to pray. But there were also times of fellowship and loving communion with his Father… in prayer, Jesus drew on the resources of God… As he kept his heart in tune with God, his love and devotion to him gained in energy and power.’

And through the gospels, we see Jesus choosing 12 apostles to be his companions, taking them with him, asking them for prayer support and sharing his life with them. We also see Jesus enjoying the Christian company of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

S Ferguson sums up the channels of Jesus’ growth beautifully:

‘Knowledge of God’s Word; communion in God’s presence; fellowship with God’s people. These are the means by which Jesus grew in grace. Have we begun to use these same means?’

‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen.’   (2 Peter 3:18)

Sermon: Sunday, 3rd May, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-13

Why is what we believe so important? It is because our beliefs are what lead to our behaviours. Our Biblical convictions are the foundations of our character. Let’s keep this connection between our beliefs and our behaviours right at the front of our minds this morning.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, there’s a helpful contrast made between the false teachers and the true disciples of Jesus. The belief of the false teachers is that Jesus is not coming back again. There is no Second Coming. And this leads them to evil behaviours – to sexual immorality and following their own evil desires. They live as if they have no accountability. In contrast, true Christians believe in Jesus’ promise that he shall return to judge the world and save his people. This belief leads to the behaviour in verse 11; we want to live ‘holy and godly lives’. What a difference in behaviours! And it is our beliefs which make all the difference. This contrast makes it clear that we must make sure we believe that which is true and good.

Let’s briefly recap what we looked at last week. Peter explains to us that the false teachers mock and deny the reality of Jesus’ future return so that they can continue living in their sins. They prefer to live in the darkness and do not want to come into the light as then their deeds will be exposed. Peter proves from Scripture that God has intervened in judgment throughout history and has the power to do so again. He has the right to judge us all because the is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. God, then, has both the right and the power to judge. No one else does. The false teachers had been claiming that life on earth is cyclical and will just continue as it always has done. But they are wrong. Jesus’ delay in coming back as Saviour and Judge does not mean that he is not coming at all. He will come at exactly the right time. We just don’t know when that is.

This leads to the question: why has Jesus not yet returned? Perhaps you have thought about this question too. After all, the earth is full of human beings who are killing and exploiting one another. There has been 100 million people killed in war in the 20th century alone. If God cares and is all-powerful why would he not come back and stop all the evil immediately? Why is he taking so long? Is he too weak to act? Is he disinterested? Has he forgotten us? In this important section of 2 Peter, Peter outlines 2 reasons Jesus has not yet returned.

1. God does not look at time in the same way that we do

‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’   (2 Peter 3″8) In other words, it might seem from a human perspective that God is taking far too long to usher in his justice, or it might seem like he will never get around to answering the cries of injustice from his people and righting all wrongs. But we must try and see this from God’s perspective; from God’s perspective it is not so very long.

My view of time has changed over the years. I cannot believe I will be 50 in a few weeks. When I was younger, I remember people saying that time seems to go faster the older you get and I think this is true. I cannot believe I will soon just have one of my children at home. Where does all the time go? With God, he exists outside of time, and for him, 1000 years is like a blink of an eye. From God’s perspective, there is no slowness or tardiness or indifference.

In the Lord of the Rings, the wizard Gandalf says to Frodo: ‘A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.’ How much more can this be said of God. Adam and Eve (and all humanity) received a promise from God in Genesis 3:15 that one day someone would come to crush the head of Satan. It took thousands of years to happen. But it happened. Abraham and Sarah are promised a child in their old age. It took 25 years and they grew impatient, but it happened. We need to learn an important practical lesson here: we need to trust that God’s timing is different from ours. And we need to trust that even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered, they are. Will you trust that God’s timing is better than yours?

Why has Jesus has not yet returned? There is an even more fundamental reason.

2. God is patient, and longs for the guilty to turn to him in repentance

This is a most wonderful truth. This means that Jesus has not yet retuned in order to give those on the earth the space and the opportunity to turn from their rebellion and turn towards God in repentance and faith, in order to be saved. This speaks to us of the very heart of God; in God’s heart there is a longing for the guilty to come to repentance. We should think about the patience of God more than we do.

Let’s pause here to listen to some other Bible passages which speak of God’s patience.
‘And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…’   (Exodus 34:6-7) What is the context of this verse? God had set his people free from slavery in Egypt and provided them with food and water, but they had responded with rebellion, complaints and even worshipping a golden calf. In spite of such a wicked response, we hear of the Lord’s compassion and patience. He is slow to anger.

Even at the very beginning, God promised Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree they would surely die. And they did. But God delayed his judgment to give them space to repent. And before sending the flood in Genesis 6, the Lord waited 120 years, and during those many decades, Noah preached to his neighbours.

Stephen Charnock: ‘God sends heralds before he sends armies.’

God always warns before he judges, so that he will not need to judge, if people repent and believe. Such patience! In Isaiah we vread how judgement is not God’s preferred action: ‘The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon — to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.’   (Isaiah 28:21)

‘For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.’   (Lamentations 3:33)

‘This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’   (Timothy 2:3-6)

‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’   (Ezekiel 18:23)

Let’s go back to the false teachers. They want us to think that God is not really concerned with what is happening here on earth. We might as well live us we please, they say. But nothing could be further from the truth. God’s delay is because he is so deeply concerned with human beings. With wonderful and undeserved patience, he is waiting for people to repent before it is too late.

Imagine a tour guide in Edinburgh with a bus full of Japanese tourists. The tourist are meant to be back at the bus by 4:30 pm. Half of them do not return in time. What does she do? Does she drive off? No, she sends a few people out to look for those lagging behind. She delays the departure by over an hour so that as many people as possible can make it back to the hotel. She is determined to help as many people as possible. In a sense, that is what God’s delay is like. Eventually, time will run out and judgment will come. But the Lord delays, giving us every opportunity to make it to Heaven.

Thomas Adams: ‘The patience of God is greater than the wickedness of man.’

3. Getting right with God is an urgent matter

If you are not yet a Christian, understand that now is your opportunity to turn away from your rebellion against God. Now is your chance. Take it. Get on your knees and pray for forgiveness and God will forgive. Whatever you do, do not take God’s patience for granted. For one day, it will come to an end. Listen to Paul’s words in his letter to the Romans; ‘Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?’   (Romans 2:4) Let’s be clear about this marvellous truth: in God’s heart there is a longing for the guilty to come to repentance. Friends, if that’s what God’s heart is like, then our hearts ought to be like that too. Are you slow to anger? Are you quick to forgive? Or are you prone to holding a grudge? Let’s mirror our God.

Why is there so much urgency to get right with God now? As we’ve said, God’s patience with us will not last forever. He does give us space to repent, but if we stubbornly refuse it might be too late to do so. Getting right with God is also urgent because we do not know when Jesus will return. It could be very soon. We do not know. But what we do know is that he will come unexpectedly. ‘But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.’   (2 peter 3:10) Thieves never announce the time they are coming to our homes. They don’t give advanced warning: ‘lock your windows and doors as I am coming on Friday at 11 pm’. You could die any day. Jesus might return at any time. All this means one thing: you need to get right with God now.

4. What will happen on the Day of the Lord?

‘The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.’ (2 peter 3:10) This is highly cataclysmic and apocalyptic language describing the end of the world. It is as if the very sky will be rolled up like a blanket. And the sun, moon and stars will be burned up.

It reminds me of the words in Isaiah; ‘All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shrivelled figs from the fig tree.’   (Isaiah 34:4) What does it mean that the earth will be laid bare? I think it might be referring to the purging of the whole earth with fire. It is a reminder of how temporary everything on the surface of the earth actually is. Remember the words of Jesus to Peter in : ‘Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’   (Matthew 19:28) This purging is positive Yes, the earth will be destroyed by fire but then it will be renewed. It will exceed our best imaginings and will be free from evil and sin and suffering and Satan and cancer and fear and coffins and tears. It will be wonderful.

Let’s conclude thinking through some of the implications of the Day of the Lord. There are many. It means history is not going round and round in endless circles. It is moving towards Christ’s appointed end- the renewal of all things- a perfect people in a perfect world with our perfect God.

God’s judgment of the earth is not merely destructive, but rather restorative. The fire of God is not presented as cosmic vandalism, but as the holy cleansing that prepares for the ‘new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells’.

Believers need not fear the final Day. For those united to Christ, the Judge is also the Saviour who bore our judgment already. The Day of the Lord is therefore both solemn and hopeful.

This future hope ought to fuel our perseverance. Peter is writing to suffering and pressured believers. The promise of a righteous new creation strengthens endurance amidst injustice and decay.

