2 Peter 1 5 11
“Confirm Your Election” 2 Peter 1:5-11 There’s a deep problem in our Christian culture. I believe that many people have a failure in understanding grace. The word grace is all over the place in secular and Christian cultures. Almost anyone knows the words to “Amazing Grace,” but the real question is whether or not they truly know what the word grace means and if they really think it is amazing. Over the past couple of weeks in studying 2 Peter, I hope that you have seen the amazing nature of God’s grace towards believers in Jesus. We have been granted faith. We have been promised that we will make it into eternity future. We have been promised that we will obey. Here is where the problem comes in, though. Grace becomes a word that serves as an excuse to pursue a licentious lifestyle or even a relatively moral life. A licentious person may say, “Well, I prayed a prayer,” or “Well, I’m a Christian, and I can just ask God for forgiveness later,” or “All sin is the same in God’s sight, so I might as well sin big!” A relative moralist isn’t so blatant, though. And, I would guess that there are some people here this morning who take more of a minimalistic approach. You live life saying, “Well, I’m not as bad as they are.” Maybe you subscribe to a “Just do your best” type of Christianity. As though God is impressed with our best. You see, this is the type of socalled Christianity that takes God’s law and says, “Praise God for His mercy. We need to be holy, but just more holy than those people over there.” I’ve experienced both of these mentalities. I’ve known people who have taken both approaches. While they say they love Jesus or they are Christians, they don’t live like it. In actuality, when the rubber meets the road, they love other things more than God. They have a defective view of grace, and the way they live their life reveals their real understanding of God and His love. Where do you tend to fall when you think about grace? Both the licentious and the moralist are truly lazy, and neither is gripped with God’s grace. Let me ask you, “Are you gripped by God’s grace?” When you heard the messages over the past couple of weeks, were you overjoyed by the fact that Jesus has saved you and granted you faith and exceedingly great and precious promises? I spoke last week about possessing greater joy in your salvation than people would at a sporting event. The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Have you ever experienced the joy of the Lord? If you say “yes,” to these questions, then you are going to see this morning whether or not your profession is true. In other words, if you really have been gripped by grace, then you will growingly see evidence of that in your life. Now, if you have said “no” to these questions, I pray this morning that you will seriously evaluate the state of your soul and by the end of this message, I pray that the Holy Spirit has gripped your heart, you call on Jesus for rescue and that you experience the fullness of joy in Him! With this understanding, let’s read from 2 Peter 1:5-11: 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For 1|Page
he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.1 Verse 5 starts by saying, “But also for this very reason.” For what very reason? Peter could be referencing all the things he has stated in the first four verses or he could be specifically referencing what he spoke of in verse four. I tend to think that he is talking specifically about verse 4, which states that through Jesus’ glory and virtue we “have been given . . . exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”2 Remember last week that I said that the beginning part of this letter takes on what is called a Hellenistic Honorific Decree? Here we read about the honor that is due to the Divine Benefactor because of what He has done. He has glory and virtue and has given us precious promises that enable us to partake of the divine nature. And, get this! Jesus has also caused us to escape corruption. We have been set free to honor our God! Because of this or “for this very reason,” Peter says, “giving all diligence, add to your faith.” This is the basic command of this portion of Scripture and it also is fairly synonymous to the command given in verse 10: “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.” Now, before we just skip over this command and think we know what he’s saying, let’s try to ask more questions on this to make sure. Make every effort to supplement your faith. This is the idea of “giving all diligence, add to your faith.” Peter is now moving on into a list of virtues. He is saying that if you’re really a believer in Christ, your life must be changed. Jesus didn’t save you for no reason. He had a point. This is where I think people have such a misunderstanding of grace. They’ll say, “Oh, Jesus saves,” and all they mean is that Jesus has given them a ticket out of Hell. But the Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”3 If God prepared for Christians to walk in good works, are Christians going to walk in good works? Are they? Yes. Of course they are. Christians are God’s workmanship. Therefore, if I am a Christian, the logic follows that I will walk in good works. Make sense? Salvation isn’t only past tense and future tense – as though it’s something that happened when I trusted Jesus and nothing matters until I die and go to Heaven. Salvation has past, present and future ramifications. Jesus saved. Jesus saves. Jesus will save. Getting back to this letter, Peter reveals the present and future aspect of salvation because He’s already spent time on the past aspect of what Jesus has done for us. Peter shows us that salvation is going to affect the here-and-now. Here he uses some strong wording. He says, “Make every effort to supplement your faith.” In the New King James it is translated, “giving all diligence.” I want to read to you what some godly men have written on this phrase: Our approach to learning of God is not to be done in a frivolous, capricious, or cavalier manner. With earnest application, careful study, and inquiry, we are to apply ourselves diligently to every word that has proceeded from God’s mouth” (Sproul, p. 218). Another one writes, “Spiritual growth is not a matter that Christians can treat lightly; it is a goal to which we need to give ourselves body and soul, every day of our lives” – Moo (p. 44). Peter has said that we have knowledge. We have promises. These truths aren’t to be sterile. Instead, knowledge must lead to appropriate action otherwise we really haven’t digested the knowledge. Remember the illustration the apostle James gives? He tells us not to be like the person who looks at themselves in a 1
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:5–11. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:4. 3 The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eph 2:10. 2|Page 2
mirror and doesn’t change anything about their looks when they notice something wrong. Most people who care about their looks will do whatever it takes to correct the perceived imperfection. In a similar vein, Christians must do whatever it takes to address the sin and weights in their own lives. Peter doesn’t merely say, “Try harder,” or “It’s ok as long as you’re better than most people.” No, Peter says, “giving all diligence.” As I already said, this communicates the idea of “Make every effort.” This word carries the idea of having “zeal.” Ventura, here’s the response that most people give when you ask them about how they’re doing spiritually: Well, I’m not perfect, but. . . . While true that none of us are perfect, sometimes I find that answer to be a little bit of a cheat answer. The real way we should be addressing questions about our godliness is this, “Are you making every effort?” As I think about this phrase, my mind is drawn to how Olympic athletes prepare themselves for competition. They train and train and train. They modify their eating so that they get exactly what they need. They have trainers around them keeping them focused so that they will do their absolute best. They’re pushed beyond what they think they can do. And, many of them do this willingly. They love to do this. They’re not content to win second. They want the gold. So, they make every effort. They will take things out of their lives that will get in the way. They will place things in that will help them. Ventura, I want to ask you if you are making every effort. Now, I know what you’re going to say, “Well, I’m not perfect, but. . . .” I understand that response. I’m not perfect either. I’m not even perfect in making every effort. But I think we go