Lesson 3 – 2 Peter Chapter 1:8-15
In verses 5 through 7 in 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter gave us seven characteristics for the Christian to aspire to. Just as a review they are: moral excellence or virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance or patience, godliness, brotherly love, and agape love. He told us that each of these characteristics builds off one another. Why are these traits something we as Christians should pursue? Because of all we have in Christ!
Romans 12:1
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” (NLT)
An earlier translation of the NLT says, “when you think of all that Christ has done for you, is this too much to ask.” Through Christ, we have indeed been given so much, and with that in mind, we should never let the world around us become such a distraction that we lose sight of this truth.
When Paul says, “give your bodies to God,” that’s all encompassing, meaning our heart, mind, soul and strength. In light of God’s eternal life promised to us, we should be all about growing in Christ.
2 Peter 1:8
“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.”
For if these qualities are yours… Peter is talking about all the characteristics he’s just listed for us. If all these virtues describe you and you’re growing in them, you’re “rocking it” as they say.
They render you neither useless nor unfruitful… another way to put it is, you are useful and fruitful, you are valuable and productive in the eyes of the Lord. Actually, we’re always valuable to God, otherwise He would have never sacrificed Himself for us. The way Peter is laying this out means we’re “increasingly productive” spiritually speaking.
Can a believer become useless and unfruitful? That answer to that is obviously yes, but that is a direction none of us should want to take.
1 Cor. 3:14-15
“If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
I believe Paul is referring to the believer who is useless and unfruitful. Instead of hearing “well done good and faithful servant,” they will hear… frankly, I don’t know what Jesus will say to them.
The true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…
This demonstrates to us that Peter is speaking to true Christians.
2 Cor. 2:14
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
We’re talking about real believers to whom God has granted true saving knowledge… this comes through His Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:9
“For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Unfortunately, many believers know Jesus only through their salvation, and lack being useful and fruitful in their everyday walk with Him. If we ever find ourselves in this situation, we can take comfort in the fact that we serve a God that loves us with an everlasting love, and has grace to bring us back into His fold.
Hebrews 2:1
“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”
This verse always reminds me of when I was a kid on Long Island, NY. We went to the beach and laid our blankets down among the hundreds of others on Jones Beach, a very popular area. I went out in the water and swam around, but when I came out, I looked for my family, but didn’t see them. What I didn’t realize was all the while I was swimming around, the strong current was actually moving me along the shoreline. I didn’t realize what was happening, as it was so subtle that I didn’t notice it, just like in life. I soon learned that when I went out in the water, I had to locate the lifeguard chair and keep my eyes on it. Jesus is our lifeguard, so always keep your eyes on Him and you won’t drift.
Being shortsighted or blind is not a place where the believer wants to find themselves. A carnal believer (one who is always living in the flesh) is blind.
Rev. 3:17 (Jesus gives a picture of the carnal Christian)
“Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,”
Shortsighted… (myōpazō) from which comes the word “myopia,” in a spiritual sense it refers to a condition where our vision becomes shortsighted or limited. Just as physical myopia affects our ability to see distant objects clearly, spiritual “myopia” hinders our perception of God’s truths. It describes an unsaved person who is spiritually blind.
Isaiah 59:10
‘We grope along the wall like blind men, we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at midday as in the twilight, among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.”
Also behind this lack of spiritual development or blindness, is a poor memory, having forgotten his purification from his former sins… forgetting what God has done for them through Christ. Literally the phrase here means “to receive forgetfulness.”
Last week we talked about having the “assurance” of our salvation, which proves to be very comforting to our souls. But this king of spiritual forgetfulness leads to a person repeating their old sins, and it can rob such Christians of their assurance of salvation.
One Bible commentator says, “Assurance of salvation is directly related to present spiritual service and obedience, not merely to a past salvation event made dim in the disobedient believer’s memory.”
This is a sad state of affairs for the blind carnal Christian.
2 Peter 1:10
“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;”
“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.” (NLT)
To be diligent, like we saw in verse 5, again conveys urgency and an eagerness to get things done.
To make certain… (bebaios) you can also say “to make sure.” This phrase was used in the classical Greek to refer to a warranty deed, somewhat like people use today on houses, cars, and other pieces of property.
Commentary says, “One’s godly behavior is a warranty deed for himself that Jesus Christ cleansed him from his past sins and therefore he was in fact called and elected by God.”
Some Christians say, “I’m worried I might lose my salvation.” Not if we do what Peter has presented to us. Others might say, “I’m worried I might stumble.” Not if we do what Peter has presented to us. According to Peter, if you do these things, your calling, your being chosen is sure, and you won’t stumble.
Romans 4:16
“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
It’s nice to know that we have a guarantee and a warranty with God… that has no expiration date.
Calling and choosing… are inseparable realities demonstrating God’s powerful call of believers to salvation.
Romans 11:29
“For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn.” (NLT)
This is all based on God’s sovereign election from eternity past.
