What to Remember With 30 Seconds to Live

2 Peter 1:1b

This afternoon, thousands of students are going to gather in the Arizona Cardinal’s stadium for the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. It seats around 65,000 people, but they’ve already booked another arena nearby for another 20,000 people. Millions of people will be watching at 2:00 PM, eastern standard time. And I plan to be one of them.

Until this past week, I didn’t know much of anything about this young man. I knew he was a conservative political activist, but that was about it.

I don’t watch podcasts – I’m not a subscriber to news feeds or blogs – when someone tells me that something has gone viral, I think a new epidemic has been unleashed.

I’m grateful for people who’ve contacted me this past week to tell me about Charlie’s testimony for Christ. I learned that Charlie was being mentored by Frank Turek, an apologist I’ve had speak here at our church several times.

This past week, my wife and I watched YouTube clips of Charlie Kirk engaging university students – answering questions and ultimately pointing people to the truth of God’s word.

It didn’t take long to discover that Charlie Kirk was more than a conservative political activist – he was a courageous ambassador for Jesus Christ.

What has become obvious to the public now – and unique – which is why I’m mentioning it today – is that Charlie Kirk didn’t die because of his political stand – he didn’t die because he was a conservative – he died because of his biblical, moral stand for God’s truth.

People who hated him for his stand couldn’t answer him – I watched people try; they couldn’t cancel him – they couldn’t stop tens of thousands of young people from following him – so one of his opponents killed him.

Kevin Bauder, a professor at Central Seminary in Minneapolis wrote a tribute this past week, which I was sent – I thought was helpful.

He asked the question, “What do Christians do about this?” What should we remember in the days ahead? I’ve summarized his comments – he writes:

First, this is a reminder that we occupy a battlefield. Jesus promised that we will be slandered; some will lose their platform; some will lose their jobs; some will lose their freedom and some, like Kirk, will lose their lives. On this battlefield for truth, we have been called to suffer insult and injury (2 Timothy 3:12).

Second, we need to know the truth and speak it with boldness. Let’s articulate biblical answers to the moral deviations that plague our culture. The apostle Paul calls us to expose the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesian 5:11) and even if it costs us friends, jobs and personal welfare, we must clearly state the only way of salvation is through Jesus Christ.

Third, we must act with graciousness and patience. Our biblical convictions shouldn’t turn us into angry people. We should listen, even to those who are wrong, and provide answers, which Charlie Kirk did so well.

Fourth, we need to be reasonable, even when our world is unreasonable.

If you take a public stand for righteousness, prepare to have your inbox flooded with angry emails. Prepare for complaints to be made to your employer. Prepare for people to use the legal system to make you pay.

Finally, we need to love our enemies enough to pray for them and give the gospel to them as persuasively as we can. [SOURCE: ^{Edits and adaptations taken from Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Central Baptist Theological Seminary “How Should We Respond?”(9/19/2025)]}

I would add one more comment – we need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who regularly experience persecution around the world.

This past week, on average, 100 believers were martyred for their stand with Christ.

Hundreds of believers in sub-Saharan Africa have been martyred for their faith in recent years; suicide bombers have entered churches in Asia; just a few weeks ago an evangelist in India was openly stabbed to death for preaching the gospel.

Around our world – and in our own country now – the only way to silence the testimony of Christians might be to kill them.

And that would mean things haven’t changed since Stephen delivered his sermon in Acts chapter 7.

One sermon was all he ever preached – and the first martyr in church history died because of it.

But let me add this – in the providence of God, attacks against His followers have a way of increasing His followers.

Attacking Christians has a way of spreading Christianity.

Attacks end up backfiring.

Here’s a case and point: before Charlie Kirk’s death, his organization – Turning Point USA – had 3,500 chapters meeting in high schools and colleges across the country – 3,500 chapters.

But since his death, 37,000 requests for new chapters have poured in to his organization.

The stand he took just grew 10 times greater.

It reminds me of what Tertullian, the church leader, said in the second century; “The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church.”

When it is spilled . . . the gospel is spread.

The apostle Peter happens to be writing to people who’ve experienced the martyrdom of family and friends.

