“By his divine power, God has given us everything
we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him,
the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
~2 Peter 1:3
I just love Peter! I love his boldness and strong stand for Christ and the uncompromising Word of God. He was all about teaching believers about the Good News and encouraging them to stand firm in their faith, and I will do the same for believers in our day.
A couple of ways to staying diligent in the faith is taking a strong stand for truth and continual spiritual growth. As believers, after responding to the call of salvation, we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to live this life of proven righteousness. The Apostle Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 saying, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! In addition, we must mature along the way. Are you maturing, sis?
Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-7, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (KJV). As Christians, we must add to our faith by these life actions.
I like the way the New Living Translation breaks this passage of Scripture down, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
When you and I look at these attributes of Christian character that Peter teaches, it is God telling us, “This is how you grow spiritually and represent Me well in the world as a believer.” Peter goes on to say in 2 Peter 1:8-9, “The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”
I’ll close with this from 2 Peter 1:10-11, “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. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stay diligent in the faith my sister, and keep maturing.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are a few reflection questions...
1. How is your faith walk? Are you maturing in the faith these days? If so, in what ways?
2. What does it mean for you to stay diligent in the faith after reading these passages of Scripture found in Second Peter?
3. After reading all of the attributes of faith, what areas do you need grow in?
4. How can you exemplify standing strong in your faith in today’s growing decline of moral excellence and “falling away” culture?
I echo the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Peter 1:12-13, “Therefore, I will always remind you about these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.”
Closing Prayer
“Father in the name of Jesus, I come to you in prayer asking for you to help me live a life that is worthy of the calling and represents you well. I don’t want to misrepresent you. Help me to yield to the Holy Spirit’s power that dwells within me when I need to exemplify and live in moral excellence, knowledge of who you are and your Word, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love for all mankind. I can’t do this alone. I need the help and power of your precious Holy Spirit. Thank for calling me. Thank you for choosing me. I will live faithfully and diligently in you. Amen.”
Remember, Jesus is coming back soon, and those who endure unto the end, shall be saved. Let God change you from the inside out.
If you need prayer, please leave your prayer request in the comment section or you can email me directly at insideoutwithcourtnaye@gmail.com and I will pray for you. I'd love to hear from you. Also, discover more resources from my ministry and find out more information about upcoming events and booking for your next conference or event by visiting www.courtnayerichard.com. Let's connect and let me know how this post ministered to you today! ~Courtnaye
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Courtnaye Richard is the founder of Inside Out with Courtnaye, a ministry that helps women grow in their walk with Christ from the heart and equips them to fulfill their God-given purpose. She is also the author of the book, IDENTIFIED: Knowing Who You Are in Christ and Moving Forward in Your Purpose. Courtnaye is married with three beautiful children and is a contributing writer for ibelieve.com, Women’s Ministry Tools, speaker of a host of women’s conferences, and her blog reaches thousands of women across the globe. She resides in the beautiful Texas Hill Country (outside of Austin, Texas).