God’s final purpose is a world where righteousness dwells. Not merely where righteousness ‘visits occasionally’, but dwells. Our longing for holiness, justice, peace, and communion with God will finally be satisfied.

Sermon: Sunday, 26th April, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-7

Is there a final day of reckoning for all human beings or not? Is there a day of Judgment? Will Jesus come back to save those who trust in him and punish those who reject him?

Here are some more connected questions. Does it really matter how you live your life? Does it matter what you do when no one else is watching? Will there be ultimate consequences from God for how we live? Is there justice in the universe, or do our evil deeds not really matter? Should we just live life pleasing ourselves and eat, drink and be merry or should we live to please God. Can we ignore God and his ways and get away with it? These are weighty questions. But that’s because we’ve arrived at a weighty passage in 2 Peter 3. Ultimately, it all boils down to this: either we will all be judged by God, in which case our relationship with him is vital, or there is no ultimate judgment, in which case our actions have no lasting consequences.

Both cannot be true! What is the truth? Jesus says to Pilate: ‘Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’   (John 18:37)
He also says, ‘Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.’   (John 5:28-29) Friends, Jesus is coming back both as Saviour and Judge.

How many CCTV cameras are in the UK? Over 5 million. That’s one for every 13-14 people and one of the highest proportions in the world. This means that, in urban places, you are very rarely out of view for very long. Imagine that for one week all surveillance disappeared. What would happen? Crime would spike overnight. It’s a sad but well-known fact that without accountability, people start doing what they want. This means that the presence of these cameras does change our behaviour much of the time. We know they are there and bring accountability, so we are less likely to commit crimes. But here’s the thing- there is no there is no blind spot with God. There are no gaps in coverage. There is no forgotten footage.

‘His eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step.’   (Job 34:21)

1. A truth to remember

Peter is once again reminding God’s people of something really important: Jesus is coming back and you will have to give an account of your life to him. Why is Peter so concerned to remind us that Jesus is indeed coming back? It’s because there’s a battle for our minds going on all the time.

There are scoffers who say the idea of final judgment is just nonsense. (2 Peter 3:3) We are surrounded by such people in Scotland today, so it would be easy for us to go with the flow and just believe we can live any way we choose. Because so many people mock the idea that Christ will come again in glory and power, and because so many people are just ignorant about this fact, we urgently need to remind ourselves of this core truth.

It is famously expressed in the Apostles’ Creed, a short and simple summary of our faith: ‘On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead’.

‘Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.’   (2 Peter 3:1) If Jesus is returning, then we ought to consider that every day.

In verse two, Peter reminds us to recall the words of the prophets. What did they say in the Old Testament about Jesus’ return? There are too many passages to turn to, but let’s focus on one example.

In Isaiah chapter 66 we read: ‘15 See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the Lord…
18 And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory…
22 ‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’says the Lord’.

In verse two, Peter also speaks of a command given by Jesus through the apostles. I think in the context of Jesus’ Second Coming, this is likely his general command to be holy as he is holy. If there is a day of reckoning, then surely this ought to motivate us to live carefully day by day, in God’s strength.

Why do we need to come to church regularly and keep reading the Bible? To be reminded of the truth. This morning, we are being reminded that the Day of the Lord will bring salvation and judgment. Why do we need reminders? Because like it or not, we get moulded by the culture around us, and our culture is one where increasingly God is being squeezed out of society quite deliberately. Don’t think that fails to have an impact on you. It will cause the faith of many to wobble. We’ll get so caught up living in the here and now and living for material things that we’ll forget the unseen realities. Many Christians are already becoming embarrassed about talking about Jesus’ first coming, and what that means, far less his Second Coming. Mockery is designed to silence us.

Peter is reminding you and reminding me that Jesus is coming back. What difference will it make to keep the 2nd Coming in our sights? Consider 2 Timothy: ‘Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.’   (2 Timothy 4:8) We should long for Jesus to return. Do you?

Lord Shaftsbury was a 19th-century evangelical aristocrat who was driven by his faith in Christ and his belief in Second Coming. What difference did it make to him? He limited child labour in factories and founded Ragged Schools for the poor. At the end of his life he said: ‘I do not think that in the last 40 years I have not lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord’s return.’ I wish I could say the same.

2. A warning that we will be mocked

In verse 3, Peter says ‘above all’ – in other words, this is a really important warning: ‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come.’ Peter does not say scoffers ‘might’ come.

I was recently reading about how Jesus was mocked before his crucifixion. He was taunted and spat upon and dressed up like a king in order to be ridiculed. ‘They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.’   (John 19:2-3) We are Jesus’ followers and can expect many to mock us for standing up for truth.

What will these mockers say? ‘They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.   (2 Peter 3:4) In other words, they are saying: ‘The sun rose this morning and will set this evening just as it did yesterday and just as it will do tomorrow.’ This is the mockery of ‘naturalism’ – a world without God. This is a circular view of history which expects the seasons to go round and round forever. But history is not circular. It is linear – it has a beginning when God Creator the Heavens and the earth and it will have an end point when Jesus returns. The false claim is that everything will carry on just as it has always done. This is incredible similar to what our young people are taught at school and university – that we are products of time and chance and our only goal is to pass on our genes. This false philosophy is the air we breathe.

What is the real reason for their mocking and denouncing Christian truth? Actually, it’s their sinful desires. What’s the logic? Why would sinful desires drive unbelief? Because if there is no judgement then it means that I am free to live as I want, without boundaries and accountability. I can do what I think is right. I’m in charge, not God! My desires and needs and wants are all that matters.

‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.’   (2 Peter 3;3) Melvin Tinker considers just how secular society has become, where matters of faith are deemed to be irrelevant. He quotes the social scientist Philip Rieff to capture the modernist outlook: ‘What characterises modernity, I think, is just this idea that men need not submit to any power – higher or lower – other than their own.’

3. How do we know the scoffers are wrong?

How do we know there is a Day of Judgement? There are 2 reasons.

1. God created the heavens and the earth. In verse 5, we read: ‘But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being…’ We know that the earth has not always been there; it had to have a Designer. And we know it did not come about by mere time and chance. There is too much order and structure and design for that to make sense. The earth had a beginning and it was when God said: ‘Let there be light’. It is the powerful voice of God that makes things happen. God is the Creator and is above and beyond us. He began history. He has continued to intervene in this world. And one day he will bring it all to an end. You might scoff, but it is inadvisable to scoff the Creator and Judge. Here’s the heart of the matter: when God says something it happens. He spoke the world into being and he will speak commanding its end too.

2 God has already demonstrated that he is a God of justice who will judge all. Remember Noah and the worldwide flood. This is a simple but powerful argument: if the Flood account is true, and it is, then it’s likely that God’s character continues to be one of justice and fairness and righteousness and that there will be a day of accountability for us all. The story of Noah and the flood is a powerful reminder that God is a God who will judge sin.

If we have any doubts about that, the best place to focus on is the cross itself. At the cross, God judged his own Son, not for his sin, but for the sins of his people. If you ever want to understand how serious your sin is in God’s eyes, look at the cross. Our sin necessitated Jesus experiencing the white-hot anger of God. Do you still think the scoffers are right and that God won’t judge? He is both a God of love and justice. It is right that God is angry at sin. Our sin harms others, harms ourselves and worst of all, is a great offense to God.

We know the scoffers are wrong because they are unreliable whilst the Word of God is always reliable. Let’s hear these verses from the ESV (English Standard Version) to hear Peter’s logic: ‘… the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these [water and God’s Word] the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.’   (2 Peter 3:5-7)

Peter moves from a past judgement, the flood, to a future judgment, the end of the world. Both come about through the utterly reliable Word of God. We must learn the lessons of history. God has already intervened in human affairs in judgement, and he will do so again. Before the wonderful new and perfect world is created, this current one will be destroyed by fire.

Angus Macleay: ‘We see in Scripture that God has steered the world through judgment to salvation by his Word in the past, so we can be confident that he can do so again in the future. The Lord always works through his Word.’

However, Jesus has not yet returned. Why? ‘The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.’   (2 Peter 3:9)

Next time, we shall explore the patience and mercy of God together. In the meantime, let’s prayerfully seek to live each day mindful that God will bring us all to account. Justice will be done. The wicked will be lost and those whose hope is in Jesus shall be saved.

