2 Peter 1:10 NKJV
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble.”
In today’s verse, the apostle Peter encourages believers to live intentionally, pursuing a life that reflects God’s purpose and calling. We have all received everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, in the course of familiarity, we may have forgotten that we must escape the sins and corruption caused by evil desires that hinder our calling. While salvation is a gift from God through grace, we are called to respond by living a life of faith and obedience.
Hence, Peter commands us to make every effort to add to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love in increasing measure to keep us from being ineffective and unproductive (2 Peter 1:5-8). If we don’t have them, we become nearsighted and blind and forget that we are cleansed from our past sins (2 Peter 1:9).
Being productive in the knowledge of God doesn’t happen by itself. It’s a lot of effort and sacrifice. A classic example of an ordinary person from the Bible who exhibits these qualities is Joseph, the son of Jacob.
We need strength to keep from stumbling, and we gain this strength by quieting the noise and heeding the voice of God. The perfect example is Jesus Himself. Jesus’ practice of withdrawing to pray was a deliberate choice (Mark 1:35). He drew strength from the Father to face challenges in daily life and escape the sins and corruption caused by evil desires. Therefore, let’s be vigilant and make every effort to fulfil our calling to receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus.
