Relevant reading: 2 Peter 1:8–15
Following a high calling to holiness, Peter warns readers that those who do not display certain qualities (faith, self-control, etc.) are spiritually myopic. They have forgotten their calling and the power within them as followers of Christ. When we do display progress in holiness, this gives us confidence in our faith so that we won’t stumble.
The calling to be “all the more diligent” in living out our faith (2 Peter 1:10) is not a burden, however. The God who chooses us ordains both the basis and the means for our call. We are beloved by God, and we’re being set apart through a process of continued growth. His abundant supply to us means we can “climb higher,” moving further up and further in. Yet this growth is God’s work in us. In other words, a faith that’s real is manifested in our works, but those works don’t justify us—they simply offer evidence of a faith that is genuine.
After discussing the importance of growing in godliness, Peter makes an appeal to his readers. Facing imminent death, he offers a “last will and testament,” sharing his counsel on what really matters in life. We, too, do well to consider what our last testament will be—to intentionally review our past, recalibrate as necessary, and then live in such a way that we treat things according to their true value: the eternal as eternal, and the temporary as just that (we often live in the opposite way).
Watch part 5 of the series on 2 Peter. This teaching normally takes place Monday nights but is being taught virtually during closings related to COVID-19.
