Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, May grace and peace be of Jesus Christ, May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through very great promises, so that through them them you may become partakers of the you may become partakers of the divine naturedivine nature, , having escaped from the having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because corruption that is in the world because of sinful desireof sinful desire. .

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For this very reason, make every effort to For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. affection, and brotherly affection with love. For For if these qualities are yours and are if these qualities are yours and are increasingincreasing, they keep you from being , they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. our Lord Jesus Christ.

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For For whoever lacks these qualities is so whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sinsformer sins. Therefore, brothers, be all . Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for and election, for if you practice these if you practice these qualities you will never fallqualities you will never fall. For . For in this in this wayway there will be richly provided for you there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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““Supplement your faith…."Supplement your faith…."

E.E. The apostles believed and, therefore, The apostles believed and, therefore, spoke. spoke.

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We are afflicted in every way, but We are afflicted in every way, but notnot crushed; perplexed, but crushed; perplexed, but not not driven to driven to despair; persecuted, but despair; persecuted, but notnot forsaken; forsaken; struck down, but struck down, but notnot destroyed; always destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

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So death is at work in us, but life in So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. bring us with you into his presence.

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E.E. The apostles believed and, therefore, The apostles believed and, therefore, spoke. spoke.

F.F. First century converts First century converts obeyed by faithobeyed by faith..

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 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  And with many other words he himself.”  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”  generation.”  

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 So those who received his word were So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.  And day about three thousand souls.  And they devoted themselves to the they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the to the breaking of bread and the prayers. prayers.

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    Then Philip opened his mouth, and Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.  And as him the good news about Jesus.  And as they were going along the road they they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”prevents me from being baptized?”

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    And he commanded the chariot to And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.  And when they came up baptized him.  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. rejoicing.

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    Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  And they said, what must I do to be saved?”  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  And they saved, you and your household.”  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.  And he took them the who were in his house.  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.  Then he brought them up into all his family.  Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. he had believed in God.

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If your faith has If your faith has never becomenever become trusting trusting obedience, then you are yet an alien obedience, then you are yet an alien sinner, outside the Lord’s church/kingdom sinner, outside the Lord’s church/kingdom and still in your sins.  and still in your sins. 

If your faith has If your faith has ceased to beceased to be trusting trusting obedience, you have not been “making obedience, you have not been “making every effort" to supplement it, and it is every effort" to supplement it, and it is not a "working faith.”not a "working faith.”

If your faith is If your faith is not nownot now trusting obedience, trusting obedience, you stand in need of justification.you stand in need of justification.

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