Peter puts it so plainly. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (10-11).
It was the three words make every effort that caught my attention.
I see it in others and hear it spoken about cavalierly and fall in to sometimes. The ‘it’ I’m thinking about is laziness in faith, taking God’s grace for granted and not putting effort into learning, growing and doing what ‘faith in Jesus’ calls me to learn, grow and do. Peter, too, sees this and so he writes, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.
The therefore that begins verse 10 points back to what he had just written in verses 5-9. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 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. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Add, grow in, develop… goodness, knowledge, godliness, mutual affection and love. That is quite a list. And what I notice is that these are qualities of living that other people will see in our lives.
Where does the Lord take me with all of this? To think, meditate and dwell on these things. In other words, the Lord is saying to me, “Here you go, Bill. I have given you your focus for spiritual growth for the days to come…”
Lord, keep my in Your word, because in them I have the words of life. Bless You, Lord, for the gift of Your Word because with them You have given me life and shown me a glimpse of You and Your character.
I love You, Father, Son and Spirit. I worship and adore You. Through Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
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