Second Peter begins with a beautiful description of God’s grace. “His (God’s) divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who calls us by his own glory and goodness” (verse 3). Reading that, some may think that there is nothing for us to do. God has done everything! However, that is not true.
The next paragraph says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith” (verse 5). In other words, because God has blessed us so richly, we must respond. Specifically, we are to focus on and grow in certain qualities and attitudes.
“Add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Christ Jesus” (2 Peter 1:5-8).
These qualities are important because they matter to God. There is no room for saying, “I am saved by the grace of God and there is nothing required of me”. That is not true. Peter says that if one does not value these qualities, they do not understand their salvation (verse 9).
It is also important to note that we never perfect or stop growing in these areas. Whether one has been a Christian for a year or ninety years, these qualities should be ever-increasing and deepening within us.
To be clear, we are not trying to earn anything. We cannot work our way to salvation. Our best efforts apart from the grace of God fall short by miles. However, with the help of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 3:16), we can respond to the gift that we have received.
Once we understand who we are and what we have been given, then what we are supposed to do will become clear.
We cannot do God’s part, but we must do ours.
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