Sermon: Sunday, 29th March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-22

Wherever you get something good and helpful and wholesome you usually find people making fake or counterfeit imitations in order to make money. For example, in low and middle-income countries it is estimated that 10% of the medicines are counterfeit. Even in the UK, if you buy medicines from unregulated online pharmacies, that proportion jumps to closer to 50% for certain drugs. As you can imagine, this causes great damage to many people, sucked in by cheaper prices and taken in by false advertising. What should happen to people getting rich by exploiting ordinary people? We need to be continually warned about the dangers of fake goods.

This morning, Peter is flagging up a far greater danger than even counterfeit medicines and that is ‘counterfeit Christianity’. Imagine you are someone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith in Fife today. You don’t really understand much about the different kinds of churches out there so just google ‘churches in Kirkcaldy’ and up pops 20 different suggestions. It’s confusing to work out which churches would be helpful and which would be harmful. I suspect most people might assume that all of them would be helpful. Sadly, this is not the case. There are many places out there which call themselves churches and have that on their website and on their signage outside their building and yet, they are not true churches at all but are counterfeits. The Lord Jesus is not truly followed in those places. These places suck people in and cause tremendous damage to individuals.

1. False teachers still exist and remain a danger for us today

Satan has been called the ‘great imitator’. We read in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth; ‘For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.’   (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

This is as true today as it was in Paul and Peter’s day. Even back in the Old Testament, you had the great and godly prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel. But you also had false prophets. They were really popular because, rather than telling the truth, they told people what they wanted to hear. Their messages were easy and comfortable and popular. ‘They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.’   (Jeremiah 6:14) The false prophets would say things like: ‘God is not angry with your sin – everything is fine – he’s a loving God after all’. And they would say this to people living any way they liked. And they gathered many followers.

Chapter 2 begins: ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.’   Notice something sobering here – where do the false teachers come from? The come from ‘among you’. We must not be proud and think that false teachers are on in the Mormon churches or Catholic churches or Jehovah Witnesses. They can appear anywhere. Satan is always attacking the church from outside through persecution, but he also attacks it from within through false teaching. Could false teaching arise from within Kirkcaldy Free Church one day? Of course it could! We must always be on our guard. We must always ensure that what is being preached follows the contours of Scripture. The Bible must always be our guide and not the opinions of people.

False teachers often work subtly: ‘They will secretly introduce destructive heresies.’   (2 Peter 2:1) They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They might say many things which are true and might seem charming people on the outside, but there is a lot more going on under the surface. In fact, they will often use and twist Bible verses to back up what they are saying. Unfortunately, they are often very successful at what they do: ‘Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.’   (2 Peter 2:2) They will make up stories to back up what they are saying.

For example, I could say something true, like, ‘God is a God of love’ and then follow that with something false like, ‘So he loves you as you are and you don’t need to change anything.’ This feels so accepting and we might like the sound of it. But it is false. Jesus says ‘If you love me then obey my commandments.’   (John 14:15) He calls us to repent of all that is wrong and follow him closely.

In Fife there are many churches which have so watered down and changed the Christian message that it is no longer Christian at all. It is just moralism. The people attending are seldom told about sin and where it leads. They are not told that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life but the exact opposite – that Jesus is one way amongst many. These churches ape modern society and the truth of God’s Word has been lost. Do not be naïve. Do not be sucked in. Go to a church where the Bible is trusted as fully the Word of God and where Jesus must be received as our Saviour and King.

2. What are these false teachers really like?

Verses 2-3 speak of their depraved conduct and their greed. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings…’   (2 Peter 2:10-11) This is not a positive description.

It’s interesting that they despise authority. Rather than submitting to God’s Word, which as we saw last time is what we are meant to be ‘paying attention to’, they reject anyone’s right to tell them what to do. They even reject the authority of Jesus himself. And they are confident that they can live without any fear of consequences. God will never catch up with them, so they think.

Take the false teachers in the prosperity gospel, for example. They falsely teach that God’s will is for us all to be healthy and wealthy in this life. Christ died to secure health, wealth, and success now, they say. But this is false. The reason Jesus died for us was to save sinners from wrath and sin, reconciling us to God. Appeals are made for money tied to promised blessing. Testimonies are given that encourage giving as a path to wealth. This is just what Peter is speaking about when he writes, ‘In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.’   (2 Peter 2:3) They seem to conveniently ignore the Bible’s teaching that this life is actually full of suffering and that glory is mainly in the life to come, in Heaven. And yet millions in Africa and the US and other places have been deceived.

When it comes to false teachers, Peter does not mince his words: ‘Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, revelling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed – an accursed brood!’   (2 Peter 2:13-14) Many of them are addicted to sexual pleasure and that is why they have distorted the truth of the Bible – so that they can do what they want. They are basically addicted to sinful practices: ‘They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’   (2 Peter 2:19) And even though they promise to help people, the truth is that they have nothing to offer people (v17): ‘These people are springs without water…’   (2 Peter 2:17)

Friends, this might not be a very popular passage of the Bible in 2026. It might not even be a popular sermon. But we need to be aware that false teachers have always existed and can arise even from within good churches. It’s not good enough to be fluffy and just say ‘they are different from us but they are harmless really and sincere’. Good parents warn their children of counterfeits, whether in terms of clothing, gadgets, medicines or catfishing and grooming on social media. Good churches will warn people against false teachers, those who seldom mention sin and the repentance and the substitutionary death of Jesus. We must keep away from them. Keep away from churches which deny that Jesus is God, or deny the Bible as God’s Word or the need for repentance and faith in Christ. They deny Jesus by living lives against Jesus’ clear commands and encouraging others to do the same.

These false teachers were never true Christians in the first place. How do we know? ‘Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’   (2 Peter 2:22) What is the problem with the dog and the pig? Their behaviour never really changes. They return to their lives of wickedness. Their behaviour does not change because their nature has never been changed. In other words, they have not been ‘born again’. They have never really trusted in Jesus the Saviour or believed he died on the cross for them, and they have never believed that Jesus is Lord and we must submit all areas of our lives to his authority.

3. God will judge the false teachers and protect and save his people

Thinking about just how bad the church in Scotland is can be overwhelming. It’s tragic how much false teaching takes place. And it is tragic how many people just accept it. Perhaps it is because we live in such a pluralistic society where tolerance is the new god. The idea of absolute truth has been rejected by many and this makes it harder for Christians to stand up for the truth, as revealed in the Bible. But we must! Because truth has been revealed to us by God. We cannot just make up our own! Many ministers deny foundational truths of God’s Word and like just as counterfeit medicines can destroy the body, so these counterfeit truths destroy the souls of those who get sucked in. This is a serious business.

Peter wants us to know that God is in control. He has not been caught off guard by false teachers. And he will treat false teachers with the condemnation they deserve. These teachers might deny the Day of Judgment, but Peter says plainly: ‘They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.’   (2 Peter 2:13) What evidence is there that they will be judged. Peter simply appeals to God’s track record – he is a God who will judge wickedness. He will deal with each one of them. Verse 4 speaks of God judging the angels when they rebelled. This is possibly a reference the angelic rebellion when Satan and others rebelled against God and were cast out of Heaven. Next, Peter reminds of the flood (verse 5). This was a global flood, where God judged the human race for its great wickedness, following many decades of warning from Noah, a preacher of righteousness. But the people would not repent. And the third example Peter brings is that of Sodom and Gomorrah. These were cities known for their wickedness. We read in Genesis 19 of their attempts to gang-rape Lot’s visitors.

Ezekiel gives more information: ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen.’   (Ezekiel 16:49-50) God eventually brought them to justice. Do you think God has lost his sense of justice now? These Old Testament events are warnings to the false teachers and all of us that God’s judgement is real. Wickedness matters to God and he will deal with it. He has done so all through human history.

Much more positively, Peter writes, ‘… the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…’   (2 Peter 2:9) The proof of this can be seen in God’s dealings with Noah. It must have been so hard for Noah and his family to maintain their worship of God and love for God when the rest of the world had turned their backs on him. But God kept Noah and brought him into the new world after the flood. In an even greater way, God will keep us today and bring us into the new earth, where righteousness covers the earth. Be assured that God will protect all those who trust in him. That is what he does.

Further proof of this is seen in God’s dealings with Lot. Lot was far from perfect, but his trust was in the Lord and the way people lived in Sodom and Gomorrah filled his heart with pain: ‘…for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard…’   (2 Peter 2:8)

No matter how bad things get spiritually in Scotland, think of what matters eternally, and keep living lives of faith in Christ and obedience to his ways. The true church will continue and prevail, not because of our strength but because God is a keeping God who always rescues his people. Remember, you cannot domesticate God. He hates wickedness. He is a God who will both judge rebellion but who saves those who trust in him, even though it cost him the death of his only Son.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:19-21

Let’s start this morning with some crucial questions. Is the Bible true? Is it reliable? Is all of it reliable or just some of it? How do we know? Does it even matter? And if it is true, what difference ought that to make to our lives? These are crucial questions but they are also exciting questions, because the more we dig into the evidence and the more we ask all kinds of questions of the Bible, we discover that we really can have confidence in the God’s Word. Every verse and every word of the Bible is God speaking directly to his world. This is wonderful news. God has not created us and then just left us without any explanation of who he is, who we are, and what he wants from us. In his wisdom, he has written to us, telling us everything we need to know.