Persecution is rising. Christianity is now open season. When Peter writes this second letter, the apostle Paul has already, more than likely, been executed by Nero’s government. Peter is soon to follow.

By the time believers in modern day Turkey receive this second letter, Christians are now despised by their culture.

Peter will describe the Christian life with words like – “beaten”; “reviled”; “exiled”; “insulted”; “suffering”; harmed”; “tested by fire”, and more.

I invite you back to Peter’s opening statement in his second letter – Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 1– Peter is giving them several reminders that will encourage them on the battlefield of false doctrine and personal persecution; these reminders will stabilize them and strengthen them – here they are:

First of all –

Peter wants them to remember that they all share the same testimony.

Let’s pick it up where we left off, in the middle of verse 1:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing as ours . . .(2 Peter 1:1b)

The word here for faith can refer to the body of truth that we hold dear. Or, depending on the context, it can refer to our personal faith in Christ – our relationship with Christ by faith in Him alone.

And that’s the context here.

Faith, in this context, can be understood to refer to salvation. You might write next to the word faith, the word saving – this is saving faith.

And that’s an important distinction because everybody on the planet operates in life by faith of some sort.

We exercise faith a thousand different ways, instinctively and automatically. [SOURCE: ^{John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of Peter (Kregel, 2005), p, 227 ]}

• Every time you eat out you have faith in that kitchen back there;
• every time you get into your car, you exercise faith that all the other drivers on the road actually passed driver’s ed;
• every time you put money in the bank, you exercise faith in the bank’s honesty;
• whenever you board an airplane you place your faith in that pilot;
• every time you pick up that prescription, you have faith that the pharmacist mixed everything correctly;
• and you’re at the pharmacist because you are placing your faith in the doctor’s diagnosis. [SOURCE: ^{Adapted from Phillips, p. 227]}

Faith is what makes human relationships and human transactions possible on earth. [SOURCE: ^Ibid]

And that’s the point – that faith I just described has to do with life on earth. That kind of faith will not take you from earth to heaven.

It might be faith, but it is not saving faith.

That’s the kind of faith Peter is referring to here – faith that saves. And the key to saving faith isn’t the amount of your faith, it is the object of your faith.

Your testimony is that you have placed your faith for salvation in Christ alone.

And by the way, notice here that Peter doesn’t say you “earned this saving faith”; he doesn’t say you “attained it” – he says you obtained it. [SOURCE: ^{Allen Blair, 2 Peter (Loizeaux Brothers, 1961), p. 16]}

The word he uses here refers to receiving, not by personal effort but as an allotment – as a free gift. [SOURCE: ^{Edmond Hiebert, Second Peter and Jude (Unusual Publications, 1989), p. 33]}

So Peter is reminding these believers that even though the world might slander them and persecute them, they cannot take away from them what will matter most – if you had 30 seconds to live, what would matter most?

That you have saving faith – that Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins and will take you from earth to heaven.

Now Peter takes us to the next encouraging reminder – not only do we share this same testimony with other believers – that we are saved by faith in Christ –

Secondly –

He wants us to remember that we possess the same treasure. 

Peter writes again in verse 1:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing as ours . . . 2 Peter 1:1b

Stop there – these are stunning words of encouragement to suffering believers. They are on equal ground with the apostles?!

The early Christians would have naturally assumed that Jesus Christ would never be as interested in them as He was in His apostles!

Apostles were eyewitnesses to His resurrection; they were personally commissioned by the risen Lord; they were uniquely trained and then empowered to heal and even raise people from the dead.

The ordinary believer would have been thinking: “God has His eye on apostles – on church leaders, but not on me – and I’m suffering, so I must have fallen off God’s radar – I’m obviously not as important as an apostle!”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Peter writes –

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing as ours . . .

Every Christian has “equal standing” – this can be rendered, “equal value”. [SOURCE: ^{Fritz Reinecker & Cleon Rogers, The Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Regency, 1976), p. 768]}

This phrase is one word in the original language and it carries the nuance of being precious – being extremely valuable. Your translation might read, “of like precious faith”.

Peter uses this word family often in his letters – sometimes translated as something precious – something we would call today - priceless.

