Here again is the mystery of spiritual life.

We are given everything in Christ, and yet it takes everything we have to follow up on that.

Because we have all in Christ, all the gracious resources for spiritual sufficiency, we are called

upon to give maximum effort.

Welcome to Grace to you, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson.

Ephesians 2 puts it this way.

You were dead in your trespasses and sins,

but God, being rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ. In other words, a sinner can't save himself any more than a corpse can bring itself to life. Salvation is from God alone. Probably not a new concept for you,

but what may be new to you is this. If you're a Christian, you, yes, you, play a significant role

in enjoying assurance of your salvation. Today on Grace to You, John MacArthur is going to show you what it means

to apply all diligence in your faith as he continues his study myths about salvation from

2 Peter chapter 1. And now here's John with today's lesson. Every true Christian should enjoy

the reality of his or her salvation.

Not to have that assurance is to live in doubt, to live in fear, to live in a certain form

of spiritual depression, and a certain kind of misery.

Certainly not to have assurance means you're unable to delight in God, which is inherent in the Christian experience, and you are unable to enjoy the anticipation of all of his promises,

you're unable to relish the reality of faith and the exhilaration of hope.

You see, the promise of eternal life, the promise of abundant life presupposes assurance.

If I'm going to enjoy all that is mine in Christ, I have to know I'm in Christ.

I live in fear, misery, doubt.

Peter is very concerned that his readers enjoy assurance.

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