But let’s be clear: many people attack the truth that the Bible is God’s Word. They claim it’s not trustworthy. This has always been the case. From the beginning of the world, Satan has been doing this.

The woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman.   (Genesis 3:2-4)

Here, Satan is attacking the truthfulness of God’s Word. The actress Wynona Ryder is Jewish but does not have much time for the Bible. She says: ‘Religion is fiction. I have read the Bible. It’s a great book but it’s a novel.’ I’m sure we’ve all heard all kinds of accusations against the Bible. For example, that its meaning has been lost in translation, or that it is full of contradictions, or that it is been altered by people wanting to control us, or that it has all been made up- like a novel! Some say it is just the ideas and philosophies of clever men trying to understand life. These accusations are false.

Before coming to our passage, let’s remind ourselves of why we need God’s Word. We need God’s Word because without an explanation directly from God, we could never truly know who God is, what our purpose is as human beings in the world he has made, or how we can be forgiven by him and have eternal life. I cannot read the mind of anyone in this room (I’m sure that is just as well) and you cannot read my mind. The only way you can know what I am thinking is if I reveal that to you. This is exactly what we need from God – revelation. We can look at the beauty and diversity of the stars and mountains and flowers and animals in this world and know there must be a Creator God, but that is not enough to understand what is going on. It’s like have lots of jigsaw pieces but no picture to tell us what is going on.

JI Packer: ‘Creation says not a word about redeeming love.’

If we are to understand him, God must communicate to us, and wonderfully he has done just that in the Bible.

1. What makes the Bible reliable?

‘For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’   (2 Peter 1:21)

This is a wonderful verse. Notice the balance in the verse – it says that the Bible is 100% human and at the same time 100% divine. This is because God was pleased to use humans in the process of writing the Bible, using their various personalities, backgrounds and experiences, but did so in a way in which he superintended the whole process, making sure he was in control from beginning to end. It says that the prophets, though human, were carried, or ‘ferried’ along by the Spirit of God. Picture a ferry carrying its passengers to a particular destination. That is what God did in writing the Bible – he carried the various writers along, empowering them, setting them down at the correct destination.

As wind drives a sailing boat along at the harbour, so God moved his human prophets to write down what he wanted them to say. However, God did not use them as human typewriters, but involved their own characters, research, eyewitness experiences and writing styles. The sailor is active, not passive – but the ultimate power and direction come from outside him. Without the wind, there is no movement; without the sailor, there is no shaped journey; God and humans together in writing the Bible.

You could also think about light spilling through a stained-glass window in a church. As the sunlight passes through the stained glass, the light is pure and unchanged in source, and yet the glass gives the light colour, shape, and pattern. In the same way, God’s truth is perfect, but the human authors give it distinct expression. Each book of Scripture is like a different window; the light is the same but there are different hues. All this means that the Scriptures are 100% the words of men, and therefore richly human – and 100% the Word of God, and therefore utterly trustworthy. ‘Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’   (2 Peter 1:21)

Sometimes we say that people have been truly inspired in their work. Perhaps a composer is inspired to write a beautiful piece of music or an author to write a great novel. But that is not what we mean when we say the Bible is inspired. In fact, it is better to say that the Bible is expired, which means it is breathed out of the mouth of God himself. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’   (2 Timothy 3:16-17) This tells us that the Bible is not just a mere collection of human ideas. Nor is it full of contradictions and mistakes. It is God’s message to you and to me.

Christians are followers of Jesus. What is his view of the Bible? ‘…Scripture cannot be broken…’   (John 10:35)

Donald Macleod: ‘The Bible, in the judgment of Jesus, has the authority of law: absolute and infallible authority. It can’t be wrong. It can’t be false. It can’t mislead. It can’t deceive. It can’t be violated. That is the Lord’s own testimony…
I cannot see how one can be loyal to Christ and yet defy him on something as fundamental as His view of the status of the Bible…
I believe in inspiration not because I can prove the Bible to be inerrant but because the Lord and his apostles attest it as being inspired, as coming to us through men carried by God and as having an infallible authority. It is on this self-attestation of God’s Word that we rest our doctrine of Scripture.’

2. How do we know Jesus is coming back?

We looked at this question last week, but we need to return to it. We believe that one day, we do not know when, Jesus will come back to judge the world, to set everything straight and to make a new earth for his people to dwell in forever. Is this all ‘pie in the sky?’ No, it’s based on evidence. Peter’s goal, in this section of the letter, is to convince us of the truthfulness of the 2nd Coming of Christ. How does he do it? Through evidence.

In a court of law today, evidence is weighed up, including eyewitness accounts and written statements. As we saw last week, what is fascinating about Peter’s argument is that he appeals to these very same things- eyewitness accounts and written sources. Last time our focus was on the eyewitness accounts but this morning it is on the written sources (verse 19): ‘We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’. The ESV renders the translation as: ‘And we have something more sure, the prophetic word…’ How can God’s people be ‘more sure’ now about the reliability of the Bible than they were in the past?

I think part of this is because we have seen so many Old Testament prophecies already fulfilled. For example, there are over 300 Old Testament prophecies about the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, made hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and yet each one of them comes true. This is why we can be ‘more sure’ that the prophecies in the Bible are reliable. So, when the Bible prophesies about Jesus coming back, we can logically conclude that this will happen because this has been the water-tight pattern with all the other prophecies. It was said Jesus would be born of a virgin and born in Bethlehem and he was. It was said 1000 years ahead of time that he would be rejected by his own, that his hands and feet would be pierced and it all happened.

It is extremely unlikely that the Bible would be right about all these hundreds of prophecies thus far and yet be wrong in its prediction of Jesus’ Second Coming. He will come again and take us to be with him. We can be certain about this. So, we know Jesus is coming back because of the eyewitness evidence of the transfiguration and also because of the written sources of evidence. Let’s be confident about all of this friends – the evidence is compelling!

3. What are the practical implications of the Bible’s reliability?

V19 gives us one immediate application: ‘…you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.’ The word to ‘pay attention’ to the Bible suggests to be devoted to reading the Bible over and over and putting its teaching into practice in our lives. It involves knowing our Bibles really well, so that whatever we are facing and whatever decisions we need to make, we can be guided by the Word of God. After all, we have already been reminded that the Bible is sufficient for all that we need: ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’   (2 Timothy 3:16-17) That is pretty comprehensive!

What happens if we do not pay attention to the Bible? Peter says that that the Bible is the only lamp to guide us in this life. Without the Bible, we are in a dark place, not able to grasp who God is or the worship and service he deserves.

Donald Macleod: ‘For the sake of our own souls we must know the full content of the Word of God. I say this because it seems to me that many of our most pressing problems in areas of personal faith are due simply to ignorance. Problems with assurance, problems of anxiety and problems in coping with such traumas as bereavement often stem wither from ignorance of Christian doctrine, or from a failure to apply it. The same is true of the church itself. Many of its problems are really problems in relationships, and these are often the result of a defective Christology. We simply fail to live our lives in the light of the fact that in Christ, God shows himself as the One whose nature it is to put the interests of others before his own.’

We should meet new the financial challenges of our church family being guided by Scripture. We should improve relationships with those we struggle with, guided by Scripture. We need the comfort of the Psalms and other passages in times of trouble. We can build our lives on Scripture. Most wonderfully of all, God meets with us in a personal way as we prayerfully read his Word and meditate on it. We are changed and live fruitful lives, like the tree in Psalm 1: Those who meditate on the Bible prosper… ‘‘like a tree that’s planted by a stream, and in due season yields its fruit; its leaves are always green’.

4. Other reasons we know God’s Word is God’s message

Only God’s Holy Spirit will persuade you that God’s Word is the truth. However, there are many significant reasons to believe this logically. Let me focus on a few. The evidence from ancient manuscripts. How many very old manuscripts do we have? Livy’s History of Rome has 20 ancient copies; Julius Caesar’s account of the Gallic wars has 20; Homer’s Iliad has 643; the New Testament has 25,000. The abundance of early manuscripts means that it’s easy to test its accuracy, and it is incredibly accurate. Sir Frederick Kenyon, once principal librarian of the British Museum said: ‘It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain, and this can be said of no other ancient book of the world’.

