The rescue we have obtained through Jesus should produce a serious effort to strive to grow spiritually...

This week we are looking at the opening section of a letter that is found in the New Testament called the book of 2 Peter, where we have discovered a timeless reminder about Jesus and the message and teachings of Jesus that we are to always have at the forefront of our lives in that we need to be reminded of the rescue we have obtained through Jesus. And in 2 Peter 1:1-11, we see Peter reveal three aspects of the rescue that we have obtained by Jesus that we need to be reminded of.

First, in 2 Peter 1:1-4, we see that the rescue we have obtained through Jesus provides us everything we need spiritually to live a life that represents Jesus well. As followers of Jesus, we have obtained a rescue that produces a state of confident trust in Jesus as a result of God’s right actions through Jesus life, death, and resurrection. As followers of Jesus, we have obtained a rescue that provides God’s Divine favor and a state of well being with God.

And as followers of Jesus, we have obtained a rescue that provides the opportunity to experience eternal life with Jesus and to live a life that looks like Jesus. This opportunity is based on God graciously choosing to give us the gift of a true knowledge of Himself. And this opportunity is based on God graciously choosing to give us the gift of His miraculous promises. God’s miraculous promises are precious and extraordinary in nature.

And God’s miraculous promises result in us taking part in His nature. As followers of Jesus, we will participate in Divinity with the Trinity. And as followers of Jesus, we have escaped the inward depravity that desires what is forbidden by God. We see Peter reveal a second aspect of the rescue that we have obtained by Jesus that we need to be reminded of in 2 Peter 1:5-9:

 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Now when Peter uses the phrase “Now for this very reason” he is basically saying “In light of the reality that the rescue that we have obtained through Jesus provides us everything we need spiritually to live a life that represents Jesus well, this is how you should respond to that rescue.” In addition, when Peter uses the phrase supplying all diligence, this phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: make sure that you are putting in serious effort into your relationship with Jesus as a result of the commitment that you have made by placing your confident trust in Jesus.”

 What is interesting is that the word supply here literally means to provide at one’s own expense. Peter here is revealing the reality that, as followers of Jesus, we need to put in serious effort, at our own expense, to respond to everything that we have been given spiritually as a result of our rescue by Jesus so that we live a life that represents Jesus well and that is growing spiritually. Peter then reveals seven qualities, or virtues, that followers of Jesus are to be putting in serious effort to cultivate in their lives as a result of placing their confident trust in Jesus.

When Peter uses the phrase moral excellence, this phrase refers to an uncommon and exceptionally high character that is worthy of praise. When Peter uses the word knowledge, this word describes a comprehension and intellectual grasp of the message and teaching of the letters that make up the Bible. When Peter uses the phrase self control, this phrase refers to the restraint of one’s emotions, impulses, or desires.

When Peter uses the word perseverance, this word describes the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty. As we discovered earlier, the word godliness refers to an awesome respect that is accorded to God that results in a life that looks like God. When Peter uses the phrase brotherly kindness, this phrase refers to a brotherly/sisterly kind of reciprocal love for one another. And when Peter uses the word love, this word describes an other centered, selfless, warm regard and affection and interest in another. 

Then, in verse 8, Peter explains if the qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love are evident and increasing so as to be seen in abundance in the life of a follower of Jesus, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, when a follower of Jesus puts in serious effort, at their own expense, to respond to everything that they have been given spiritually as a result of their rescue by Jesus so that they live a life that represents Jesus well and that is growing spiritually, they will not be unproductive or useless in their knowledge of Jesus and their engagement in the kingdom mission that they have been given by Jesus.

Peter then contrasts the person who demonstrates these qualities with the person who does not demonstrate these qualities in verse 9 by stating “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” Peter’s point is that the person who is not putting in serious effort at their own expense to cultivate these qualities has lost sight of what Jesus actually did order to rescue them from the selfishness and rebellion that polluted their lives so that they could experience the relationship with God that they were created for. 

And it is here that we see Peter reveal the second aspect of the rescue that we have obtained by Jesus that we need to be reminded of in that the rescue we have obtained through Jesus should produce a serious effort to strive to grow spiritually. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for moral character that is worthy of praise.

As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives to comprehend and grasp the message and teachings of Jesus. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for self control. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for the capacity to bear up under difficulty. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for a life that looks like Jesus. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for a brotherly affection for others. As followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives for a selfless and warm regard and affection for others.

And as followers of Jesus, the rescue we have obtained by Jesus should lead us to exert serious effort that strives to produce the right results. When we strive to produce the right results, those right results will cause us to avoid being useless and unproductive in response to our rescue by Jesus and the kingdom mission we have been given by Jesus. And when we strive to produce the right results, the right results will cause us to keep our rescue from rebellion in sight.

Friday, we will see Peter reveal a third aspect of the rescue that we have obtained by Jesus that we need to be reminded of…