2 Peter 1:3-11 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

“5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

“10Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Not Nothing Required

Faith in Jesus Christ is not a free ride to heaven, nothing required of us at all other than to believe in Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and which is not of ourselves, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as servants of righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands. And He has an assignment for each one of us which He intends for us to do in His power, strength, and wisdom.

Faith in Action

Faith in Jesus Christ is not just words we speak. It is not just an emotional decision we make to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. Faith has to do with us doing the will of God, fulfilling the assignments He gives to us to do, even if we are lacking in support from others, and God is our main support. We must do what God has called us to do even without other human support. We must be faithful to our Lord in fulfilling His callings on our lives even if it means standing alone on biblical truths which need to be addressed.

His Workmanship

In Ephesians 2:10 we read, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And in Titus 2:14 we read that Christ “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.” And in 1 Corinthians 15:58 we read “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Thus, God has an assignment for each one of us that we are to do.

Works: [John 15:1-11; Romans 2:1-11; Romans 6:1-23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6,16-24; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 5:3-6; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; Titus 2:11-14; Titus 3:8; James 2:17; 1 Peter 1:17-21; 1 Peter 2:24]

Faith is Progressive

We don’t just “believe in Jesus,” done deal, and now we are on our way to heaven regardless of how we live. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when Christ returns for His faithful bride and He takes us to be with Him for eternity, but provided that we continue in Christ in walks of obedience to His commands, and that sin is no longer what we practice, but righteousness is now what we practice. Therefore, we should be growing and maturing in Christ as time progresses.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 9:23-26; John 8:31-32; John 15:1-12; Romans 6:16; Romans 8:24; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:19-39; 1 Peter 1:5,9; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

And that is what today’s passage is all about. As we grow in our walks of faith, in obedience to our Lord, and we draw closer to our Lord, we are to gain virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. We are to mature in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord in living holy lives, pleasing to God. We are to draw closer to our Lord in surrender of our will to the will of God. But if we stagnate, and we become ineffective in our knowledge of Christ, and in obedience to Him, then we are those who are blind to what it means to be saved from our sins.

Make Your Calling Sure

So, the point of all of this is that lip service only to God is not going to gain any of us salvation from sin and eternal life with God. As those who profess faith in Jesus Christ we are to be following our Lord in obedience to His commands, doing what He has called us to do for His purposes and for His glory. Sin should no longer be our practice. Obedience to God and to His commands should now be our practice, what we live by. And then we have the promise that we will be well received into the eternal kingdom of God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Make Your Calling Sure
An Original Work / November 1, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Hymn lyrics by William Williams, pub.1745
tr. by Peter Williams, pub.1771
Music by John Hughes, 1907

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more (2X).

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield (2X).

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver’st thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold.
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer
Sin and Satan and the grave (2X).

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee. Amen (2X).

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