Then there’s the unity of the Bible. It was written by over 40 authors, in 3 different languages spanning 1500 years, and in many different genres. Remarkably, its message is marked by total unity, and not by disjointed contradictions which you might expect. Finally, 30% of the Bible is prophecy and these prophecies all come true. ‘You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.’ (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

Sermon: Sunday, 8th March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:16-18

How many points do you have on your driving licence? Let’s imagine motorists are beginning to speed more and more on the M90. Commuters are taking risks and serious accidents are increasing. The council decide to install average speed cameras. What would happen? This accountability would stop most from speeding. But then imagine a rumour on social media with many claiming the cameras are not actually operational and that they are just there to scare us into driving more slowly. You won’t really get fined by the police and points on your licence. Relax! Drive any way you want to. At first, a few people test it. They speed through and nothing happens. Then more drivers try it. Soon everyone knows. Within weeks the road becomes dangerous. People race through the junctions. Accidents increase. What has changed? Not the road. Not the cars. What changed was the belief that no one was watching and no one would hold them accountable. But imagine the council announces: ‘The cameras have been recording the whole time, and fines are being issued.’ Suddenly behaviour changes again. We get the point: accountability does not ruin society, but it protects it. The expectation of judgment restrains wrongdoing and encourages responsible living.

Think of another illustration. A teacher says she needs to step out the classroom for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, she hasn’t returned. Once pupil announces to the class that the teacher probably isn’t coming back for the whole period. What will happen in that classroom? Once people believe there is no return and no accountability, restraint disappears. But if suddenly the door opens and the teacher walks back in, the room instantly changes.

This is what is going on it Peter’s second letter. As we have seen over the last few weeks, Peter has been urging us to make every effort to live a godly life. He describes in detail the godly character we ought to have: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. Peter says it matters how we live and how we treat God and one another. It matters because we will all be held to account by God (v16): ‘For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.’   (2 Peter 1:16) The ‘coming’ of Jesus in power is what we call his 2nd Coming- or the Parousia. Either Jesus is coming again to hold us all accountable or he is not. We really need to know if this is true. Just like it is important to know if the speed cameras are operational or not. It changes everything.

1. Are we accountable to God for how we live?

Why does Peter feel the need to remind us that Jesus is indeed coming back again? One of the main reasons is because there are false teachers who are teaching the exact opposite.

‘But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves.’   (2 Peter 2:1)

‘Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’   (2 Peter 3:3-4)

The false teachers are more than relaxed about sexual promiscuity and the fulfilment of wrong desires. If you have an itch then scratch it, they say. Why? Because they think no one will be held accountable. How wrong they are. ‘For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity — for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’   (2 Peter 3:18-19)

What is true freedom? Is it doing what we want? ‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’   (John 8:36) Surely, to be free, we need to live in the way the Designer has designed us. Again, let’s be honest, either Jesus is coming back or he is not. But the answer to that question is pivotal to how we will live our lives. If we are not accountable to God, then live any way you want! If you thought how you lived in the present had no consequences whatsoever in the future, you would be likely to do as you pleased, whether right or wrong. This is very much the culture of Scotland in 2026. People scoff at the idea of being accountable to God. Many think Christians are wasting their time living in the light of a Day of Judgement when that day will never arrive. It’s just scare tactics to control you, they say.

However, if we are accountable – and we are – then it matters how we live. It matters very much indeed. Personally, I think it is obvious that Jesus will come back to judge the living and the dead. Were that not the case, great evil would be carried out across the world each day, and it would not matter. What kind of a God would ignore justice? If God is good and holy and righteous then of course it matters how we live.

2. How do we know Jesus is coming back again?

This leads us to a crucial question, how do we know this it true? This is Peter’s goal in this section of the letter – to convince us of the truthfulness of the Second Coming of Christ. How does he do it? Through evidence. In a court of law today, evidence is weighed up, including eyewitness accounts and written statements. What is fascinating about Peter’s argument is that he appeals to these very same things – eyewitness accounts and written sources.

For the rest of our time, I want us to focus on the eyewitness accounts. Clearly, the false prophets had been accusing Peter of making up stories to scare and control people. And so, Peter is at pains to say he is not making anything up. The teaching of Jesus’ Second Coming is not on a par with mermaids, the Easter bunny and the Loch Ness monster. The Greeks and the Romans had a plethora of made-up stories about their false gods. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are historical events in real space and time and his Second Coming will be just as real. They are not legends or myths or concocted stories. Rather, these are objective and verifiable events. They really happened.

Peter appeals to a different historical event to demonstrate the reality of the Second Coming – the transfiguration. This was the unique time when God the Father honoured Jesus by allowing his divine glory to be witnessed by Jesus’ closest disciples, Peter himself, James and John. Jesus’ face shone like the sun and his body radiated with glory, his clothes being dazzling white. Peter was there. He saw it. He was an eyewitness. This is what he is talking about in verse 16 when he says: ‘We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.’

Let us follow Peter’s logic. Peter has already witnessed first-hand the glory and majesty of Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. He would never forget that day. But how does this connect with the Second Coming? We might not naturally connect these things. But we should. Because the gospels connect them. All three synoptic gospels see the transfiguration as a foretaste of the Second Coming. The transformation which takes place at the transfiguration reveals Jesus is the glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His glorious and majestic nature and identity as none other than God come-in-the-flesh was revealed on the mountain. For almost all of his life on earth this was hidden. This unveiling of Jesus’ glory gives us a preview of what will happen when the King returns in glory.

Let’s hear the link between Jesus’ transfiguration and Second Coming in Mark’s gospel: And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’ After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.   (Mark 9:1-2) In other words, Peter’s glimpse of Jesus’ true glory on the mountain is all the evidence he needs. He knows Jesus will return in that same glory. And so, he knows it matters how we live and calls us to godly living! It is a powerful piece of evidence.

As well as being an eye-witness, Peter is also an ear-witness: ‘He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.’ (2 Peter 2:17-18)

One thing I love about the great events in Scripture is that God does not leave us to guess what they mean. He interprets them for us. So, for example, when the angels appear to the shepherds, they explain exactly why the birth of Jesus is such a magnificent occasion: ‘I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’   (Luke 2:10-11)

The transfiguration is also explained. God the Father is revealing the identity of Jesus as his eternal Son. He tells us that he is so pleased with the work he is going to do, dying on the cross for sinners so that they can be saved. This voice was the Father’s endorsement of all that Jesus was going to achieve on the cross. And Peter heard this voice for himself. And he is telling us he heard it. Peter, James and John are both eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses. The transfiguration was a forward-looking glimpse of the glory to be revealed at the Second Coming of Jesus.

3. We can have confidence this is true

Think about this- when the scoffers laughed at Peter and the other apostles and dismissed the Second Coming as a made-up story, do you think that had an impact on any of the Christians? Of course it did! When people mock our beliefs, it is easy to lose confidence in them. If we are surrounded by many who say that the works of God are just ‘fake news’ then that can start to get to us. Peter knows this. And so, he wants to strengthen our faith by reminding us that he has already seen Jesus’ glory with his own eyes. It is the scoffers who are wrong. It is they who conveniently deny the truth so that they can relax and live any way they want. But they are wrong. The 2nd Coming is a date fixed in God’s calendar. We have a reliable report from Peter, James and John. They were there.

The writers of the Bible were not inventing anything for their own agendas. How could they be, as almost of them were killed for believing these truths. It would have been easier to admit they were lying rather than be martyred for making up clever myths. That makes no sense. Listen to how Dr Luke begins his gospel: ‘Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.’   (Luke 1:1-4)

Let’s sum this all up. Peter knows the Second Coming of Jesus in power and majesty is true. How? Because he has already witnessed this same power and majesty on the mountain. His faith, and our faith, are grounded on historical and objective reality and not myths or legends. Our sure and certain hope and longing for Jesus to come back is rooted in a real historic event. It is going to happen. So, you better make sure you are ready to meet Jesus on that day. The only way to do this is to place your trust in him now. He is the King of Kings and it is a privilege to serve him.

Jesus will return to right all wrongs and set things right. It will be a glorious day. Those who truly believe in a future day of judgment and kingdom glory will live differently now. Getting ready for that day does not mean being obsessed do discover the exact date of the return (we cannot do that anyway). It means seeking to live a godly life. It means making every effort to do this!

