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The Text
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 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. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-11).
Introduction
God as chosen and call His people for a purpose – that they may be like the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what’s more is that God desires for us to know that we have been called and chosen for godliness. So Peter says, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.” But how are we to make our calling and election sure? Peter tells us in verses 5-7.
Make Every Effort to Add (vv. 5-7)
“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.” The command to “make every effort” to add these qualities is based on what God has already done for us in the first verses. God’s divine power has given us all things that lead to godliness (v. 3): “for this reason” make every effort yourself to be godly. God works out our salvation by putting us to work!
There are eight qualities that you are to make every effort to add:
- Faith
- Virtue
- Knowledge
- Self-control
- Steadfastness
- Godliness
- Brotherly affection
- Love
The person that Peter describes that we are to make every effort to become is perfectly manifested by Jesus.
Effective and Fruitful Activity (vv. 8-9)
“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” (v. 8). If these characteristics are 1) yours and 2) increasing, then they keep you from being an ineffective and unfruitful Christian. The Christian life is not static. A tree is either growing or dying. Godly fruit always grows from a godly root. All these character qualities will only truly grow and increase if you are rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus? We have already spoken of knowing about Jesus. If you try to produce these qualities in your life apart from Christ, then they have about as much chance as growing as a fake apple scotch-taped to an apple tree.
But if you lack these qualities, you are near-sighted, spiritually blind, forgetful of what God has done for you. “For whosoever lacks these qualities is so near sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleaned from his former sins” (v. 9).
Diligent to Make Your Calling and Election Sure (v. 10-11)
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, 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” (vv. 10-11). The Scriptures teach that all those who are saved are saved because God elected them to salvation. And those he elected, he called (Romans 8:30-31).
And so, are you called? Are you elect? Are you chosen by God and precious? Peter says you can know and you can even make it sure. “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” Diligently cultivate with, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, love. Are these qualities yours and are they growing? Do you want these? Are you pursuing them? Then this is proof that you are called and elected by God. How do you make your calling and election sure? Make every effort.
But a question arises, “Is my work (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, etc.) the source of my election? Does my calling depend on my good works?” God is the source of your election and calling and not your good works. The order is Jesus speaks, and then Lazarus comes forth. And once called, Lazarus had an obligation to obey. And all the hugs and kisses and praising and identification with Jesus were all evidences of the life Lazarus had been given. He was not a robot, but a resurrected man who obeyed Jesus.