to the “I’m not perfect” answer because we don’t really want to face our imperfections. But when we do that, we don’t see the power of grace. This command is actually bursting from the streams of grace. Peter reveals hope in these words. Remember that he is saying that on the basis of the promises and hope we have in Jesus, we have the divine power working in us to actually live godly lives. So, when we hear this command as a Christian, we shouldn’t use the “Well, I’m not perfect, but. . .” as an excuse to stay mediocre. Instead, we should hear this command as a clarion call! If I’m not making every effort right now, Lord Jesus forgive me. And, praise Jesus that He is empowering me to grow in my zeal! Don’t buy into the “Let go and let God” approach to the Christian life. God has called us to action from before the foundation of the world. And, God has called us to zealous action! Oh, this truth burns in my heart for us, Ventura. One word continues to come up in my mind when I think of what I long for this church: zeal. No mediocre Christians. No licentiousness. Oh to have people who portray godly sorrow that leads to earnestness and zeal for Christ’s glory! May we take Peter’s words seriously. May we understand the depths of grace to compel us to run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (see Heb. 12:1-2). I came across this quote this past week and I think it communicates the truth that Peter is saying here. This quote is from a man named JC Ryle: It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Do you hear that? Conversion (that point in time when we came to faith in Christ) leads to action. It leads to zealous action. This is what Peter’s saying. Since we have experienced the blessings of our glorious Jesus and have trusted in Him, Peter now gives us a list of virtues to add to our life. This list should remind us of Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit. There, Paul reveals the character of a person who is on their way to the kingdom. Peter is teaching similar truths and picks up on some of the characteristics Paul mentions, too. On the outset, I want to state that some people think that this list is sequential. In other words, we start with faith, then we add virtue, then knowledge, then self-control, etc. While there could be connections between 3|Page
each virtue on this list. That idea can also fall apart. Is it true that we can only have love after we have conquered each of the other characteristics on the list? Also, how can we have faith without knowledge, which comes after virtue? You see, in the Greek culture, lists like these didn’t have to be in sequential order, but instead simply stated a collection of virtues. That’s what I think Peter is doing here. Going back to the fruit of the Spirit analogy, notice that the Bible says “fruit” and not “fruits.” I think that’s important. The fruit of the Spirit is a collective whole. The character traits that God forms in us cannot be separated so neatly one from another. We could say that we have more patience than self-control, but all of these traits are intertwined. Having said this, it does seem notable that Peter puts faith first and love last. It’s almost as if he is wrapping up this list with two of the all-important virtues. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And without love, you sound like a clanging symbol. So, on the basis of Jesus and what He has done, we are to make every effort to add these qualities into our life. Before I discuss the qualities, let me just make a comment on the word “add.” When you hear this word, you might think of baking. So, you add a little sugar and then add flour and then add some eggs. But this word “add” doesn’t carry that kind of idea. This word actually communicates sacrifice. It means “to provide at one’s own expense.” As one theologian by the name of Peter Davids says, “. . .it serves as the chaining verb as if one spent the one virtue to gain a supply of the next. . . . It again notes the expense, the effort involved in this growth in virtue. We do not automatically become more virtuous as if God infused virtue into us intravenously; we need to make plans and expend effort” (Davids, p. 179). Understanding all of this, we see that Peter is saying expend your energies with zeal so that these qualities abound in your life. Now, we can move to the qualities. Faith. This word for faith was a word that was used in the general culture to refer to faithfulness to friends and family. Given that this word for “faith” is used in this honorific decree, the idea is that we are to have faithfulness towards our Divine Benefactor. In other words, we are to possess “commitment to Jesus.” This is the idea of faith. Clinging to, resting in, trusting in, depending on, relying on – all of these words and phrases carry the idea of a commitment to Jesus. But why is faith so important? It’s resting in the Divine Benefactor. It’s acknowledging that only He is sufficient and lovely and glorious. It’s a confession that He is the One whom we hope in and love, not us! He has given us all we need for life and for godliness – even the faith of which we are speaking. Virtue. But we aren’t to stop at faith. While we are to walk by faith and faith is to undergird everything we do, Peter says that we are to also exercise diligence to grow in virtue. Virtue could also be translated “goodness.” This reminds us of verse 3 of this chapter where Peter says that we were called in accordance with Jesus’ own glory and virtue. When I talked about virtue last week, I reminded us that this virtue is referencing Jesus’ actions. Jesus lived the perfect life that we failed to live from the womb. Jesus then died the death we deserved to die, taking our eternal punishment in Himself. Then Jesus rose again the victor over death and sin so that we can have hope for eternal life with God! This is the virtuous life of the Savior. But what’s beautiful is that Peter now says that because of Jesus’ virtuous life, we have been granted by the Divine Benefactor the privilege to now live virtuous lives. This doesn’t mean we will become saviors, but this means, as I said last week, that Jesus has promised that we will now grow in obedience. I hope you know this, Beloved! Jesus has purchased virtue for us. So, zealously supply virtue to your life. Study the Scriptures and seek to live for God’s glory by the grace He provides in Christ! He who promised is faithful. Knowledge. Peter now moves on and talks about knowledge. What we don’t see in English is that this word for knowledge is actually a different Greek word than what was used in verses 2 and 3. While the words can 4|Page
be used interchangeably and could mean the same thing, it seems to me that the context is actually indicating a different understanding here. Verses 2 and 3 seem to refer to a knowledge that has deep relational tones to it. This word for knowledge seems to be the result of that relational knowledge. I agree with one commentator who writes, “. . .it most likely refers specifically to the ability to discern God’s will and orient one’s life in accordance with that will” (Moo, p. 45). By the way, this word probably had deeper meaning to the overall letter itself. The false teachers who were coming into the churches had some form of what is called Gnosticism. Gnostics believed that they had attained some higher form of spiritual knowledge. While the false teachers would say that they had this knowledge and that people need to pursue that knowledge, Peter actually affirms that they need to seek knowledge, but the knowledge is not found in Gnostic teaching! Instead, knowledge is found in accordance with the Scriptures. Remember, we have been given already all we need for life and for godliness through the saving knowledge of Jesus. Now, we grow in that knowledge of Him and receive more knowledge in how to live life. We don’t need some secret knowledge. We don’t need new informational speculation. We need the old, old truth that has been settled for centuries and rests in God Himself! This should not only confront the old form of Gnosticism, but it should confront us today. If you ever read a book where someone says they’ve found something entirely new about God, be careful! Now, I’m not against new things, but I am wary of new information about God. The reality is that the Truth is old. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Truth and He is eternal! God never changes. Truth remains the same. I know this confronts our post-modern society and mindset, but Truth always confronts! Let’s rest in knowing that we can know the Truth and grow in the Truth. And, grow in the Truth we must. We can’t be like so many others who say “What is Truth?” Instead, we say, “We know the Truth and the Truth has set us free to live in obedience to Him.” So, sacrificially add to your life knowledge! Study the Word. Voraciously eat the feast we have before us. Pray for the Spirit’s wisdom in discerning God’s will from the Word. Don’t be content with nibbling on the Word. Meditate on the Word over and over and over and over again. Grow in knowledge. Self-control. Peter then mentions self-control. Self-control was considered one of the great virtues in the secular and Jewish society. The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote, “We ought to esteem those that do what is agreeable to temperance and prudence, no less glorious than those that have gained great reputation by their actions in war” (quot. Davids, p. 180). Philo says, “The opposite of desire is [self-control], which one must endeavor, and labor, and take pains by every contrivance imaginable to acquire, as the very greatest blessing.” (as quot. in Davids, p. 180). Self-control was highly honored, but what is self-control? Self-control’s definition is found in the word itself. It means to have control over yourself – specifically contrasted with a desire for overindulgence with food and sex. Biblically, I think this can be that specific and also broad. We are to control ourselves over everything. Our bodies don’t control us. We control our bodies. But is self-control just control over your body? I mean, unbelievers can control their bodies so that they don’t do things that are bad, right? Yes. Buddhists would prize self-control. Certain atheists pride themselves in their morality. So, what is self-control for a Christian? Now that’s a great question! Self-control is a phrase that is seen as such a downer to so many people. And I can understand. Many people sinned this past Thanksgiving with overindulgence (and that’s not meant to be funny). But the sad thing is that many people in America overindulge every single day. Now, if I just say “exercise some self-control,” that may not really help! For most people, and even in certain religions, selfcontrol is simply the ability to say “no” to yourself. And you are to be happy that you can say “no.” Well, if that’s all that self-control is, I understand why self-control is almost like a bad word to most people. We live in an affluent culture that seems to think that everyone deserves to indulge themselves here and there. To say “have self-control” feels like we’re taking the fun away from everything. The word self-control feels like a needle that pokes the little boy’s new balloon! But there’s a point to the self-control! 5|Page
But, for the Christian, self-control is a control of your entire self for the purpose of godliness and living as we ought to live for His glory. You see, people can control themselves and think they’re doing good saying “no.” But for a Christian, self-control is actually saying “yes” first and as a result, we say “no” to other things that don’t matter. In other words, we have a superior satisfaction in God, and because we don’t want that satisfaction to diminish, we control ourselves in other arenas! Going to a food analogy, it’s like having finished your meal and you want to end on the best flavor. You say “no” to other things, maybe even things that aren’t that bad, because you want to remember that one flavor. With God, it is even greater. He is the One who brings true satisfaction to every gift He gives. Therefore, we exercise self-control in all things because He is so superior! By the way, this would have confronted the false teachers as well. They were given to indulgence. Peter says that someone who really knows Christ wouldn’t give themselves over to that behavior. They would recognize the beauty of Christ and follow Him with selfcontrol. Christians, we are to take painstaking aims to ensure that we are self-controlled people so that we confess through that control that Jesus is our greater prize and passion and delight. In actuality, through that biblical self-control, we confess that this is a gift the Spirit grants to us. So, through the Spirit’s power, we control ourselves for God’s glory! Steadfastness. Now Peter moves on and discusses steadfastness. This carries the idea of endurance. This word was a military word that referred to having endurance in battle. This echoes back to the Ryle quote I mentioned earlier. Peter, with every phrase “add to” is saying this is a fight. We are in a spiritual warfare. Then Peter adds a military word to enhance our understanding of the real fight that Christianity is. Believer, do you realize that your goal in life is not the American Dream? We are to set our sights on things above, not merely on things of this earth. Do you really believe that real people whom you know are dying and going to experience an eternity away from God’s mercy and grace? Do you really understand that God has granted you beyond what your mind can conceive? Do you really believe that growing in a godly life matters? If you did, how would your life change? I sincerely want you to ponder these questions. Do you really believe. . . ? If so, how would your life change? Ventura, if you do believe, your life will change, but as we learned already, Peter is calling us to take action steps. So, write down those actions steps. If belief would lead to certain areas of repentance and action in your life, you need to write those things down and then I would call you to pray for God’s grace to actually live these things out! Godliness. And that leads us to the next characteristic: godliness. This word godliness refers us back to verse 3 where we are told we are given everything for a life of piety. As I said last week, this Greek word for piety means to have an “unflinching devotion to duty” (Green, p. 182; also quot. Shelton, same source). Given the context of Peter’s writing here, he’s revealing that our duty is to our Divine Benefactor, Jesus. Jesus has given us everything we need for a godly life; therefore, live a godly life. Brotherly affection. Now Peter moves on with a shocking phrase. He says we are to have brotherly affection. I know that may not sound so shocking to our ears, but it would have been shocking to the 1st century reader. This brotherly affection was a phrase used exclusively to communicate love within your own family unit. One man named Plutarch said, “For most of friendships are in reality shadows and imitations and images of that first friendship which Nature implanted in children toward parents and in brothers toward brothers” (as quot. in Green, p. 195; Plutarch, De fraterno amore 479D). Now, many of us would hear this and say, “Wow, that’s great that the Greco-Roman world focused on their families. But they so valued brotherly affection that for Christians to start using this term toward other Christians was considered awful! One early Christian wrote 6|Page
this, “Thus we love one another, to your regret, with a mutual love, because we do not know how to hate. Thus we call one another, to your envy, brethren: as being men born of one God and Parent, and companions in faith, and as fellow-heirs in hope” (as quot. in Moo, p. 183). You see, Peter actually confronts the culture of that day and I would even say maybe even the culture of our day and Peter says, “Listen, Christians, you are to have a commitment not only to your earthly family, but to your Christian family!” Ventura, do you hear this? Listen, I believe that we must care for our homes and for our children and we must love our wives. Oh, we must give diligence to this. In addition to this, we must give diligence for our fellow Christians. There is a reality that our spiritual family lasts longer than physical families, and it would even be our hope that in caring for the spiritual family our earthly family (and other people in this world) would see our love and then they would know we are Christians by our love for one another! Love. Finally, we come to what is termed the greatest of Christian virtues: love. This term love is not only for fellow Christians, but for all people! For God loves the world in this way: He gave His only begotten Son (see John 3:16). Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me. Love is a self-sacrificing. I love how one man put it, “Love is a ‘cognitive’ emotion.’” This brings together the two extremes people have. They’ll either say that love is only action, devoid of feeling, but that doesn’t seem to fit the biblical portrait of love, which describes love even in terms of feelings with actions: patience, kindness, gentleness. But people can go to the other extreme and say love is all feeling. So, they can say, “Well, I love this person because I feel a certain way.” So, people will talk about falling in love or out of love. We all know feelings can deceive. Love is cognitive emotion. It’s emotion that is birthed by God in the knowledge of Jesus’ glory and virtuous love toward us. As a result, we seek to love like Christ, making sacrifices even when our feelings may lead one way or another. But our feelings desire to be on the right path, caring for those around us. I pray that Hebrews 6:10 will be said of us, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”4 Do you seek to sacrificially love and grow in this virtue? The apostle John said, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”5 Now, I hope in talking about all of these characteristics that those who are Christians are spurred to greater repentance. For those who are playing games or reject the faith because of hypocrites or because you don’t want to really trust in Jesus, I pray that you would be amazed at the calling God gives. But I hope that all of you would listen carefully. If you walk away from this list thinking, “Oh, I can’t do this. I’ve failed so horribly,” I would ask you to confess that to the Lord and move forward in the grace He supplies. A fatal flaw would be for you to say, “Ok, I’m just going to try harder with my list,” and you don’t pray and you don’t take time to have the Spirit breed greater repentance in your heart. Another flaw would be to simply look at this list as something that condemns you before the Father. Listen, if God is your Father, you are not condemned. Instead, you have hope! This list is given to you so that you would grow in your zeal – not so that you would be condemned. Confess and know that He is faithful and just to forgive. Peter moves on here, and I will close with the benefits Peter says we receive when we make the effort in Jesus’ grace to add these virtues. The blessings that flow: 1) We will not be barren or unfruitful. Note that Peter says that if these things are yours and abound. . . . Please know that the spiritual walk is not one where we all of a sudden are perfect, but instead, it’s like climbing a mountain. It takes time and work. There will be errors in your steps. You may fall, but it’s a progressive climb. Don’t grow weary in the fight. Instead, know that God is working in you in the midst of all of this. Peter says that if you move forward in these, you won’t be barren or unfruitful. The word “barren” refers to being idle and without effect. Jesus died for you to do good works. If you 4
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Heb 6:10. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 1 Jn 3:14. 7|Page 5
see works that are based in the gospel of Jesus, you know that your life matters not only for this life, but also for the life to come! Then Peter uses an agricultural term: unfruitful. This reminds me of the story of the fig tree where Jesus curses the unfruitful fig tree. What’s the point of a tree? It is to bear good fruit. If it doesn’t bear good fruit, it’s cut down! Christians don’t desire that fate. We want to know and follow after God! And, praise Jesus, because He’s provided all we need for a godly life, we won’t be barren and unfruitful. Instead, we will zealously pursue the attributes here. And, notice that Peter says we won’t be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here, the word knowledge is talking about our relationship with Christ. So, our obedience flows from our relationship with the God-Man-Messiah, Jesus! Our obedience flows from grace! So, look to Jesus for grace! 2) We won’t live in blindness. Peter says that if we are growing in obedience, we will grow in our assurance of salvation: For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.6 Remember, Peter is giving real counsel to real Christians who are struggling. He wants their assurance to increase. So, he encourages them in God’s grace! Again, there’s a real threat. If we don’t live out our lives as we’re called to do, our spiritual sight will waste away. This nearsightedness probably referred to a disease that led to blindness. The blindness Peter talks about is an inability to remember that Jesus has forgiven you. Oh, what a horrible fate, Ventura. Sadly, there are times when Christians are caught in sins and they hide away in their sinfulness and Peter says, you have no assurance that you’re saved. You may even be a Christian, but you have no joy in Jesus. And, if you have no joy in Jesus, you have lost all strength! Like Jesus said to the disciples: Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?7 Because Jesus has given us all we need, and because He has promised to grow a believer’s obedience, you cannot stay in this state, Christian! If you’re there today, repent! Heed the Spirit’s call. Be refreshed in the joy of Christ and the knowledge of His great love for you. 3) You will be supplied with an entrance into the everlasting kingdom. I’m moving ahead here, but this is another blessing. I know some could read this as works-based salvation, but that’s not the point. Although, I will say that if you do not follow Jesus in this life, you’re not going to Heaven – no matter how many times you prayed a prayer! The Scriptures are clear that those who do not follow God will not enter the Kingdom. That doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but Christians are repenters. We continually look to Jesus for grace! And the Bible is clear that the pathway of sin leads to death. A person cannot continuously persist in the pathway of sin and say they’re going to Heaven. Jesus saved us unto good works. Therefore, the pathway to Heaven includes good works. But these good works aren’t done in our own strength or as a result of us. They’re a result of the gospel. This verse says we will be abundantly supplied with an entrance into the Kingdom. That carries ideas of grace. Christians know all the way down the path that we don’t deserve this, but our Divine Benefactor has given and will continue to give tremendous grace and will allow us into the eternal Kingdom. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. This is the command. It’s a rephrasing of the general call in verse 5. Be diligent. Make your call and election sure. I believe this means to give evidence of your calling and election. Again, Peter calls us to obedience not through saying, “See, you’ve failed! Feel really bad!” But instead, he’s calling us to a godly sorrow that works repentance and earnestness. Godly sorrow looks outside of yourself and says, “Jesus, I need YOU!” Peter calls us to look to Jesus because Peter affirms that if you’ve been summoned by Jesus, and if you were chosen before the foundation of the world, you now will grow in obedience. So, make it sure, Ventura. Give evidence of the calling and election even today by turning from your pride-filled areas. Even if you don’t know what all the ramifications of repentance looks like, don’t make excuses. Repent! Look to Jesus. Take God seriously. For, when we live this way, Peter says you will never stumble. The idea of 6
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:9. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 8:18. 8|Page 7
“stumble” simply means that we will make it to the glorious entrance into Heaven and not finally fall away. True Christians never lose their salvation. True Christians will repent. As Jude says, He will keep us from stumbling and present us faultless. This causes me to think about a runner in a race who longs for that finish line. He’s winning the race, and as he gets closer and closer to the finish line, the people are yelling and screaming in excitement. When he passes through the line, the crowd cheers! Our life in godliness is like that. We strain like a runner longing for the prize, and that time that God takes us home, we make it through and the first person I will see is my God embracing me in His arms. And, I will say, “It’s all because of God’s kindness in Jesus by the power of the Spirit! Praise the Lord I did not stumble and fall away.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Davids, Peter H. Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006. 2. Moo, Douglas. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1996. 3. Sproul, R.C. 1-2 Peter. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2011. 4. ESV Study Bible (2008). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 5. Green, Gene L. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Jude & 2 Peter. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008.
