2 Peter 1:1-10
Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. -2 Peter 1:10
The second epistle of Peter written mainly to address the issue of false teachers, Peter calls on those who share precious faith in Jesus Christ to adopt an attitude of seeking and growing in Him. If believers are grounded and growing in their knowledge of the Lord and in His Word, they can withstand false teachers and teaching. It is clear from today's passage that faith in Christ is not the end or goal. Rather, it is the beginning of a process.
For example, imagine you have decided to build a ship. You begin with the concept, design your ship, arrange your finances and recruit engineers to build your ship. In the process they add several things like, planning, design, raw material, labour etc until the ship is on water. Moreover, to keep the ship afloat they need to continuously maintain it.
What Peter describes in verses 3 -7 is a recipe for cultivating a godly life that will help us to develop and share in the divine nature of Christ.
Let's look at the ingredients required:
1. FAITH: By faith a believer accepts the word (seed) that is planted concerning Jesus and His finished work on the cross. This is foundational.
2. GOODNESS: Goodness constitutes not just of attitudes and temperament but one that manifests itself in good works that please our Lord and Master.
3. KNOWLEDGE: Hosea 4:6 [TLB] says: " My people are destroyed for they do not know me." Ignorance and lack of knowledge pave the way to finally being eternally separated from God. We need know our Saviour personally and study God’s Word to grow in our understanding of Him. Invest time in getting to know the Lord Jesus!
4. SELF CONTROL: To practice self control is to discipline ourselves. Proverbs 25:28 says: Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
5. PERSEVERANCE: Perseverance is the ability to stick to a decision even when it gets difficult. To endure through tough times, trusting in the Lord produces perseverance in us.
6. GODLINESS: Godliness is to live reverently, loyally, and obediently toward God (MacArthur Study Bible). It is to be developed in one’s life. Sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and godly teaching if rejected are traits of false teachers (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3).
7. MUTUAL AFFECTION: Brotherly love is a sign of loving God and loving our fellow brethren. Helping, praying, and sacrificially caring for each other contribute to mutual affection among us.
8. LOVE: Love is the greatest of all qualities. The most excellent way, as described in 1Cor: 13. Jesus himself is our greatest example. He laid down his life so that we might live!! Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.“ (John 13:34)
We are encouraged to make every effort to reach the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls ( V. 1). Let us, therefore, add all these qualities in good measure and keep checking ourselves in the light of the Word until our work on earth is done.
Think on: "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." 2 Pet 1:8