Supernaturally Called
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ME: Intro (Lombardi)/Background of the Call (vs. 1)
ME: Intro (Lombardi)/Background of the Call (vs. 1)
I love auctions.
I almost exclusively purchase vehicles from car auctions.
I have since I was a teenager.
I go, bid on something that needs work for cheap.
Then I search on YouTube how to fix it.
Over the years I have often found that in order to fix something,
It would require a tool I didn’t have.
If I could, I would go and buy that tool,
Oftentimes at an auction,
So that I had what I would need to fix the vehicle.
Other times, I was not able to get what I needed to do the job.
So, I would decide to take it to a mechanic.
Because he would have everything needed to do the job.
That is what Peter is saying about God in our passage this morning.
During the time of the early church,
There were some bogus doctrines and lifestyles floating around.
The temptation for this sinful lifestyle became very concerning to Peter.
He wrote 2 Peter to equip seasoned Christians to overcome subtle spiritual deception from false teachers.
That is why this letter emphasizes true knowledge of God while facing false teaching,
And encouraging us to maintain Christian virtues in a world filled with vices.
In this letter,
He does not present any new information not yet seen in God’s Word,
Instead, he reminds us about the truths of the gospel we have already been taught.
The importance Peter places on remembering these truths is critical for us today.
There are so many channels for mass media in our world:
From televangelists, to radio preachers, to self-help authors, to social media influencers, to bloggers, and podcasters,
The channels for false teaching are more frequent than ever.
And we feed this with celebrity Christian culture,
Where audiences flock to a person seeking to experience something new.
When a false teacher begins using these platforms to teach something outside of the Gospel,
We lack discernment,
Or lack the love needed to speak the truth.
Instead, in the spirit of tolerance,
We welcome the messages from these false teachers into our minds and heart.
We must understand that doing this,
Is exchanging the truth for lies.
This is why we are in desperate need of Peter’s fundamental reminders.
2 Peter is a very practical book about Christian living,
That is why this idea of Naturally Supernatural,
Represents the normal Christian life.
This is the theme of our series through the book of 2 Peter.
This morning, we are beginning in 2 Peter 1:1-11,
Discussing what it means to be Supernaturally Called.
Next week, Lord willing, we will be in vs. 12-21.
Our outline for this passage is;
Background of the Call (vs. 1)
Blessing for the Called (vs. 2)
Power Behind the Call (vs. 3-4)
Effort From the Called (vs. 5-9)
Confirmation of the Called (vs. 10-11)
God grants you the tools needed to do the work of salvation. So, put in the work.
And the assurance they give of our salvation.
This does not mean we are saved by works,
As some have misunderstood this passage to mean.
But works are a part of this ongoing work of holiness in us.
Background
The letter opens with the common form for NT letters;
An introduction of the writer,
And address to the recipients,
And then a greeting in the form of a blessing.
It is from this introduction we get the Background of the Call in 2 Peter 1:1;
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
The Apostle Peter claims to have written this letter.
There is no good reason for us to think otherwise.
There are many things in this letter that would support this claim,
Making it difficult to imagine how another author could have written this letter in good conscience while pretending to be Peter.
In the opening chapter,
He refers to his imminent death in ways that reflect Jesus’ Words to Peter.
The author also claims to have been an eyewitness to the transfiguration in Matthew 17,
Something Peter saw firsthand.
Some early church fathers,
Disputed the authenticity of Peter being the author.
Noting the stylistic differences between 1 and 2 Peter as the primary reason for doubt.
Those who dispute the authenticity of Peter as the author,
Believe that another writer attributed the letter to Peter to improve the receptivity of this letter.
Yes, there are some stylistic differences between 1 and 2 Peter,
But the differences are not so severe that they cancel out the similarities.
There are a number of parallels between this letter and Peter’s speeches that are recorded in the book of Acts.
So, the claim that a false writer just using Peter’s name is a very weak argument.
The most natural reading of 2 Peter understands that the Apostle Peter wrote the letter.
Historically, 2 Peter has been accepted as an authentic letter from the Apostle Peter,
And the early church did not tolerate false writers using the name of another.
