Context No. 2595 of 4322 · 2 Peter

2 Peter 1:1-11: in context

1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; 6and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; 7and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Peter opens his second letter with an astonishing claim: God's own power has already granted us everything we need for life and godliness, through knowing the One who called us. On that basis he issues a call to grow, to make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, each built on the last.

Notice where the growth starts. Peter does not tell us to manufacture holiness out of nothing; he says God has already supplied everything needed, and now we build on that supply, diligently adding virtue to virtue. Faith is not meant to sit still. It is a foundation to build up from, layer on layer, until it issues in love. And he warns that the one who lacks this growth has gone blind and forgotten what he was cleansed from. The Christian life is neither a frantic self-help project nor a static possession; it is diligent growth on a foundation God has already laid, a ladder climbed on grace already given.

Am I diligently building on the foundation God has already supplied, adding to my faith, or has my growth stalled into a faith that sits still?

Sources

2 Peter 1:3: seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us.
2 Peter 1:5: in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge.
2 Peter 1:10: Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure.