Charge to the 2011 Graduates

Tomorrow, in this very house, God will baptise a number of his children into his kingdom. God is still at work in this world both near and far.

Of the many examples one could cite of God’s ongoing work in the world, one could simply point to the Chinese Mission. Over the last century the Chinese Church has grown up to four times the Australian population. A stunning fact attributed to God and his continuing fulfilment of the promises he has made in Christ; to bring people IN. To this work, we, the people of God have been called to participate, a fact of which, as PBC graduates, you will be most aware, so also in like fashion to the author of 2 Peter 1:12,  “I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.”

 Yet Second Peter is more specific about what “these things” are that he feels compelled to “always” call to remembrance. In fact there are seven things that he calls the informed Christian to remember and embody in their living ministry. However, before we list these seven things we must, as Peter does, remember the foundation on which we are called to act. This foundation is the magnificence of God’s divine power and the promises that flow from this same power. As Peter says,

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The Christian is called to act in response to the sublime gift of God’s good providence and the sheer magnitude and reality of the promises he has made his people. We are simply called to appropriate this foundation in faith.

But since the promise and divine gift, in this time between times, exist in a contested reality, in a world saturated with corruption and evil, the people of God are called to add to their faith several qualities for the living ministry (by living ministry I mean that vocational life to which we have been called into, simply by virtue of being Christian). Peter’s list of qualities is as follows,

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to  godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 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 Christ.

In his great providential love, God continues to provide instruction for living ministry.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election   sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In moving through the stages of life in this time between times, what greater comfort could a Christian have than to be given the promises of God in Christ and also a concrete framework with which to act “so that we will never fall.” It doesn’t say “never fail” it says never “fall.” On the basis of the gift of election, God has provided us the means of “making our calling and election “sure.”

¹² So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

As children of God you have been established in the power of God’s promise and the gift of his Son. You have also been well instructed in those qualities that God considers to be most effective and productive; those qualities that flow from the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters,

make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Even though you have been well instructed in these qualities and are firmly established in the truth, we must always remember that the gift and promise of God in Christ have so set us free that we are a people “freed for” as well as a people “freed from.” The gift of righteousness in Christ has freed us from the alienation of sin and death and into life and reconciliation. So I charge you, brothers and sisters, embrace the quality of Christian life that has freed you for; freed you for an effective and productive life in the Kingdom of God.

To finish with the words of one of the greatest theologians and churchmen found in chapter 16 of his letter to the Romans, Paul says;

Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, ²⁶ But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: ²⁷ To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Rom 16:25-27)