This makes the case against Peter as the author a faulty one.
Giving us assurance that Peter is the author.
Peter identifies himself as a servant under the lordship of Christ,
And an Apostle,
That is one who was appointed by Christ,
But also one in this context who represents authority.
The word for servant here also means slave.
So, Peter is balancing humility as a slave with authority as an Apostle.
After introducing himself,
Peter does not address any specific recipients by name or location,
He refers to his recipients as those who have obtained a faith of equal standing to the apostles.
He most certainly had a specific group of people he is writing to.
The only thing we know about these people, though, is that they have received a faith equal to the apostles.
At the time of this letter, Peter knows his death is imminent,
He is writing to brothers and sisters of the faith who will live on in this world after he goes on to heaven.
So, he is assuring his readers that we do not have some sort of second-class faith,
That is inferior to the faith of the Apostles.
We have obtained a faith of equal standing.
Our faith is of the same value or worth as the Apostles faith.
But what is the source of this equal faith?
Peter goes on to state that it is the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our faith could not have come in any other way.
David Helm is right on in his commentary;
“Our ability to stand before God someday as rescued and reclaimed persons depends entirely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He alone has flown through this world without falling. He alone can and did make atonement for sin. Thus he alone can bring us home.”
The privilege that both the apostles and we who trust in Christ today share,
Is only due to the work of Christ on the cross.
The work of Jesus, our God and Savior.
WE: Blessing for the Called (vs. 2)
WE: Blessing for the Called (vs. 2)
Similar to his first letter,
Peter gives the Blessing for the Called in 2 Peter 1:2;
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
The Blessing for the Called is a wish of grace and peace upon the readers.
Grace and peace is a common pairing used in blessings,
Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward us.
It is the resource God gives to us undeserving sinners to be saved and to gradually become more and more like God.
An offering of grace is seen at the start of almost every NT letter,
And a reminder or assurance of grace is at the conclusion of almost every NT letter.
Pastor Andy Davis illustrates that this makes each NT letter like a grace car wash.
When you arrive at the entrance of the car wash,
You are in need of cleaning,
The cleaning happens while the car is in the car wash,
Likewise, the spiritually cleaning happens to us while we are in the letter,
Then, as we come out the other side,
Just as the car wash makes the car clean,
The letter washes us anew with grace.
The peace Peter wishes upon us is this blissful joy and contentment that results from a right relationship with God.
Peter concludes his blessing by acknowledging that grace and peace increase by knowing God through Christ,
This knowledge is something we must continuously be reminded of.
Knowledge is an important theme throughout this letter.
Likely because Peter is correcting false teachers,
So, when he speaks of knowledge throughout this letter,
He is speaking of the fundamental saving information of God that a believer trusts in.
It is a knowledge of God,
And a knowledge of Jesus.
It is what we call the Gospel.
This knowledge is not merely an intellectual exercise,
It is an intimate and experiential knowledge of God through Christ.
Jesus explains this in Matthew 11:27;
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
We only experience the blessing of grace and peace through a knowledge of God,
And we can only know God through Christ.
Dr. Jim Shaddix gives a great illustration here:
“In the midst of a culture that champions truth as being relative, Christians need a strong foundation of objective reality to navigate their journey home. When I open the GPS app on my phone and plug in my destination, I expect the lady’s voice coming out of the speaker to give me clear and accurate directions that are based on someone’s real knowledge. And while there may be several alternate routes, they all are based on objective realities. The only chance I have to reach my destination is to get real knowledge that is based on what is true and right.”
If this is true for something as simple as directions,
As Dr. Shaddix illustrates,
How much more important is it to have knowledge about eternal matters of life and death.
We need crystal clear directions grounded in truth.
Despite what we know,
We humans forget things better than we remember things,
So, we need to be reminded of what we know.
And since this knowledge is crucial,
We must welcome others to remind us of it.
That is what Peter does with this letter.
GOD: Power Behind the Call (vs. 3-4)
GOD: Power Behind the Call (vs. 3-4)
In vs. 3-4, Peter reminds us of the Power Behind the Call;
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
God has everything He needs to save His people.