Sermon: Sunday, 1st March, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:12-15

People need reminders. If a child starts walking to school and needs to negotiate a busy road, Mum or Dad will say again and again, ‘Be careful when you are crossing the road.’ We don’t just say it once, or even once a year, but repeatedly. Why? Because it’s important. It’s because we love our children. We might give someone the expert financial advice: ‘Never spend more than you earn.’ Some people need to hear this message more than once. During Covid, because of the deadly nature of the virus, I lost count of the number of times we were told to stay indoors, to wash our hands and to wear our masks. Sometimes a reminder is given and we ignore it. At each stop, Scotrail always announce that we should mind the gap and remember to collect all our belongings. Why I left my laptop on the train, I don’t know! Clearly, I wasn’t paying attention. We get the point: important things need to be repeated as they are so important and because we can be careless and forgetful.

In this letter, Peter mentions that he will soon die. (See 2 Peter 1:14)   He speaks about his body as a tent which will soon be put aside. What a beautiful reminder than our current bodies are only temporary and that one day in Heaven we will receive our ‘forever bodies’ which will be perfect. How will Peter choose to use his last words? He is an apostle of Jesus Christ and so we know he will not waste them. Will he bring us some new stories about Jesus that we have never heard before, or additional theological teachings? No! He wants to spend time reminding God’s people of core truths: ‘So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.’   (2 Peter 1:12)   In verse 13, he speaks of ‘refreshing our memories’ and in verse 15 that we will ‘be able to remember these things’. Peter clearly has a ‘reminding ministry’.

What does Peter remind us about? He says he will remind us about ‘these things’ which I think includes all that he has told us thus far in this letter. Two weeks ago, we focused on the wonderful truth that God has given us his divine power which supplies us with ‘everything we need for a godly life’. Last week we were reminded of the responsibility all Christians have to grow more like Jesus. We need to work hard at that: ‘For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control…’ (2 Peter1:5-6)   He reminds us (verse 9) that we must look back to the cross – we have been cleansed from past sins. He reminds us to look ahead to the future and to the welcome Jesus will give us in Heaven. He reminds us of glorious gospel truths – the most important things.

1. We need to be continually reminded of the core teachings of the faith

‘So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.’   (2 Peter 1:12)   Peter is deliberately repeating things the church family already know. Why? Because it is the primary things of the faith which bring us spiritual stability and rootedness. We all need to be firmly established and confirmed in the Christian faith. Think of a tree in extreme winds. If the tree has shallow and weak roots, then the wind will knock it down. However, trees that are well rooted have much more chance of withstanding a storm. The same is truth of the Christian faith. We need to have deep roots going into the ground so that when we hear false teaching we are able to recognise it for the evil it is and stay strong in the faith. Peter’s hearers had been repeatedly exposed to false teachers. All the more reason for them to ‘know their stuff’ when it comes to the truths of Christ.

If we want to spot a fake banknote then we should spend our time studying real notes, knowing their special marks and designs; then we will be spot a false note. In Christianity, we concentrate on grace and faith and sin and salvation, so that we will not be knocked of course by false teaching. In our church, we gladly repeat that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Some Christian truths are more important than others. Repeat them!

In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes, ‘I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again…’   (Romans 15:14-15)

And to the church in Corinth he writes, ‘Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.’   (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

The importance of receiving continual reminders is well-illustrated by the golfing great Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers of all time. What did this exceptional golfer do at the start of each season? Year after year, he went back to his first ever coach, Jack Grout, and said to him, ‘Coach, teach me to play golf.’ and Jack Grout would go over the basics of his stance and his putting and his grip and so on. That’s exactly what we need to do, spiritually speaking. For example, if we want to grow more like Jesus, we need to memorise the list we worked through last time: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. These are the primary things we need to focus on, in terms of Christian character. Are you doing that?

Peter wants to remind us of core truths. He wants us to go back to the basics. So does Paul. Jude also gets in on the act: ‘Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.’   (Jude 5)

As a minister, what is my job? Is it to bring new teachings to you which you have never heard of before, or is it, more often than not to remind you of things you already know? Often, we need to be reminded of what we already know. Because there is all the difference in the world between knowing what is good and actually doing it. I knew that I needed to grab all my belongings before alighting from a train, but I did not do it. We need to be stirred up by the core truths of Jesus. ‘I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder…’   (2 Peter 1:13 ESV)   It is the death and resurrection and coming again of Jesus which stirs us up to a life of holiness and love and evangelism and service and worship more than anything else. Peter knows this, and that is why he brings these reminders to us. When the apostle John was in his 80s and was too frail to preach, he was carried to the front of his church in Ephesus and on numerous occasions would give a mini sermon saying: ‘Little children, love one another. Why? Because this is the Lord’s command.’ Should we ever get bored of hearing such a sermon?

I think that there’s a great danger in listening to sermons and just thinking ‘I didn’t learn anything new today’ and going home disappointed. Of course, pastor-teachers ought to make an effort to preach in a fresh way; however, much of what we do is a ministry of reminders. For example, you hear a sermon on ‘husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church’. You might already know that but perhaps the Lord wants you to hear this message again and then go home and put it into practice. Living out the core truths is what godliness is all about, not trying to increase our speculative knowledge.

2. God knows just how forgetful we are

All through the Bible, God want to help us to remember the crucial things. For example, in Deuteronomy we read: ‘Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.’   (See Deuteronomy 5:12-15) So, part of the reason we rest each Sunday, each Lord’s Day, is to remember that we were once slaves to sin, but have been set free by Jesus Christ at a high cost – his death on the cross. We are so prone to forget this foundational fact, and so God, in his wisdom, has given a whole day each week to focus on such truths. In the Psalms, there is great emphasis placed on remembering the mighty work of the LORD in the past. ‘I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.’   (Psalm 77:11)

It can be scary just how quickly we forget things and take things for granted. When I have travelled to countries where you cannot drink the tap water, I am always so thankful when I get home to be able to turn on the tap and have a cool glass of Scottish water. But how long does that last for? Just a day or two! Then I take it for granted again and don’t even think about it. When we do this spiritually it is a disaster. ‘The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.’   (Judges 3:7)   In Deuteronomy, the LORD speaks to the Israelites who have just been set free from slavery in Egypt. It does not take them very long at all to pine for Egypt, to complain and to forget the goodness of God: ‘You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.’   (Deuteronomy 32:18)

That’s also why the Lord has given us the Lord’s Supper. ‘And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’   (Luke 22:19)   One massive truth we tend to forget is the second coming of Christ, when he comes to judge the world and usher in a perfect world. The Lord’s Supper also reminds is of this. ‘For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’   (1 Corinthians 11:26)

God knows all about us. He knows we forget, sometimes without meaning to and he knows we conveniently forget things because we want to go our own way. Friends, this makes the act of remembering core truths all the more important. Remember them at home on your own, in family worship, and by coming to church. I regularly run CCleaner on my PC. What is it? It is a system utility cleaning and optimisation software for computers and mobile devices. It removes junk files and temporary files, leftover installer files, and cookies. It frees up disk space by clearing unnecessary data. It helps to improve performance and can make a slow PC feel snappier by reducing clutter. In order to help us remember the most important things we need to learn to clear unnecessary information from our brains. Perhaps if we scrolled less on our phones and watched less TV, and instead focused on gospel truths a bit more, we would make more progress in godliness.

3. We need to be reminded of the truth

‘Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.’   (2 Peter 1:12)   We need a good diet of the truth of God, and we need to digest it each day. We don’t need to gorge ourselves on trivia or on things which don’t really matter. Notice that there is such a thing as ‘truth’. The things we are remembering are not opinions, but rather God-given truths which will massively impact our lives.

For example, we must live in the light of the fact that Jesus is coming back again to judge the world and renew the earth. This is not some made up fact but is the truth. ‘For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty.’   (2 Peter 1:16)   Peter saw Jesus being transfigured on earth. He saw Jesus’ face shining like the sun. This was a preview of the day when Jesus’ glory will be revealed once more – the Second Coming. Peter has seen Christ’s glory with his own eyes and so he knows Jesus is coming back! And Peter wants us to live each day in the light of that great day, living for the glory of God.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd February, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-11

In this passage, Peter wants us to ‘make every effort’ to do something. What have you chosen to ‘make every effort’ to do recently? Perhaps it was to lose weight, or finish a project at work, or decorate a room, or develop a friendship. I’ve made considerable effort to try and socialise and train our puppy, with mixed results. But it took time and hard work.

What is it that God, speaking through the apostle Peter, wants you to make every effort on? We read: ‘For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.’   (2 Peter 1:5-7) In other words, Peter wants us to make every effort to work on our Christian character. He wants us to be growing and developing in Christlike character qualities.