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he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.1 Verse 5 starts by saying, “But also for this very reason.” For what very reason? Peter could be referencing all the things he has stated in the first four verses or he could be specifically referencing what he spoke of in verse four. I tend to think that he is talking specifically about verse 4, which states that through Jesus’ glory and virtue we “have been given . . . exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”2 Remember last week that I said that the beginning part of this letter takes on what is called a Hellenistic Honorific Decree? Here we read about the honor that is due to the Divine Benefactor because of what He has done. He has glory and virtue and has given us precious promises that enable us to partake of the divine nature. And, get this! Jesus has also caused us to escape corruption. We have been set free to honor our God! Because of this or “for this very reason,” Peter says, “giving all diligence, add to your faith.” This is the basic command of this portion of Scripture and it also is fairly synonymous to the command given in verse 10: “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.” Now, before we just skip over this command and think we know what he’s saying, let’s try to ask more questions on this to make sure. Make every effort to supplement your faith. This is the idea of “giving all diligence, add to your faith.” Peter is now moving on into a list of virtues. He is saying that if you’re really a believer in Christ, your life must be changed. Jesus didn’t save you for no reason. He had a point. This is where I think people have such a misunderstanding of grace. They’ll say, “Oh, Jesus saves,” and all they mean is that Jesus has given them a ticket out of Hell. But the Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”3 If God prepared for Christians to walk in good works, are Christians going to walk in good works? Are they? Yes. Of course they are. Christians are God’s workmanship. Therefore, if I am a Christian, the logic follows that I will walk in good works. Make sense? Salvation isn’t only past tense and future tense – as though it’s something that happened when I trusted Jesus and nothing matters until I die and go to Heaven. Salvation has past, present and future ramifications. Jesus saved. Jesus saves. Jesus will save. Getting back to this letter, Peter reveals the present and future aspect of salvation because He’s already spent time on the past aspect of what Jesus has done for us. Peter shows us that salvation is going to affect the here-and-now. Here he uses some strong wording. He says, “Make every effort to supplement your faith.” In the New King James it is translated, “giving all diligence.” I want to read to you what some godly men have written on this phrase: Our approach to learning of God is not to be done in a frivolous, capricious, or cavalier manner. With earnest application, careful study, and inquiry, we are to apply ourselves diligently to every word that has proceeded from God’s mouth” (Sproul, p. 218). Another one writes, “Spiritual growth is not a matter that Christians can treat lightly; it is a goal to which we need to give ourselves body and soul, every day of our lives” – Moo (p. 44). Peter has said that we have knowledge. We have promises. These truths aren’t to be sterile. Instead, knowledge must lead to appropriate action otherwise we really haven’t digested the knowledge. Remember the illustration the apostle James gives? He tells us not to be like the person who looks at themselves in a 1
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:5–11. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:4. 3 The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eph 2:10. 2|Page 2
mirror and doesn’t change anything about their looks when they notice something wrong. Most people who care about their looks will do whatever it takes to correct the perceived imperfection. In a similar vein, Christians must do whatever it takes to address the sin and weights in their own lives. Peter doesn’t merely say, “Try harder,” or “It’s ok as long as you’re better than most people.” No, Peter says, “giving all diligence.” As I already said, this communicates the idea of “Make every effort.” This word carries the idea of having “zeal.” Ventura, here’s the response that most people give when you ask them about how they’re doing spiritually: Well, I’m not perfect, but. . . . While true that none of us are perfect, sometimes I find that answer to be a little bit of a cheat answer. The real way we should be addressing questions about our godliness is this, “Are you making every effort?” As I think about this phrase, my mind is drawn to how Olympic athletes prepare themselves for competition. They train and train and train. They modify their eating so that they get exactly what they need. They have trainers around them keeping them focused so that they will do their absolute best. They’re pushed beyond what they think they can do. And, many of them do this willingly. They love to do this. They’re not content to win second. They want the gold. So, they make every effort. They will take things out of their lives that will get in the way. They will place things in that will help them. Ventura, I want to ask you if you are making every effort. Now, I know what you’re going to say, “Well, I’m not perfect, but. . . .” I understand that response. I’m not perfect either. I’m not even perfect in making every effort. But I think we go to the “I’m not perfect” answer because we don’t really want to face our imperfections. But when we do that, we don’t see the power of grace. This command is actually bursting from the streams of grace. Peter reveals hope in these words. Remember that he is saying that on the basis of the promises and hope we have in Jesus, we have the divine power working in us to actually live godly lives. So, when we hear this command as a Christian, we shouldn’t use the “Well, I’m not perfect, but. . .” as an excuse to stay mediocre. Instead, we should hear this command as a clarion call! If I’m not making every effort right now, Lord Jesus forgive me. And, praise Jesus that He is empowering me to grow in my zeal! Don’t buy into the “Let go and let God” approach to the Christian life. God has called us to action from before the foundation of the world. And, God has called us to zealous action! Oh, this truth burns in my heart for us, Ventura. One word continues to come up in my mind when I think of what I long for this church: zeal. No mediocre Christians. No licentiousness. Oh to have people who portray godly sorrow that leads to earnestness and zeal for Christ’s glory! May we take Peter’s words seriously. May we understand the depths of grace to compel us to run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (see Heb. 12:1-2). I came across this quote this past week and I think it communicates the truth that Peter is saying here. This quote is from a man named JC Ryle: It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Do you hear that? Conversion (that point in time when we came to faith in Christ) leads to action. It leads to zealous action. This is what Peter’s saying. Since we have experienced the blessings of our glorious Jesus and have trusted in Him, Peter now gives us a list of virtues to add to our life. This list should remind us of Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit. There, Paul reveals the character of a person who is on their way to the kingdom. Peter is teaching similar truths and picks up on some of the characteristics Paul mentions, too. On the outset, I want to state that some people think that this list is sequential. In other words, we start with faith, then we add virtue, then knowledge, then self-control, etc. While there could be connections between 3|Page
