Abide in Him: 2 Peter 1:10-11

Since most of us are staying home for the next couple of weeks, let’s use this time to work on our Scripture memorization. This is our last section of 2 Peter 1 to memorize. Before we begin our study of verses 10-11, let’s recite verses 3-9. Try it first from memory: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has 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. 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.”

How’d you do? I admit I had trouble with the last part of verse 9. Guess I still need to work on the verses.

This week, we will focus on verses 10-11. Peter is wrapping up his point about why it’s important to confirm our calling and election and it’s an important point – one with eternal consequences.

Let’s look at the verses.

“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.”

2 Peter 1:10-11 (ESV)

Application

Remaining patient while driving is one of my weaknesses. I yell at the driver, as if they can hear me. I sigh. I call them names. Then, I ask Jesus to forgive me. Several months ago, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me how I’m not showing love to others when I grow impatient with them or call them loving names like “idiot.” Since then, I have been working on my attitude while driving. I don’t want to lack patience, because that is not who Christ is. I want to change because I want to be more like Christ. That is my desire in life.

In much the same way, Peter is telling us to grow in those qualities that are Christ-like. He tells us to be diligent to confirm our calling. The word diligent comes from the Greek word “spoudazo” and it means “hurry, be eager.” We should be eager as Christ-followers to become like Christ. If we are lacking that desire or if we don’t care how we act or behave or live, then we need to question our salvation. John Piper writes,”…our lack of diligence in Christian graces may be a sign that we were never called and are not among the elect.” * Are we really a Christian if our desire is not to follow Him and His ways? I’m not suggesting that everyone who does not add to their faith or is not eager to follow Him is not a Christian. We all go through times where we lose our focus. But, if you do not have the desire to become Christ-like, then it is imperative for you to ask yourself “Why?” and to pray to God and ask Him to help you make Jesus your first love.

Piper later says in the same sermon, “Confirmation of your election is your progress in sanctification. “We are to be like Christ, so the “reassuring evidence of our election is Christ-likeness.” (see Romans 8:29) * But how? The fruit we bear from supplementing our faith is evidence of our salvation. Jesus says in John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” You see, it is impossible to bear godly fruit and to be like Christ, unless you are saved, because “apart from (Him), you can do nothing,” (John 15:5).

Peter goes on to write that if we practice these qualities, then we will not fall. As we pursue these godly qualities and add them to our faith by the leading of the Holy Spirit, then we will have a firm foundation in Christ. We will not fall when the storms of life hit us (see Matthew 7:24-27) and we will stand firm in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (1 Peter 3:17). We will also not fall away from Christ because we’ll have experienced Him by pursuing Him and His likeness.

Verse 11 spells out what will happen if we practice these qualities and seek after Jesus. We will be “richly provided” an entrance into Heaven. What does that mean? In his article titled “A Secured Faith that Keeps the Saints from Stumbling,” Bob Deffinbaugh writes “The Bible teaches that some Christians will enter into God’s Kingdom by the proverbial ‘skin of their teeth.'”** Deffinbaugh points us to 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 for proof. “Now if anyone builds on the foundation (Jesus) with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” When we are richly provided an entrance into Jesus’ Kingdom, I believe it means we will be rewarded for seeking after Him and His ways, as opposed to those who are saved, but are not adding to their faith.

Final Thoughts

Though verse 10 is short, it’s powerful. It forces us to ask ourselves if we are diligent, or eager, in our pursuit to be like Christ. I know I sometimes lose focus as I go through the daily routine of life, but these verses remind me not to grow weary in my pursuit of Him.

Choosing to live a life with very little spiritual growth not only affects us now, but also in eternity. So, we should choose wisely and seek after Jesus to confirm our calling.

What about you? Are you eager to grow in Christ? If not, why? Spend some time thinking about it and ask God to show you why. He will answer you.

* “Confirm Your Election” by John Piper; www.desiringgod.org
** “A Secured Faith that Keeps the Saints from Stumbling” by Bob Deffinbaugh; https://bible.org/seriespage/secured-faith-keeps-saints-stumbling-2-peter-18-11