“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 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 he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 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; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” (2 Peter 1:5-11 NASB1995)

The whole purpose of the word “salvation” has to do with being rescued, with being delivered, with being brought out of the place where we once were to a new place, not like the old place. Like if someone rescued you from the mouth of a lion and brought you to a place of safety where the lion can no longer reach you. You aren’t still hanging out with the lion (sin) hoping to not get bit or devoured, but you are now in a place of safety.

But so many people today are not teaching salvation like that. They are teaching that a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ saves them from the penalty of sin so that they can go to heaven when they die, but while they are still hanging out with the lion (sin), hoping to not get devoured. But you can’t be two places at once. You can’t still be hanging out with sin and expect that God is going to rescue you from hell, just because you said so.

For the purpose of our salvation is that we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. So we are to put off such things as “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB1995)

And we are to put on the qualities mentioned in these verses from 2 Peter 1, and others. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14). All throughout the Scriptures we are given lists of things which must be put out of our lives, and of the things which should now be put on in our lives.

And all throughout the New Testament Scriptures we are taught that if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. And that is what it is teaching us here in 2 Peter 1, as well. For our salvation and God’s grace are not freedom to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin, but they are there to rescue us out of our slavery (addiction) to sin so we will now serve God with our lives in walks of surrender to him in obedience to his commands.

Put Offs and Put Ons: [Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Near the Cross

Hymn lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Music by William H. Doane, 1869

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

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Godliness and Self-Control
An Original Work / March 12, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love