each virtue on this list. That idea can also fall apart. Is it true that we can only have love after we have conquered each of the other characteristics on the list? Also, how can we have faith without knowledge, which comes after virtue? You see, in the Greek culture, lists like these didn’t have to be in sequential order, but instead simply stated a collection of virtues. That’s what I think Peter is doing here. Going back to the fruit of the Spirit analogy, notice that the Bible says “fruit” and not “fruits.” I think that’s important. The fruit of the Spirit is a collective whole. The character traits that God forms in us cannot be separated so neatly one from another. We could say that we have more patience than self-control, but all of these traits are intertwined. Having said this, it does seem notable that Peter puts faith first and love last. It’s almost as if he is wrapping up this list with two of the all-important virtues. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And without love, you sound like a clanging symbol. So, on the basis of Jesus and what He has done, we are to make every effort to add these qualities into our life. Before I discuss the qualities, let me just make a comment on the word “add.” When you hear this word, you might think of baking. So, you add a little sugar and then add flour and then add some eggs. But this word “add” doesn’t carry that kind of idea. This word actually communicates sacrifice. It means “to provide at one’s own expense.” As one theologian by the name of Peter Davids says, “. . .it serves as the chaining verb as if one spent the one virtue to gain a supply of the next. . . . It again notes the expense, the effort involved in this growth in virtue. We do not automatically become more virtuous as if God infused virtue into us intravenously; we need to make plans and expend effort” (Davids, p. 179). Understanding all of this, we see that Peter is saying expend your energies with zeal so that these qualities abound in your life. Now, we can move to the qualities. Faith. This word for faith was a word that was used in the general culture to refer to faithfulness to friends and family. Given that this word for “faith” is used in this honorific decree, the idea is that we are to have faithfulness towards our Divine Benefactor. In other words, we are to possess “commitment to Jesus.” This is the idea of faith. Clinging to, resting in, trusting in, depending on, relying on – all of these words and phrases carry the idea of a commitment to Jesus. But why is faith so important? It’s resting in the Divine Benefactor. It’s acknowledging that only He is sufficient and lovely and glorious. It’s a confession that He is the One whom we hope in and love, not us! He has given us all we need for life and for godliness – even the faith of which we are speaking. Virtue. But we aren’t to stop at faith. While we are to walk by faith and faith is to undergird everything we do, Peter says that we are to also exercise diligence to grow in virtue. Virtue could also be translated “goodness.” This reminds us of verse 3 of this chapter where Peter says that we were called in accordance with Jesus’ own glory and virtue. When I talked about virtue last week, I reminded us that this virtue is referencing Jesus’ actions. Jesus lived the perfect life that we failed to live from the womb. Jesus then died the death we deserved to die, taking our eternal punishment in Himself. Then Jesus rose again the victor over death and sin so that we can have hope for eternal life with God! This is the virtuous life of the Savior. But what’s beautiful is that Peter now says that because of Jesus’ virtuous life, we have been granted by the Divine Benefactor the privilege to now live virtuous lives. This doesn’t mean we will become saviors, but this means, as I said last week, that Jesus has promised that we will now grow in obedience. I hope you know this, Beloved! Jesus has purchased virtue for us. So, zealously supply virtue to your life. Study the Scriptures and seek to live for God’s glory by the grace He provides in Christ! He who promised is faithful. Knowledge. Peter now moves on and talks about knowledge. What we don’t see in English is that this word for knowledge is actually a different Greek word than what was used in verses 2 and 3. While the words can 4|Page
be used interchangeably and could mean the same thing, it seems to me that the context is actually indicating a different understanding here. Verses 2 and 3 seem to refer to a knowledge that has deep relational tones to it. This word for knowledge seems to be the result of that relational knowledge. I agree with one commentator who writes, “. . .it most likely refers specifically to the ability to discern God’s will and orient one’s life in accordance with that will” (Moo, p. 45). By the way, this word probably had deeper meaning to the overall letter itself. The false teachers who were coming into the churches had some form of what is called Gnosticism. Gnostics believed that they had attained some higher form of spiritual knowledge. While the false teachers would say that they had this knowledge and that people need to pursue that knowledge, Peter actually affirms that they need to seek knowledge, but the knowledge is not found in Gnostic teaching! Instead, knowledge is found in accordance with the Scriptures. Remember, we have been given already all we need for life and for godliness through the saving knowledge of Jesus. Now, we grow in that knowledge of Him and receive more knowledge in how to live life. We don’t need some secret knowledge. We don’t need new informational speculation. We need the old, old truth that has been settled for centuries and rests in God Himself! This should not only confront the old form of Gnosticism, but it should confront us today. If you ever read a book where someone says they’ve found something entirely new about God, be careful! Now, I’m not against new things, but I am wary of new information about God. The reality is that the Truth is old. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Truth and He is eternal! God never changes. Truth remains the same. I know this confronts our post-modern society and mindset, but Truth always confronts! Let’s rest in knowing that we can know the Truth and grow in the Truth. And, grow in the Truth we must. We can’t be like so many others who say “What is Truth?” Instead, we say, “We know the Truth and the Truth has set us free to live in obedience to Him.” So, sacrificially add to your life knowledge! Study the Word. Voraciously eat the feast we have before us. Pray for the Spirit’s wisdom in discerning God’s will from the Word. Don’t be content with nibbling on the Word. Meditate on the Word over and over and over and over again. Grow in knowledge. Self-control. Peter then mentions self-control. Self-control was considered one of the great virtues in the secular and Jewish society. The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote, “We ought to esteem those that do what is agreeable to temperance and prudence, no less glorious than those that have gained great reputation by their actions in war” (quot. Davids, p. 180). Philo says, “The opposite of desire is [self-control], which one must endeavor, and labor, and take pains by every contrivance imaginable to acquire, as the very greatest blessing.” (as quot. in Davids, p. 180). Self-control was highly honored, but what is self-control? Self-control’s definition is found in the word itself. It means to have control over yourself – specifically contrasted with a desire for overindulgence with food and sex. Biblically, I think this can be that specific and also broad. We are to control ourselves over everything. Our bodies don’t control us. We control our bodies. But is self-control just control over your body? I mean, unbelievers can control their bodies so that they don’t do things that are bad, right? Yes. Buddhists would prize self-control. Certain atheists pride themselves in their morality. So, what is self-control for a Christian? Now that’s a great question! Self-control is a phrase that is seen as such a downer to so many people. And I can understand. Many people sinned this past Thanksgiving with overindulgence (and that’s not meant to be funny). But the sad thing is that many people in America overindulge every single day. Now, if I just say “exercise some self-control,” that may not really help! For most people, and even in certain religions, selfcontrol is simply the ability to say “no” to yourself. And you are to be happy that you can say “no.” Well, if that’s all that self-control is, I understand why self-control is almost like a bad word to most people. We live in an affluent culture that seems to think that everyone deserves to indulge themselves here and there. To say “have self-control” feels like we’re taking the fun away from everything. The word self-control feels like a needle that pokes the little boy’s new balloon! But there’s a point to the self-control! 5|Page