Peter is not asking us to try a wee bit harder. This word ‘make every effort’ means to do something with great earnestness, haste and zeal. Peter is passionate that we focus on our Christian character. He wants this to be a massive focus on our lives, and not something relegated to something we spend little time or effort on. He wants us to try our hardest at being godly. What does godliness look like? It looks exactly like the list of these 8 qualities we find in verses 5-7.

1. Becoming more like Jesus takes considerable effort

If I want to become fitter, it doesn’t just happen by itself. I need to eat the right things and make sure I exercise properly. It takes time and effort. Godliness is the same. We don’t just wake up one morning and look in the mirror and think, ‘I’m godly now.’ Becoming more like Jesus is hard work and requires us to make ‘every effort’ to do so. Friends, this is simple and yet profound. The obvious question is, are you making every effort in this area? Or are your time and energy all going to work and family and entertainment and physical health? This is a challenging question for us all. Perhaps we are not determined to grow in this way as we undervalue the power and importance of Christian character.

Before we get too upset about another thing we are supposed to be doing, I want us to see the wonderful balance Peter gives us in this passage. Yes, we are to make every effort. However, as we saw last week, ‘… [God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life…’   (2 Peter 1:3) So, when it comes to becoming more like Jesus, it’s not just down to us. There’s a balance we need to grasp: God has given everything we need for a godly life and so now we need to get on with using those resources in our daily Christian walk. We are to make every effort, but Jesus gives us his power to enable us to do so. This is synergy. It happens when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. What resources has God given us? Daily prayer and Bible reading is the obvious foundation. And hearing God’s Word preached and putting these teachings into practice is also vital.

Angus Macleay: ‘Our growth in godliness is all about the continual cooperation between Christ and the believer.’

Think of a godly person you know. Do you think they just woke up like that one day? Of course not! The godly people we know have all worked hard on their Christian character. They have been prayerful and keen on reading and understand and putting Scripture into practice and they have fought hard against wrong desires, desires which never go away this side of eternity. Godly people who have been lazy with these things do not exist. They have made every effort.

Think of how a sailboat works in the wind. Of course, a sailboat cannot create the wind and yet relies upon it. Without wind, the boat goes nowhere. God’s divine power is the wind. However, there are things the sailor must do: she must: raise the sail, trim the sail properly, positioning it in the right place, steer the rudder and adjust to conditions. If she sits passively, the boat drifts. If she tries to row against the wind in pride, she exhausts himself. Good sailing needs human effort and wind power! Together, real progress can be made. The boat only moves when the wind fills the sail, but the sail must be raised. Sanctification is not rowing in our own strength; it is positioning ourselves to be carried by the Spirit. It is to be found with an open Bible. It is to be found on our knees. It is to be found in church.

2. Becoming more like Jesus has a clear pattern

This is the pattern: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love. All of these character qualities are seen so clearly in the life of Jesus himself. Think about them as you read of how Jesus interacted with people and long to live in the same way. We know that we will never be perfect until Heaven. Nonetheless, God is telling us here that we should: ‘… possess these qualities in increasing measure…’   (2 Peter 1:8) In other words, we should be heading in that direction. We should be growing in these areas. Over time, we ought to be able to see progress.

Notice that the list, just like our Christian lives, begins with faith. Faith in Jesus is the foundational character quality. We hear the voice of Jesus and trust he is telling the truth and we lean into his promises. In John’s gospel, Jesus meets a royal official whose son is dying: ‘The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go,’ Jesus replied, ‘your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at his word and departed.’   (John 4:49-50) Friends, we need to be the kind of people to take Jesus at his word. If he says something is going to happen then it is.

We are to pursue goodness. Goodness means ‘moral excellence’. Jesus was a man who went around doing good. (See Acts 10:38) We are to be intentional about doing good to others too. We are to be growing in our knowledge. As we know our Bibles more and more, we will be better equipped to know and to carry out the will of God. This takes effort. You cannot short-circuit studying God’s Word. If you find that hard to do on your own, then come along to the mid-week Bible study and the Ladies’ Bible study.

We need to see progress in our self-control. Do you have more self-control now than two years ago? It is the ability to say ‘no’ to wrong desires we have and to the temptations which often come our way, particularly sexual temptations. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and needs to be valued highly.
‘Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.’   (Proverbs 25:28)
Pray, ‘Lord, build up strong defensive walls of self-control in my life’.

Perseverance or endurance is the ability to keep on going even when circumstances are tough or when we’re persecuted or discouraged. So many people seem to be falling away from Christ right now; perhaps there has never been a greater need to pray for perseverance. It’s easier to follow Christ when all is going well in life, but what about times when everything is coming apart at the seams? Pray for godliness, which is the ability to please God in every area of our lives. We want to be those who seek the will of God, and because of that we will seek the welfare of others as well.

This leads us to the next quality, brotherly kindness or mutual affection. If we love Jesus, we need to love all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family.

‘Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.’   (Hebrews 13:1)
‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’   (‘Romans 12:10 )

Peter saves the most important quality for last – love. This is the kind of cross-shaped, sacrificial love which Jesus modelled for us on the cross.

Douglas Moo: ‘Love is not only the last and greatest Christian virtue; it is also the glue that holds all the rest of them together, the quality without which all the others will be less than they should be.’

I hope it goes without saying that we must not treat these virtues like a ‘pick and mix’ sweet stand at the cinema. We must ‘make every effort’ in all eight areas. But perhaps one or two of them struck you as areas of weakness as we explored them just now. Why not turn that feeling into a prayer? Ask the Lord to strengthen these qualities. There is wisdom on focusing on a few items of the list if we feel a particular lack. Or why not memorise these eight virtues and turn them into a prayer list you return to frequently? We look for progress in these areas; we will never reach perfection in this world.

3. Becoming more like Jesus has several benefits

Let’s focus on 3 of them.

3.1 Peter tells us that it makes us fruitful and effective Christians. This is so encouraging and positive. If you have a character genuinely growing in these 8 areas then you will have a positive impact on your family, work colleagues and neighbours. V8 says: ‘8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus…’.

Warren Wiersbie: ‘Some of the most effective Christians I have known are people without dramatic talents and special abilities, or even exciting personalities; yet God has used them in a marvellous way. Why? Because they are becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. They have the kind of character and conduct that God can trust with blessing. They are fruitful because they are faithful; they are effective because they are growing in their Christian experience.’

3.2 A life that pursues holiness also helps us to ‘make our calling and election sure.’   (2 Peter 1:10) What does this mean? It means that your fruitful living is evidence that you are truly born again. It is evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. We know that faith without deeds is dead.’ (See James 2:17) The opposite is also true – as these Christian virtues grow within us, they are hallmarks that we are amongst those who have faith in Christ and have been chosen by him. Again, we receive this helpful confirmation not with perfection but with progress.

It is possible to be a Christian and to become stagnant. We are unlikely to have this assurance of faith in such a condition. ‘But whoever does not have them is short-sighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.’   (2 Peter 1:9) This is a warning to Christians who drifting along aimlessly in their Christian lives. What has gone wrong? They have forgotten to keep on looking backwards and looking forwards. When we are driving, we are constantly looking ahead to know what is in front of us, and good drivers are also looking in their mirrors to see what is going on behind them. As we drive through the Christian life, we must also keep looking backwards and forwards. We look back to the cross. We must not forget all that Jesus has done for us in the past. This is a great mistake. But we must also keep on looking ahead to the future of Heaven and the day when all our struggles against sin and all our efforts will have been worth it. In this way, looking back and looking ahead regularly will keep us on track, focusing on godly living. Are you doing this?

3.3 Finally, a life pursuing holiness will give us a rich welcome from Jesus into Heaven. ‘For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’   (2 Peter 1:10-11) Imagine you are at the airport and are in the arrivals area and you see family members meeting again for the first time in years. They throw their arms around one another. It’s a beautiful thing to see. This is but a shadow of the kind of welcome Jesus will give us in Heaven. We will be ‘going home’. Let’s look forward to the day when Jesus will furnish us with such a welcome. Now we know Jesus by faith, but one day we will know him by sight.