Romans 8:29
‘For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
Peter is driving home the point to us that true believers have confidence and assurance, that they are included in the elect.
2 Tim. 1:9
“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”
We didn’t do it guys, God did, God saved us… and He gave us the faith to believe. I can’t really explain it, and I don’t have to, God tells us plainly that He called us.
For as long as you (Christian) practice these things…
There it is folks… as long as we practice these things for God, we’ll be saved… WRONG! What this means is, as we pursue these godly characteristics that Peter has been showing us, we’re going to grow and grow and grow. In this growth, we’ll see evidence to the fact and we’ll enjoy the assurance that God has granted us eternal life!
We see here the word “practice,” this implies that these different characteristics become part of our daily lives, it’s part of our everyday conduct. That makes total sense. You wouldn’t want to take a day off from loving someone, or stop in your moral excellence. However, some people do, and remember Peter describes them as blind or short-sighted. The question is, once the blinders have been removed, why would you want to put them back on again?
Eph. 5:15
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”
There’s a benefit in walking this way. Our verse then says, “will never stumble.” This doesn’t mean that we will never sin, but hopefully, as this becomes part of our daily conduct, we will find ourselves sinning less and less. Will never stumble means we won’t “fall into misery,” or “become wretched.” Chances are, doubt, despair, or fear will not creep into our lives.
Psalm 16:11
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.” (NLT)
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Applying God’s Word to our life will change our life for the better. Believers in Christ can have an abundant life, but it doesn’t happen at our conversion, it comes through the sanctification process… and yes, that requires an effort on our part.
2 Peter 1:11
“For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
For in this way… “by this means,” or “by this action” …is referring to the constant pursuit of holiness… For in this way the blessings of assurance and perseverance will come to believers.
By this action, you’ll not only be fruitful in this life, but you will be rewarded for all eternity! Isn’t it amazing how Peter doesn’t load us down with a bunch of books on how to be “fruitful.” Instead, he gives us just two verses that cover the topic.
If we don’t pursue “knowledge,” we may fall. If we don’t add “moral excellence,” we might fall. If we don’t seek “godliness,” we could fall. But, if we do these things we will never fall… and to top it all, God will reward us eternally.
As they say, “You can take that to the bank.” So, don’t let satan tell you the complete opposite of what God’s Word says… and he will try.
As a result of these godly actions, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you…
Having our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (the eternal kingdom) is the experience of the believers who practice what Peter has listed. This should be an encouragement to us, as I’m sure it was to the first ones who read Peter’s letter. When it comes to our salvation, doubt should never enter into the equation. We need assurances, and through these Scriptures they have been abundantly supplied to us in the here and now.
2 Tim. 4:8 [assurance of coming glory]
“In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Hebrews 4:9 [assurance of rest and peace]
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
Jesus is the Sabbath rest for our souls, we can rest in the fact that He has freed us from death and destruction.
John 10:27 [assurance God will never let us go]
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
2 Peter 1:12
“Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”
As I said before, Peter is the great “reminder.” Any good teacher knows the value of repetition. Research has shown that within an hour after hearing a spoken message, people tend to forget up to 90% of it. God certainly knows this, and He uses Peter to reinforce this into our little pea-brains. That’s why when we see something repeated in the Bible, it tends to get our attention.
It’s never a good idea to forget the things of God. Israel has a tendency to do just that.
Isaiah 17:10a
“For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the rock of your refuge.”
Isaiah 51:13a
“That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth,”
Peter starts out with “therefore,” referring back to the greatness and assurance of our salvation. When you think about it, this is something we should never ever forget.
Peter says he will always be ready… this tells us, whenever Peter has the opportunity, he’s going to speak up and remind people about the Truth of God’s Word… and a little side note, everything he wrote down for us was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Paul also knew to remind people…
Phil. 3:1
“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.”
Paul was always ready to repeat himself; Jude as well…
Jude 1:5a
“So I want to remind you, though you already know these things,”
When we receive reminders, it gives us cause to naturally reflect on our lives. We take into consideration what truly matters to us and appreciate the ways God watches over us. Reminders help us center ourselves on what is important…
Matthew 4:4
“Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” [that’s what is important]
Remembrance is needed because our minds have been affected by sin, we have a tendency to forget things we should remember, and remember things we should forget. Did something just come to mind?
It’s important to know that Peter wasn’t being critical, nor is he suggesting that his readers were wavering in any way. Instead he says, even though you already know them, just like we saw in Jude 1:5, “though you already know these things.”
And have been established in the truth which is present with you…
The key word here is established… it means to strengthen, make firm, to render constant, confirm in one’s mind. What Peter is saying is he wants us to stay this way.
Again from Hebrews 2:1:
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”
Because of our sin nature, there’s always a fight for us to fight, that includes all the things we need to remember. Therefore the battle is not to drift away from what God’s Word shows us and teaches us.
By Peter saying that they had been established, he is affirming without any doubt that they are genuine maturing believers. The question is, can we place ourselves in the very same category? Are we established?