And God has provided everything we need to grow in Christlikeness as we wait for Him to return,
Even in the face of false teaching.
Everything God provided is the knowledge of Him, as vs. 2 says.
A knowledge that includes precious and very great promises.
This is what God desires for His children,
That they will look like Christ.
Going back to the creation of people,
Gen. 1:27 says;
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Tragically, that did not last long,
In Gen. 3, people messed this image up by sinning.
Sin has perverted this image.
From that point on,
The Bible tells the story of God’s work in Christ to recover this image,
And restore the purpose He intended for people.
That is why Peter begins his communal exhortation in vs. 3,
With a reminder of the resources God’s people have through knowing Christ.
God’s divine power provides for us everything we need for life and godliness.
This is an incredible statement,
Perhaps the most incredible statement in our entire passage.
This life is eternal life.
It is the life God created His people to have.
It is the idea of justification,
Of being justified.
Everything needed for eternal life,
Everything needed to be justified,
God has, and He grants to us by His power.
This is a one time thing.
By faith, we trust in God’s power for eternal life through Christ.
Once we do,
We are saved, permanently, forever.
We are granted everything we need for life.
Godliness is living like God in this life.
It is a reference to one’s personal conduct in life.
Jesus has everything needed for a person to become like Christ,
And He grants it to us.
This is the idea of sanctification,
Of being sanctified.
Everything needed to live like God in this life,
Everything needed to be sanctified,
God has, and He grants to us by His power.
Specifically, in the form of His Word and the Holy Spirit.
Unlike justification, sanctification is an ongoing thing.
By faith, we trust in God’s power to live like God in this life through Christ.
As we do,
We are being saved progressively.
We are granted everything we need for godliness.
He is giving us the tools.
How exactly does this progressive transformation occur?
Peter says through the knowledge of Him who called us.
This knowledge Peter is talking about is not a head knowledge,
It is an intimate knowledge.
This means being remade into the image of Christ comes through active participation in knowing God more and more.
The problem is knowing Christ is treated as a one time past tense event.
As if you came to know Christ, once, so now you know Him.
Knowing Christ is a continuous ongoing lifelong pursuit.
Through this knowing of Christ,
God calls His people to His own glory and excellence, Peter says.
This is a reference to Christ’s splendor and majesty as God.
It refers to the fact that Christ is perfect.
Believers can experience true life and godly living through knowing Christ.
We are assured that we will look the way God intends.
Because God gives us very great and precious promises.
Where do we find these promises?
The Bible.
Even the commands in Scripture are promises.
The command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength,
The command to love our neighbors as ourselves,
The command for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church,
For children to obey their parents,
And for parents not to exasperate their children.
All commands in Scripture are precious and very great promises.
God has given us everything we need to do this job.
Through these promises,
Believers become partakers of the divine nature.
This is not saying that believers are absorbed into God or something like that,
Believers do not become gods.
As Mormons believe.
But God does share His divine nature.
Peter is talking first about how believers receive the Holy Spirit,
Believers are adopted as children of God.
As John 1:12 says;
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
As a result of being partakers of the divine nature,
Believers are conformed to the likeness of Christ.
This began at conversion,
At justification.
It is happening progressively through sanctification.
And it will come to completion,
At glorification.
Justification is a one time thing,
Once a person is justified,
That person is saved.
Sanctification is an ongoing thing,
As a person is sanctified,
That person is being saved.
And glorification is a future thing,
A person who has been justified,
And is being sanctified,
Will be glorified.
That person will be saved.
All people are made in the image of God,
Sin has broken that image,
But it is being renewed and restored in believers.
Through the giving of the Holy Spirit,
Believers begin to participate in God’s excellence.
It is restoring God’s image in people,
It does not mean people are becoming God.
This means we are presently living in what is called the already, not yet.
We are already saved,
And not yet fully saved.
The apostle John summarizes this well in 1 John 3:2;
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
The realization of this glorification is looking ahead to Christ’s return,
It is to escape the corruption of this world.
