3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For 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. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
There is a great deal of excellent teaching in this passage about how the follower of Christ is to behave – in other words, what a Christian should look like and sound like as we interact with the world. There are two statements, however, that rest as the cornerstones of all this behavior. The first is, “His divine power.” The divine power of Holy Spirit is THE source of Holiness, wisdom and personal growth; and this is made possible only through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The second cornerstone of this teaching stems from the words, “Make every effort.” These words are intended to help the believer understand that your salvation is not a “magic pill” that will solve all of your, let alone all of the world’s, problems. Your salvation, as is indicated, is the SOURCE that empowers YOU to intentionally, “add to your faith…” In short, you have a role to play in your relationship with The Christ – what healthy relationship is not interactive? It is by the power of Holy Spirit that we grow, that we learn, and yes, that we learn to LOVE! Your feelings are not in control – your Christ-like nature is…IF you are intentional and, “add to your faith…”
There is a great deal of excellent teaching in this passage about how the follower of Christ is to behave – in other words, what a Christian should look like and sound like as we interact with the world. There are two statements, however, that rest as the cornerstones of all this behavior. The first is, “His divine power.” The divine power of Holy Spirit is THE source of Holiness, wisdom and personal growth; and this is made possible only through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The second cornerstone of this teaching stems from the words, “Make every effort.” These words are intended to help the believer understand that your salvation is not a “magic pill” that will solve all of your, let alone all of the world’s, problems. Your salvation, as is indicated, is the SOURCE that empowers YOU to intentionally, “add to your faith…” In short, you have a role to play in your relationship with The Christ – what healthy relationship is not interactive? It is by the power of Holy Spirit that we grow, that we learn, and yes, that we learn to LOVE! Your feelings are not in control – your Christ-like nature is…IF you are intentional and, “add to your faith…”
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