• Peter refers to Jesus Christ as precious three times in First Peter chapter 2;
• he refers to the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19);
• he refers to our trials as precious (1 Peter 1:7);
• he refers to the precious promises of God (2 Peter 1:4);
• and now here, he refers to our salvation as precious – of priceless value.

We refer to certain rocks as precious gems. And that’s because they are rare. And because they are rare, they are much more valuable than gravel. [SOURCE: ^{C. Sproul, 1– 2 Peter (Crossway, 2011), p. 205 ]}

If diamonds were as common as gravel – we would be wearing rocks for jewelry and parking our cars on diamonds.

In the first century, this word for equal value – equally precious treasure – was used for immigrants who had been granted citizenship in a new country and were now equals in every way. [SOURCE: ^{Lou Barbieri, First & Second Peter (Moody Publishers, 2003), p, 106]}

Their status is as equally valuable as those who were native born.

This is Peter’s illustration:

• every Christian is equally privileged,
• as a citizen of a country to which they have immigrated
• with saving faith stamped on their visas –
• they have become, as if indeed born into that country
• citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

If you have 30 seconds to live – you better have that visa – stamped and ready for your future eternal immigration, into Heaven itself.

Peter is reminding these believers – and us – that our salvation is a priceless treasure that we have been given.

• So remember – especially when you’re being tested by fire: you share the same testimony with every believer.
• And you possess the same treasure of salvation as the apostles.

Now third:

Remember you believe the same truth

Now again, Peter writes here at the end of verse 1:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours – how Peter? - by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now many times this word righteousness is an attribute of God the Father. [SOURCE: ^{Douglas J. Moo, The NIV Application Bible: 2 Peter and Jude (Zondervan, 1996), p. 35]}

But what’s interesting here – this is the only place in the entire New Testament where we read of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Everywhere else, this attribute of righteousness is attributed to God. [SOURCE: ^Ibid]

That doesn’t mean that the New Testament is ever in doubt about the perfect righteousness of Christ.

But Peter is after something here – and it’s gonna take us out to some deep water – so hang on to your seat cushions.

Again, Peter writes:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

This phrase is one of the clearest statements on the deity of Christ you will find in scripture.

Peter just put Jesus Christ on the same level – with the same attribute – as God.

I don’t want to put you to sleep with a grammar lesson, but there is only one article with these two nouns, so that both nouns – God and Savior – apply to the same person – Jesus Christ. [SOURCE: ^{Hiebert, p. 37]}

“Peter is grounding these suffering believers in this truth” – a truth that they might die because they confess it – that Jesus Christ is both God and Savior. [SOURCE: ^Ibid]

He is both deity and our deliverer.

The Apostle Paul made the same declaration when he wrote in Romans 9:5 that Christ – the Messiah – is God over all, blessed forever, amen.

When Thomas met with the disciples in the upper room, he had said that he wasn’t about to believe Jesus was alive unless he saw him with his own eyes and inspected the Lord’s wounds with his own hands.

The Lord appeared, John chapter 20 informs us, and invited Thomas to do the inspection.

We’re never told Thomas reached out to touch the wounds of the Lord – the wounds Jesus has chosen to retain in His glorified body as an eternal testimony to His sacrifice on our behalf.

What Thomas did do, John records, is fall to his knees and say to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28).

Let me tell you, if you’ve got 30 seconds to live, you’d better get this truth right – you need to declare this 1^st century confession that remains the same in the 21^st century – Jesus is my Lord and my God.

Now Peter is introducing us to the mystery of the Trinity. The triune-God. Not three Gods, but one God with three Persons.

Peter calls Jesus here, “God and Savior”. But in the next verse, Peter writes in verse 2, 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2

In this verse Peter distinguishes between Jesus and God.

And the mystery only deepens.

If you’re older in the faith, you might remember where Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

He didn’t say, “I and the Father are identical” or “I and the Father are the same person”.

I and the Father are one – the same idea of a husband and wife becoming one flesh. Uniquely one, yet they retain a distinct identity – one flesh, yet two persons.

So here in 2^nd Peter, in the space of two verses, Peter informs us that Jesus is God, yet at the same time, Jesus is a distinct Person within the Godhead.

Now skeptics will be quick to point out that the word “Trinity” is not found in any verse of scripture. And that’s true.

