Steadfast Day 4: 2 Peter 1:10-11

Read 2 Peter 1:10-11.

Ponder

This won’t resonate with some of you, but I love a good checklist. Not long ago, I admitted to a friend that if I complete a task during the work day and it’s not on my to-do list, I’ll add it to the bottom, just so I can get the dopamine hit and satisfaction that come from checking it off. 

If you’re like me, it can be easy to read today’s verses, particularly after yesterday’s study of 2 Peter 1:5-9, and think, “Well, my salvation and godliness are based on my own effort and actions.” Because, well, that’s pretty much the opposite of what Peter seemed to be trying to impart. 

In verses 3-4, Peter had reminded his readers that it is through God’s power and Christ’s work that we have the power to even choose to live a godly life. We cannot—through our own efforts or good deeds—earn our own salvation or somehow transform our “evil desires” into godly ones. That transformation does not happen without the work of God in our hearts and our lives. Apart from Christ, we cannot and will not choose godliness. 

But, as Peter explained in verses 5-9, growing in godliness takes work. We have to invest in the things that shape our hearts, minds and character to be more like Jesus’. Knowing what he has done to set us free, we strive with everything we have to become more like him and invest in the things that build those characteristics and qualities in our lives so we can live lives that honor him and shine his hope out into the darkness of the world around us. 

Then come today’s verses. Remember that Peter was writing to churches who had been infiltrated by false teachers who may have been teaching that since salvation wasn’t based on good deeds, people could live however they wanted after salvation. Since the good deeds didn’t earn you anything, it didn’t really matter how you lived your life as long as you professed faith in Christ and checked off that box. 

But that couldn’t be further from the call of Christ described in Scripture. Jesus invited his followers to “take up his cross and follow me” at various points throughout the Gospels (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34). Living the life of faith was one of sacrifice, intention and righteousness rather than pursuing sin or the desires of the world. Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,” Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Clearly, the goal of the Christian life is Jesus. 

So, when Peter wrote, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election” in 2 Peter 1:10, he wasn’t telling those early believers to work harder or do better. He was telling them that if they were truly Christians, there would be an inward zeal and deep desire to grow in godly character that was fueled by the Spirit. Because of that zeal, they would recognize the truth when the pleasures of the world came calling—or false teachers who peddled a false gospel that promoted no inward transformation that in turn changed their outward lives. “If you have this desire to know Christ and become like him,” Peter seemed to be saying, “you won’t fall for these false teachings because you will know the truth.” 

When you know Christ, you begin to recognize the foolishness of sin. It’s fool’s gold when he promises you true, eternal treasures. When you know Christ, you aren’t lured away by false teachers because you understand the all-surpassing glory of the gospel and what Jesus has done to set you free from sin and bondage. It’s not about working harder or doing better; it’s about knowing him more. When that becomes the focus of your heart, mind and soul, sin and false teachers lose their power. 

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Journal

Consider what you’ve read with these questions and prompts: 

• Is there an inward zeal in your life that attests to your desire to know Christ more? Why or why not? If sin is keeping you from growing spiritually, confess it and ask for forgiveness.

• If you’ve read this passage today and realized you’ve been trying to earn salvation based on your own good deeds rather than trusting Christ, confess that to God. Explain that you understand salvation only comes through Christ and that you believe he lived a sinless life and died for your sin so that his resurrection could set you free. Thank Jesus for his sacrifice. 

• Examine the motives behind the things you do to grow in your faith. Are you trying to do it in your own strength and power or seeking to know Jesus more? Explain. 

• Salvation is an inward transformation that begins to change our lives from the inside out. How can you see examples of that in your own life? 

• What practical steps will you take this week to spend more time with Jesus or get to know him better?