But, for the Christian, self-control is a control of your entire self for the purpose of godliness and living as we ought to live for His glory. You see, people can control themselves and think they’re doing good saying “no.” But for a Christian, self-control is actually saying “yes” first and as a result, we say “no” to other things that don’t matter. In other words, we have a superior satisfaction in God, and because we don’t want that satisfaction to diminish, we control ourselves in other arenas! Going to a food analogy, it’s like having finished your meal and you want to end on the best flavor. You say “no” to other things, maybe even things that aren’t that bad, because you want to remember that one flavor. With God, it is even greater. He is the One who brings true satisfaction to every gift He gives. Therefore, we exercise self-control in all things because He is so superior! By the way, this would have confronted the false teachers as well. They were given to indulgence. Peter says that someone who really knows Christ wouldn’t give themselves over to that behavior. They would recognize the beauty of Christ and follow Him with selfcontrol. Christians, we are to take painstaking aims to ensure that we are self-controlled people so that we confess through that control that Jesus is our greater prize and passion and delight. In actuality, through that biblical self-control, we confess that this is a gift the Spirit grants to us. So, through the Spirit’s power, we control ourselves for God’s glory! Steadfastness. Now Peter moves on and discusses steadfastness. This carries the idea of endurance. This word was a military word that referred to having endurance in battle. This echoes back to the Ryle quote I mentioned earlier. Peter, with every phrase “add to” is saying this is a fight. We are in a spiritual warfare. Then Peter adds a military word to enhance our understanding of the real fight that Christianity is. Believer, do you realize that your goal in life is not the American Dream? We are to set our sights on things above, not merely on things of this earth. Do you really believe that real people whom you know are dying and going to experience an eternity away from God’s mercy and grace? Do you really understand that God has granted you beyond what your mind can conceive? Do you really believe that growing in a godly life matters? If you did, how would your life change? I sincerely want you to ponder these questions. Do you really believe. . . ? If so, how would your life change? Ventura, if you do believe, your life will change, but as we learned already, Peter is calling us to take action steps. So, write down those actions steps. If belief would lead to certain areas of repentance and action in your life, you need to write those things down and then I would call you to pray for God’s grace to actually live these things out! Godliness. And that leads us to the next characteristic: godliness. This word godliness refers us back to verse 3 where we are told we are given everything for a life of piety. As I said last week, this Greek word for piety means to have an “unflinching devotion to duty” (Green, p. 182; also quot. Shelton, same source). Given the context of Peter’s writing here, he’s revealing that our duty is to our Divine Benefactor, Jesus. Jesus has given us everything we need for a godly life; therefore, live a godly life. Brotherly affection. Now Peter moves on with a shocking phrase. He says we are to have brotherly affection. I know that may not sound so shocking to our ears, but it would have been shocking to the 1st century reader. This brotherly affection was a phrase used exclusively to communicate love within your own family unit. One man named Plutarch said, “For most of friendships are in reality shadows and imitations and images of that first friendship which Nature implanted in children toward parents and in brothers toward brothers” (as quot. in Green, p. 195; Plutarch, De fraterno amore 479D). Now, many of us would hear this and say, “Wow, that’s great that the Greco-Roman world focused on their families. But they so valued brotherly affection that for Christians to start using this term toward other Christians was considered awful! One early Christian wrote 6|Page
this, “Thus we love one another, to your regret, with a mutual love, because we do not know how to hate. Thus we call one another, to your envy, brethren: as being men born of one God and Parent, and companions in faith, and as fellow-heirs in hope” (as quot. in Moo, p. 183). You see, Peter actually confronts the culture of that day and I would even say maybe even the culture of our day and Peter says, “Listen, Christians, you are to have a commitment not only to your earthly family, but to your Christian family!” Ventura, do you hear this? Listen, I believe that we must care for our homes and for our children and we must love our wives. Oh, we must give diligence to this. In addition to this, we must give diligence for our fellow Christians. There is a reality that our spiritual family lasts longer than physical families, and it would even be our hope that in caring for the spiritual family our earthly family (and other people in this world) would see our love and then they would know we are Christians by our love for one another! Love. Finally, we come to what is termed the greatest of Christian virtues: love. This term love is not only for fellow Christians, but for all people! For God loves the world in this way: He gave His only begotten Son (see John 3:16). Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me. Love is a self-sacrificing. I love how one man put it, “Love is a ‘cognitive’ emotion.’” This brings together the two extremes people have. They’ll either say that love is only action, devoid of feeling, but that doesn’t seem to fit the biblical portrait of love, which describes love even in terms of feelings with actions: patience, kindness, gentleness. But people can go to the other extreme and say love is all feeling. So, they can say, “Well, I love this person because I feel a certain way.” So, people will talk about falling in love or out of love. We all know feelings can deceive. Love is cognitive emotion. It’s emotion that is birthed by God in the knowledge of Jesus’ glory and virtuous love toward us. As a result, we seek to love like Christ, making sacrifices even when our feelings may lead one way or another. But our feelings desire to be on the right path, caring for those around us. I pray that Hebrews 6:10 will be said of us, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”4 Do you seek to sacrificially love and grow in this virtue? The apostle John said, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”5 Now, I hope in talking about all of these characteristics