This is ultimate freedom.
This escape will be a final future act when Christ returns.
For those who are justified,
It is a guaranteed certainty.
When God adopts you into His family,
He provides you with everything you need to experience true life,
To live in a way that reflects His character along the way,
And to become fully like Christ when He returns.
You cannot say you do not have the right tools.
God has everything needed to do the job,
And He grants you with everything you need in your knowledge of Him through Christ.
Remember the true knowledge of God found only in Christ,
Instead of the ideas that false teachers offer up today.
Peter reminds you of the content of the Gospel,
This is what it means to know God!
This knowledge equips you to live for Him.
This is what you need to remember.
YOU: Effort From the Called (vs. 5-9)
YOU: Effort From the Called (vs. 5-9)
God wants you to remember the call He has placed on your life,
And He wants you to let that calling determine how you live.
God has called you to Himself in Christ.
Your life is defined by this gracious calling.
This calling comes with some responsibility.
God grants you the tools you need for the job,
Because you have the tools,
You have to put in the effort to do the job.
2 Peter 1:5-9 teaches about the Effort From the Called.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Based upon God’s granting you everything you need Christ,
You must make every effort to do the job of supplementing your faith.
Effort is work.
Justification, the one-time past act of salvation, is by faith,
Apart from works.
Transgression of the past are not forgiven by obedience in the present.
Imagine if you have a child who disobeyed you one weekend,
The consequences is that they are grounded for next weekend.
There obedience in the week leading up to that weekend does not then undo their grounding.
Because all they are doing is what they are suppose to do anyway.
Likewise, you cannot make any effort toward your justification.
Similarly, glorification includes God’s work of raising you from the dead.
Therefore, you cannot make any effort to raise yourself from the dead.
So the effort Peter is talking about here is addressed toward this ongoing work of sanctification.
If you are a believer who is presently living in this world,
This is where you are at,
The ongoing work of sanctification.
So, this plea from Peter is to make every effort in sanctification.
Similar to Paul’s plea in Phil. 2:12;
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
But you do not do this by yourself.
Your effort toward sanctification is in participation with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit starts it,
It is built upon your foundation of faith.
In light of everything Peter talked about in vs. 3-4,
Your initial trust in God’s power,
Your justification.
After the Spirit starts this,
Make every effort to join in on the recreation into God’s image.
This is the beautiful yet challenging tension between God’s sovereignty and our responsibility.
Vs. 3-4 made clear that this calling is a work of God alone.
But then, vs. 5 seems to contradict this,
Saying that we must make an effort toward this calling.
Hense, the reason for tension.
We must rest in this tension.
Because this tension can only be resolved in God’s mind,
Not ours.
In vs. 5-7, Peter follows his plea for effort,
With a multitude of Christian virtues you are to build upon your foundation of faith.
These virtues do not seem to be listed in any discernable sequence,
As if these are some sort of stages for the Christian life.
Rather, this seems to be a repetitive building of a series of virtues that build up to a climax.
These virtues come from the character of God.
The word for virtues in vs. 5 is the same word in the original language from back in vs. 3,
Talking about the excellence of God’s character.
Which means the more you grow these virtues,
The more God is glorified.
Growth in these virtues is the fruit of being partakers of the divine nature,
Looking quickly through each of these virtues.
Virtue, or goodness, is first.
This is talking about moral excellence,
We are not born good,
But through Christ, we can live out goodness.
Knowledge here is practical wisdom,
It is different from the intimate knowledge mentioned earlier.
This knowledge here is the discernment you need to live a virtuous life.
Self-control is the idea of controlling your emotions,
Instead of being controlled by your emotions.
This is only possible by surrendering control to Christ.
Steadfastness is something you need in order to persevere in every other virtue,
Especially in a world that lacks Christian virtues.
Godliness is devotion to God,
It is a heart inclined toward God.
It is a demonstration of reverence for God.
Brotherly affection is focused on sharing love between brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is manifested through fellowship, kindness, and generosity.
Lastly, love.
This is the pinnacle of Christian attributes.
This is not phileo love,
Like brotherly affection,
This is agape love.
It is the love God shows toward us.
It desires the greatest good for the one being loved,
Demonstrated through self-sacrificing actions.
Before moving on,
There are a few applications I would like to suggest from Peter’s list of virtues.
First is to remember.
Remember, these virtues are driven by God and His character.
You do not have the tools needed to do this job,
But God does,
And God grants you the tools needed for this job.
As you grow in your intimate knowing of Him,
Your commitment to Him will be expressed through these attributes.
Do not forget this and be fooled into thinking your virtue is a production of your effort alone.
Second is a choice.
You want to nurture each of these virtues in your life.
All of them are to be ever increasing their influence in your life.
But an application for today is to start with one.
Pick one of these virtues that you can focus on.
Begin your effort by praying, God help me to grow in this virtue.
Help me to grow in brotherly affection, for example.
Then, in partnership with the Holy Spirit,
Make every effort to grow in this area.
I mention brotherly affection because this gets at the idea of fellowship,
Of Connecting with one another.
How can you make every effort to connect with one another?
One way that we want to prioritize this as a church is through Connect Groups.
Connect Groups are a vital weekly ministry focused on fellowship.
We are to make every effort in all of these virtues listed here,
If you are not a part of a Connect Group,
This is an easy way to focus on growing in the area of brotherly affection.
You can contact the church to get more info about Connect Groups.
Or you can check out our website to find out more information about our current Connect Groups.
If you are not in fellowship with other believers outside of Sunday morning,
Then do you really believe you are making every effort to supplement your faith with brotherly affection?
Now, brotherly affection does not have to be the virtue you focus on.
But if you are unsure which virtue to choose,
I would recommend making every effort to supplement your faith with brotherly affection.
A third application is a caution.
A caution against becoming legalistic with a list like this.
Peter likely chose a list of virtues that would directly correct false teachings in his context.
These virtues represent the virtuous life of a Christian.
Scripture gives other lists that are not identical but also represent Christian maturity.
So, the caution is not to limit your measurement of your Christian maturity by the qualities listed here and here only.
After Peter’s list of virtues,
In vs. 8-9,
He teaches that the aim of effective and fruitful Christians is to have an abundance of these virtues.
Each verse teaches this in a positive sense and negative sense.
Vs. 8 begins by saying If these qualities are yours,
Vs. 9 begins by saying whoever lacks these qualities.
There is no middle ground.
Either you are growing in these virtues,
Or you are decaying in these virtues.
You do not just sit still.
If things do not grow,
It is because there is something wrong.
It is true for our bodies,
If you build muscle,
You have to continue making efforts to maintain or build more muscle,
Otherwise, you actively lose muscle.
That is what Peter is saying in vs. 8-9.
Growth in these areas will strengthen you to stand against false teaching.
As you grow, these virtues overflow in your life,
Resulting in keeping you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you do not unleash these qualities in your life,
Then you will be ineffective and unfruitful,
Specifically in your intimate knowledge of Christ.
The idea Peter is getting at is that the listed virtues lead to greater intimate knowledge of Christ that provides everything you need for godly living.
This is reiterating what Peter said back in vs. 3.
Then Peter contrasts this same idea in vs. 9 showing the result of disobedience.
Saying whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind.
These are strangely parallel terms.
Being nearsighted is not the same as being blind,
But Peter uses them almost interchangeably.
The point he is making is that a person who lacks these qualities is primarily focused on their present circumstances.
As a result, they are blind to the Gospel.
They cannot see God’s forgiveness,
They are too captivated by this world.
They are blind to the big picture,
Because they are so near-sighted.
This blindness is caused by forgetting that you were cleansed from former sins.
Forgetfulness is something used frequently throughout the Bible.
It does not convey mental gaps,
Rather, it is talking about a practical failure to take true significance into account.
It is implying that a person is ignoring the fact that Christ died to forgive them for their sins.
There are two ways to understand what Peter is talking about here.
First, it could be a description of the beginning of eventual denial of Christianity.