The word “Trinity” is a theological word to describe the Godhead.

The word sovereignty doesn’t appear in scripture, yet it describes God as completely sovereign.

The words omniscient and omnipotent and omnipresent never appear in scripture – all knowing, all powerful and always present – these are theological terms to describe what the Bible reveals about God.

While we’re at it – the word missionary doesn’t appear either, but that word describes who we happen to be – on mission as gospel ambassadors.

The word “trinity” is a theological term to summarize the Bible’s description of the eternal existence and union of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Allister McGrath, the Oxford theologian said it so well when he wrote, “The doctrine of the Trinty wasn’t invented by some church council – it was uncovered.” ––Alister McGrath

The truth of the Trinity was not pulled out of thin air – it was pulled from the revelation of God through his word.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are not the same divine Person with three different names – or three different forms or expressions; they are three distinct Persons who have existed eternally – without beginning – in perfect union and unity with one another. [SOURCE: ^{Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James & 1, 2 Peter (Tyndale, 2014), p. 295]}

That’s why you read in the Bible the same attributes given to all three members of the triune God.

• All three are called eternal
• All three are called holy
• All three are called the truth
• All three are described as love
• All three were involved in creation
• All three are called the source of life
• All three are worthy of being worshipped

Again, the truth of the Trinity isn’t spelled out in a verse or two – it can’t be. It defies our comprehension.

Augustine was walking along the shoreline, struggling to understand the trinity. On that shore was a little boy who’d dug a hole in the sandy beach – he was taking his little bucket and carrying water – running back and forth – pouring the water into that hole in the sand. Augustine asked him what he was doing and the boy said, “I am pouring the sea into this little hole.”

Augustine immediately got the point.

I love C.S. Lewis’ response to the mystery of the Trinity. He wrote, “If Christianity were something we were making up, of course we would make it easier. We can’t compete with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with facts. Anyone can be simple if he doesn’t have any facts to bother with.” [SOURCE: ^{S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (McMillan, 1952), p, 129]}

I love that.

You and I aren’t going to begin to understand the complexity of our great God.

But like that homespun evangelist of old, by the name of Vance Havner, he would say, “I don’t understand electricity – but I’m not gonna sit in the dark until I figure it out.”

You and I can’t begin to understand all the complexity and richness of the noun Peter attaches to Jesus Christ – He is God– thus, a distinct member of the Triune God.

But here’s the truth you need to understand – Peter ends verse 1 with the second noun related to Jesus Christ.

You not only can understand this one – you must personally experience this noun – Peter writes:

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and – here it is – SaviorJesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1b

This term brings all this deep theology down to where you and I live – and let me tell you, if you only have 30 seconds to live, this term is the difference between heaven and hell for you today.

Savior is actually a rare word in the New Testament – it only appears 16 times as a title for the Lord. But nearly half of the time it appears, it’s used by Peter. [SOURCE: ^{Daniel G. Powers, 1 & 2 Peter/Jude (Beacon Hill Press, 2010), p. 175]}

Peter loved to use this title for His Lord.

Now everyone to whom Peter wrote understood it immediately – it meant to deliver from trouble; it had the idea of rescue and safety.

In Peter’s day, a physician was considered a savior because he helped deliver someone from disease; a victorious general was called a savior because he delivered his people from defeat. [SOURCE: ^{Warren W. Wiersbe, Second Peter: Be Alert (David C. Cook, 1984), p, 20]}

So Jesus Christ is pictured then as the Divine Physician who heals our terminal disease of sin; He’s the conquering General who defeated the enemies of sin, death, Satan, the grave and hell.

A year after Nero’s death, when the believers would be receiving and reading Peter’s letter – the Roman emperor Vespasian will declare himself to be God and Savior.

Did you notice what Peter called Jesus Christ here in this text? Our God and Savior.

So let’s remember this – and declare it with boldness to our world – and if we only had 30 more seconds to live we would have all that mattered for eternity:

• You have this testimony of saving faith.
• You possess this treasure – you are citizens of heaven; you’ve got your visa stamped and ready to go to the country of your King.
• And you have this truth – Jesus Christ is deity and He is your personal Redeemer.