that those who are Christians are spurred to greater repentance. For those who are playing games or reject the faith because of hypocrites or because you don’t want to really trust in Jesus, I pray that you would be amazed at the calling God gives. But I hope that all of you would listen carefully. If you walk away from this list thinking, “Oh, I can’t do this. I’ve failed so horribly,” I would ask you to confess that to the Lord and move forward in the grace He supplies. A fatal flaw would be for you to say, “Ok, I’m just going to try harder with my list,” and you don’t pray and you don’t take time to have the Spirit breed greater repentance in your heart. Another flaw would be to simply look at this list as something that condemns you before the Father. Listen, if God is your Father, you are not condemned. Instead, you have hope! This list is given to you so that you would grow in your zeal – not so that you would be condemned. Confess and know that He is faithful and just to forgive. Peter moves on here, and I will close with the benefits Peter says we receive when we make the effort in Jesus’ grace to add these virtues. The blessings that flow: 1) We will not be barren or unfruitful. Note that Peter says that if these things are yours and abound. . . . Please know that the spiritual walk is not one where we all of a sudden are perfect, but instead, it’s like climbing a mountain. It takes time and work. There will be errors in your steps. You may fall, but it’s a progressive climb. Don’t grow weary in the fight. Instead, know that God is working in you in the midst of all of this. Peter says that if you move forward in these, you won’t be barren or unfruitful. The word “barren” refers to being idle and without effect. Jesus died for you to do good works. If you 4
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Heb 6:10. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 1 Jn 3:14. 7|Page 5
see works that are based in the gospel of Jesus, you know that your life matters not only for this life, but also for the life to come! Then Peter uses an agricultural term: unfruitful. This reminds me of the story of the fig tree where Jesus curses the unfruitful fig tree. What’s the point of a tree? It is to bear good fruit. If it doesn’t bear good fruit, it’s cut down! Christians don’t desire that fate. We want to know and follow after God! And, praise Jesus, because He’s provided all we need for a godly life, we won’t be barren and unfruitful. Instead, we will zealously pursue the attributes here. And, notice that Peter says we won’t be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here, the word knowledge is talking about our relationship with Christ. So, our obedience flows from our relationship with the God-Man-Messiah, Jesus! Our obedience flows from grace! So, look to Jesus for grace! 2) We won’t live in blindness. Peter says that if we are growing in obedience, we will grow in our assurance of salvation: For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.6 Remember, Peter is giving real counsel to real Christians who are struggling. He wants their assurance to increase. So, he encourages them in God’s grace! Again, there’s a real threat. If we don’t live out our lives as we’re called to do, our spiritual sight will waste away. This nearsightedness probably referred to a disease that led to blindness. The blindness Peter talks about is an inability to remember that Jesus has forgiven you. Oh, what a horrible fate, Ventura. Sadly, there are times when Christians are caught in sins and they hide away in their sinfulness and Peter says, you have no assurance that you’re saved. You may even be a Christian, but you have no joy in Jesus. And, if you have no joy in Jesus, you have lost all strength! Like Jesus said to the disciples: Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?7 Because Jesus has given us all we need, and because He has promised to grow a believer’s obedience, you cannot stay in this state, Christian! If you’re there today, repent! Heed the Spirit’s call. Be refreshed in the joy of Christ and the knowledge of His great love for you. 3) You will be supplied with an entrance into the everlasting kingdom. I’m moving ahead here, but this is another blessing. I know some could read this as works-based salvation, but that’s not the point. Although, I will say that if you do not follow Jesus in this life, you’re not going to Heaven – no matter how many times you prayed a prayer! The Scriptures are clear that those who do not follow God will not enter the Kingdom. That doesn’t mean we’re perfect, but Christians are repenters. We continually look to Jesus for grace! And the Bible is clear that the pathway of sin leads to death. A person cannot continuously persist in the pathway of sin and say they’re going to Heaven. Jesus saved us unto good works. Therefore, the pathway to Heaven includes good works. But these good works aren’t done in our own strength or as a result of us. They’re a result of the gospel. This verse says we will be abundantly supplied with an entrance into the Kingdom. That carries ideas of grace. Christians know all the way down the path that we don’t deserve this, but our Divine Benefactor has given and will continue to give tremendous grace and will allow us into the eternal Kingdom. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. This is the command. It’s a rephrasing of the general call in verse 5. Be diligent. Make your call and election sure. I believe this means to give evidence of your calling and election. Again, Peter calls us to obedience not through saying, “See, you’ve failed! Feel really bad!” But instead, he’s calling us to a godly sorrow that works repentance and earnestness. Godly sorrow looks outside of yourself and says, “Jesus, I need YOU!” Peter calls us to look to Jesus because Peter affirms that if you’ve been summoned by Jesus, and if you were chosen before the foundation of the world, you now will grow in obedience. So, make it sure, Ventura. Give evidence of the calling and election even today by turning from your pride-filled areas. Even if you don’t know what all the ramifications of repentance looks like, don’t make excuses. Repent! Look to Jesus. Take God seriously. For, when we live this way, Peter says you will never stumble. The idea of 6
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 2 Pe 1:9. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 8:18. 8|Page 7
“stumble” simply means that we will make it to the glorious entrance into Heaven and not finally fall away. True Christians never lose their salvation. True Christians will repent. As Jude says, He will keep us from stumbling and present us faultless. This causes me to think about a runner in a race who longs for that finish line. He’s winning the race, and as he gets closer and closer to the finish line, the people are yelling and screaming in excitement. When he passes through the line, the crowd cheers! Our life in godliness is like that. We strain like a runner longing for the prize, and that time that God takes us home, we make it through and the first person I will see is my God embracing me in His arms. And, I will say, “It’s all because of God’s kindness in Jesus by the power of the Spirit! Praise the Lord I did not stumble and fall away.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Davids, Peter H. Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006. 2. Moo, Douglas. The NIV Application Commentary: 2 Peter, Jude. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1996. 3. Sproul, R.C. 1-2 Peter. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2011. 4. ESV Study Bible (2008). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 5. Green, Gene L. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Jude & 2 Peter. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008.
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