Someone met me for the first time in about 10 years and said ‘you haven’t changed a bit’. I took that as a compliment, even if it wasn’t true! However, if someone hasn’t seen us in 10 years and spend time with us and can say about our Christian character, ‘You haven’t changed a bit’ then that is a dangerous sign. May God help us, through his divine power, to make every effort to slowly but surely become more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon: Sunday, 15th February, 2026
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-4

How would you like to be remembered when you leave this world?  What would you like your eulogy or epitaph to be?  Would it be that you were a beloved mother or father or a devoted friend?  That would be a good thing, were it true.  Or would it be simply ‘A life well lived’?  But what is a life that is well lived?  Surely, as Christians we should want our epitaph to be something like: ‘Saved by God’s grace, and by God’s strength lived a godly life.’ There’s something which matters much more than what others think of our lives and that is what God thinks of them.  After all, we are answerable to God and God alone.  He is our Judge and no one else.  What does God want for us?  He wants us to trust in Jesus and then live a godly life.  In other words, he wants us to increasingly think and act as Jesus did.  He wants us to live a life of love towards others and towards God.  Is that what you are aiming at?  If not, it ought to be!  God’s plan for Christians is that we should live godly lives. ‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…’   (Romans 8:29)

1. The power available

Now, that’s easy for me to stand up and preach that we should be living in a godly way.  But this might feel like an extra crushing burden.  Life is hard enough, and now I need to attain some level of godliness that just seems beyond me.  Perhaps you feel that there’s no way you can achieve this.  Well, in a sense you’re right.  You cannot on your own.  But God never calls us to something without equipping us for it. ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.’   (2 Peter 1:3)  This is a wonderful truth.  Everything you could ever need to become a more loving person, do good, obey God, resist temptation and become more like Jesus is freely available to us from God.  Such is the generosity of God. 

This does not mean God gives us everything we want or that he gives us everything we think we need to follow him.  But it does mean that God supplies the power we need to grow in faith and love and to follow Jesus closely.  This means that Christians must never say: ‘I cannot change.’ We must not say: ‘I cannot stop this particular sin.’ or ‘I will never be able to forgive this person.’  The power for these things is available.  The question is, are we going to receive this power from Jesus, through the channels that he has appointed. 

Jerry Bridges: ‘Jesus did not just die to save us from the penalty of sin or even just to make us holy in our standing before God.  He died to purify for Himself a people eager to obey him, a people eager to be transformed into his likeness.’ 

Friends, this is a gradual process.  Imagine buying up an old house in poor condition.  It is a ‘doer upper’.  Room by room we will redecorate, and over time it will become a better place to live.  That’s a good picture of the Christian life.  It’s as if God provides us with the paint and tools, the wallpaper and new carpets, but he expects us to co-operate and to make the effort to change.  We have the resources available.  ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life…’   (2 Peter 1:3) We have the Bible and prayer and the church family.

2. Accessing power through knowing Jesus

If you have an electric car, you need to plug in to a charging station, or you need to have a home charger.  We recharge our phones on a daily basis.  But where do Christians ‘plug into’?  We plug into a person.  This is not something mechanical- it is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We receive power from a person and that person is Jesus.  Let’s look again at verse 3: ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him…’   (2 Peter 1:3) The key phrase here is ‘our knowledge of Jesus’.  We must understand that this does not just mean knowing facts about Jesus.  That is part of it, but it is not enough.  Remember that James tells us: ‘You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.’   (James 2:19)  Knowing Jesus in this context means knowing Jesus as our Saviour and King or Lord.  It moves beyond just knowing facts about Jesus to actually trusting in him and what he has done for the world for ourselves.

For example, we might know the fact that Jesus died on the cross for sinners.  But even the Devil knows that.  ‘Knowing Jesus’ means believing that he died on the cross for us.  It is personal trust.  It is believing that Jesus lived a perfect life on earth for us.  Being a Christian is trusting what Jesus has done for us.  Knowledge of or knowing Jesus is a phrase which occurs 13 times in 2 Peter, so it’s crucial we understand that it means coming to know Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.  And those who know him as Saviour and Lord receive power from him.

In verse 1, Peter gives Jesus a glorious title: ‘our God and Saviour Jesus Christ’.  This is knowledge we need about Jesus which helps us to trust in him.  He is the Creator of all things.  He is God.  But he is also the Saviour and only Saviour of the world.  No one else has died for sinners.  Once we have these facts, the question is, are we prepared to trust in them in a personal way.  Before we board a plane, we might know that all the pilots of the airline have been highly trained.  But if we are going to trust the pilot, then we need to get on the plane.  The same is true of Jesus.  We can know the core facts about him, but we need to entrust our own lives to him by prayer.  We talk to Jesus in prayer and thank him for dying for our wrongdoing and tell him we want to be his loyal subjects.  He is a wonderful King.

Something wonderful happens when we trust in Jesus Christ for ourselves.  In a spiritual sense, we become united to him through faith.  Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of this in John’s gospel: ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’   (John 15:5) Note, without Jesus, we do not have the power to make changes to our hearts.  The branches receive power and energy and sap to be fruitful from the vine.  Jesus himself is the vine.  It is as we depend on him and ask him for help that we receive power to do things which we would never be able to do on our own.

When we become Christians, we come to the point when we realise we cannot cope on our own.  We owe God a huge spiritual debt because of our sin and we know we cannot pay this debt.  We ask God to forgive, not based on our deserving this, but instead based on his mercy.  That is the beginning- going to Jesus and asking for grace – favour which we do not deserve.  But the whole of the Christian life carries on like this.  Each day we return to Jesus and ask for his help with everything.  Let’s think of some concrete examples.

Someone has hurt you and let you down.  You are struggling to forgive them in your heart.  What should you do?  We need to pray.  We pray ‘Lord, please soften my heart and enable me to forgive them, just as you have forgiven me’.  And Jesus will give us the power to do it.  On our own, we cannot. 

Or, you keep giving into temptation watching inappropriate things on TV or on your phone.  You feel guilty and try to stop, but you seem to give in again and again.  Should we give up and say ‘I can’t stop this behaviour’?  No, pray for forgiveness and for power to change.  He will supply us with ‘his divine power’. 

We are trying to grow as a church and are finding it discouraging.  There are few conversions and apathy for Christian teaching.  We seem so fragile.  What should be our perspective to the current weakness of the church.  We should press on, trusting that as we continue to be faithful and continue to obey Jesus and continue to witness for him, God will empower us.  We specifically ask him in prayer to be at work in our church. 

You never feel satisfied, no matter how much you have.  And more and more you are falling out with people, even in church.  What do you need to do?  ‘What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.’   (James 4:1-2) Ask God to find satisfaction in Jesus, the bread of life!

Another wonderful aspect of the power God gives us is seen in Romans: ‘Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.’   (Romans 8:8-9)  This means that when we trust in Jesus, in a supernatural way, his Spirit comes to dwell within us, helping us each and every day.  ‘… for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.’   (Philippians 2:13)

3. Accessing power through God’s promises

‘Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.’   (2 Peter 1:4)

How does God’s power flow into us as we trust in his promises?  We might be anxious about a work problem or a family problem or medical diagnosis.  We are scared about what lies ahead.  ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’   (Philippians 4:6-7)  As we pray about our circumstances and entrust them to God, our anxiety is replaced by God’s peace.  This is God’s power at work though his promises.  This peace ‘surpasses all understanding’ and acts as a guard over the believer’s heart and mind, protecting them from the turmoil around them.

Perhaps you are married but are beginning to become attracted to someone at work.  God’s promise is that: ‘No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.’   (1 Corinthians 10:13) What a help!  God provides a way of escape, and through his help, you can resist wrong desires and live in victory.

You may feel like a rubbish witness to Jesus and find it hard to invite your neighbours to Meal with a Message.  Then you read the promise in Acts: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’   (Acts 1:8)  We trust that as we go on witnessing, God will be with us.

When we believe his promises, the power of God flows into our lives. Each promise in the Bible serves to strengthen, encourage, guide, and provide for us.  By standing on these promises in faith, we receive God’s limitless power, which transforms our lives, helps us to persevere in hardship, and enables us to walk in his will. When Christians act on God’s promises in the Bible, they are not relying on their own abilities but on his faithful character and mighty power.

As we experience more of God’s power, Peter tells us that we ‘participate in the divine nature’.  Of course, this does not mean that we ourselves become divine; there is always the Creator and creature divide in the universe.  But it does mean that we come to share in some essential qualities of God himself.  We share more in love and faithfulness and gentleness and mercy and joy.  What a wonderful thing!

If we’re honest, sometimes we think negatively as Christians.  We can become stagnant in our faith.  We can get stuck in a rut and no longer even think about growing more like Jesus.  That seems a million miles away.  God wants to remind us as our heavenly Father that transformation is possible, if we stop looking inwardly or even to others as the prime source of help.  Instead, humbly receive the help of God, praying to Jesus for the power to change and trusting in his promises.