Col. 1:5b-6
“You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” (NLT)
We can say then, when anyone comes to know Jesus, His truth abides in them.
Remember that faith is not just about theological knowledge; it’s about trusting God’s promises and experiencing His provision in your life. As you deepen in your faith, you’ll find yourself more firmly established in the truth and in your Christian walk.
Let’s hold on to Peter’s reminders, they will serve us well as we come up against false teachers and the present darkness of this world.
2 Peter 1:13
“I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,”
The NKJV refers to this earthly dwelling as a tent. We all know what a tent is, it’s nothing like a permanent structure such as a house. So it is with our earthly bodies, they don’t even come close to what the Lord has in mind when He will give us our glorified bodies. We look forward to the day when we can fold up our earthly tent and move on to glory. To stir you up by way of reminder… as long a Peter was alive and kicking, he was all about serving God, he had the same attitude as Paul.
Romans 12:10-11 [Peter and Paul served, and we need to as well]
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;”
Psalm 100:2
“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.”
To stir you up… means “to arouse completely,” or “to thoroughly awaken… the polar opposite of drowsiness or sleepiness. Personally, I think many Christian churches in our country need to be “stirred up.” The reality is, many in the church have become spiritually speaking, fat, lazy, and complacent.
What is the remedy? Open up God’s Word, study it, and let the Holy Spirit remind you of the way you should go. Just saying.
Stirred up by way of reminder…
Commentary says, “The godly shepherd stimulates his flock primarily by way of reminder. He consistently and tirelessly keeps teaching and reviewing all the major themes, doctrines, and commands of Scripture. No matter how much divine truth believers have heard or how spiritually mature they are, they still need reminders to apply that truth.”
Eph. 4:11-13
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (NLT)
2 Peter 1:14
“Knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.”
Peter knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn’t be long before his earthly tent was about to be folded.
2 Cor. 5:1-2
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,”
In the analogy of his death, Peter uses the phrase “laying aside.” As Red Foxx used to say, “Elizabeth, it’s the big one.” Peter knew he was at the threshold of glory. Until we get to that place in life, we really don’t know what it’s like until the Lord speaks to us and tells us, “It’s time to come home.” Peter believed that his death was near.
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The term imminent conveys a dual meaning, in that it can signify “soon,” or “swift.” When Peter wrote this he was in his seventies, and when you get to that age, you know that you have a lot more years behind than what you have in front of you… it’s just a fact of life. As they say, one out of one of us is going to die.
Hebrews 9:27
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”
For believers, when we get toward the end of our journey, we have a kind of peace and a calm about us. The end is not an end at all; it is a transition… it’s a metamorphosis into something we’ve longed for deep in our souls. We get to go to our real home.
I’m sure Peter had this in view, he had the same assurances that he’s been writing about, and with this assurance, he had a peace that surpasses all understanding.
As also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me…
It’s always nice when we get a clear message from God, and Peter knew his death wasn’t too far off. He also knew that his death would be sudden or swift.
John 21:18 [Jesus speaking to Peter]
“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” (NLT)
Peter would be crucified (you will stretch out your hands), but he asked that it would done upside-down, because he felt he wasn’t worthy to die like his Messiah.
2 Peter 1:15
“And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”
Peter used the word diligent in verses 5 and 10. So here again, for a person to be diligent means they are going to make every effort… to exert one’s self. It also means to endeavor, labor, and study. You get the picture, there’s no slacking off. This was Peter’s heart.
Peter realized his ministry was coming to a close, so he knew his time was short. This gave him the urgency to get his message across.
If God spoke into your heart and told you that your days on earth were coming to a close, would you do things any differently? That’s a question we should all contemplate.
Peter also uses the word “departure” to refer to his death, because the word implies the leaving from one place (earth) to another place (heaven). It’s like when you go to airport to drop off a loved one or a friend, and you see the sign “Departures.” You feel comfortable dropping them off because you know they have a destination… they’re going somewhere.
Peter knew where he was going, he was going to be with his Lord, his Messiah, his friend.
Paul echoes this same sentiment…
2 Cor. 5:8
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (NKJV)
What Peter was concerned about wasn’t that people would remember him and his legacy, but that those who read his letters would remember the truth of God that he put down on parchment, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So Peter was deliberate and diligent in getting his message across through his preaching and teaching.
As we examine Peter in these writings, we are reminded that we all are going to die, but the Word of God goes on forever. We can say that Peter wanted to make sure that we fully understand the greatness of our salvation, the blessedness of assurance, and that false doctrine wouldn’t creep into the church and steal the richness of our spiritual inheritance from believers. I think by studying this letter from Peter, you might be starting to get a sense of brotherhood with him. When Peter walked with Jesus, he did some good things and some not so good things. But ever since he received the Holy Spirit, he was on fire for the Lord. There’s much to learn from Peter. We would do well to emulate him, especially when it comes to his compassion, devotion, and eagerness to serve God.