“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8-11).
Picture yesterday’s list of virtues (2 Peter 1:3-7) as rungs on a ladder. William Barclay states “To keep climbing up the ladder of the virtues is to come ever nearer to knowing Jesus Christ; and the further we climb, the further we are able to climb.” He later continues, “Further, to fail to climb the ladder of virtue is to forget that the sins of the old way of life have been cleansed away.”
When climbing a ladder you must move upward or you’ll lose your balance and fall downward. The latter doesn’t indicate growth. In light of this, Peter admonishes us to make the effort to keep climbing.
William Barclay concludes with the following: “Peter urges his people to make every effort to confirm their calling by God. Here is a most significant demand. In one way all is of God; it is God’s call which gives us entry into the fellowship of his people; without his grace and his mercy we could do nothing and could expect nothing. But that does not absolve us from every possible effort.”
As we continue to live a holy lifestyle, climbing upward, we have the hope and promise of entering into His eternal kingdom. As the beautiful old song reveals, “Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All.”
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Christian educators in public schools, as they face greater challenges due to changing laws, policies and educational requirements that do not align themselves with the Word of God. Pray that God would give them wisdom, discernment and boldness to instruct the truth.