The profile of this type of person would be someone who professes to be a Christian,
But never grow in Christian virtues.
Their life never looks different from before they first professed Christ.
They claim to have their sins forgiven,
But they live as if that makes no difference to them.
This is possibly what Peter is talking about.
A second way to understand what Peter is talking about,
Is to think of people who are saved,
But their sin clouds their ability to believe they are forgiven.
This undermines the believer’s assurance of their salvation.
When a Christian forgets the cross,
And begins to invite sin into their live,
They lose confidence in the fact that they were ever cleansed from their sins at all.
What is hard to hear is the truth that if you lack growth in godly character,
A blaring alarm should be going off that you cannot be certain that you are truly saved.
Assurance of salvation is directly related to increasing spiritual maturity.
It is hard to tell with any certainty which of these two examples Peter might be talking about.
Peter may not have even known.
What Peter did know,
Is that there were some people professing to be Christians,
But they were ineffective and unfruitful when it came to their spiritual qualities.
And guess what,
It is no different today.
Our spiritual qualities are meant to grow.
We can profess Christ our entire life,
But if our qualities are the same from when we first professed Christ,
Then it is legitimate to question our calling.
WE: Confirmation of the Call (vs. 10-11)
WE: Confirmation of the Call (vs. 10-11)
This is the reason Peter goes on to remove all doubt.
God does not require us to earn our salvation,
But He does require us to demonstrate that we have salvation.
That is what happens in 2 Peter 1:10-11,
Where Peter offers a Confirmation of the Call
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In vs. 10 he is saying that because of God’s grace,
Because of God’s gifts,
Because of the knowledge of Christ,
Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.
The imperative to be all the more diligent is the main verb.
It speaks of passion and effort and energy.
He essentially reiterates the command he gave in vs. 5.
Showing that he is firm in his message that we have a responsibility,
To prove the reality of our salvation.
This is not bringing any doubt into God’s end of the calling,
He is certain.
As Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:19;
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Peter’s focus is on our end of the calling.
Our responsibility is to confirm our calling.
Peter is emphatic about this,
As Dr. Shaddix notes;
“Peter is underlining, putting in bold, and highlighting this activity and thus calling attention to its importance.”
For each of us,
It may not always be obvious that we are called.
We need assurance.
And God gives assurance.
He gives assurance through the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives,
We call this the fruit of the Spirit.
But how does this work?
By growing in the Christian virtues Peter listed in this chapter.
We are not assured of our salvation because we prayed a prayer,
Or walked down an aisle,
Or raised our hand while everyone’s eyes were closed,
Or by taking a class,
Or memorizing verses,
Or even getting baptized.
Our salvation is confirmed as we progressively grow in Christlikeness.
If that is not happening,
Then, the authenticity of salvation is in question.
Because it brings into doubt if God has granted us what we need.
Peter’s concern is to show us how to confirm our calling,
Not how to earn our calling.
This does not mean we have to add these qualities to be called,
Rather, growing in these qualities confirms we have been called.
This brings back the tension between God’s sovereignty and our responsibility.
Our calling is secure in God’s mind,
But for us,
We need the security of our calling being confirmed by our growth in God’s character.
Brothers and sisters, this is an important matter.
We must listen to Peter’s plea.
We must confirm our calling.
Simply going through the religious motions deceives us into either stagnant living,
Or outright defiant living.
Likewise, if our lives are not growing Christian virtues,
We will wrestle with doubt regarding whether we are saved or not.
Only ongoing growth of Christian virtues confirms our salvation.
And the ability to do this work hinges on our acceptance of the tools God grants to do this work.
Peter goes on to say that if we grow these qualities,
A twofold promise will follow.
First, we will never fall.
Meaning we will never fall from salvation.
God promises salvation to those who have a genuine persevering faith,
Matt. 24:13 simply says;
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The second part of the promise,
Is a glorious entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is richly provided.
We must respond to God’s grace in our lives to confirm His calling on our lives.
Brothers and sisters,
Remember the fundamentals,
God grants you the tools needed to do the work of salvation,
So, put in the work.
Pray