If You Do These Things

The whelk is a this little ocean creature can ruin an oyster’s day. The whelk has an appendage that works like an corkscrew, With which it can bore a small hole in the top of an oyster’s shell.

Then through this very small hole a whelk can devour an entire oyster, It simply sucks it out little by little until the oyster is gone.

A little doubt can do this to a person, as well.

Welcome to the last message in our series “You Shall Never Fall.” The Apostle Peter has written an anthem of just how saved and equipped a believer really is. We have discovered that we already have everything we need in order to live a godly life. We have already been made partakers in the divine nature. We have learned that although our salvation started by faith, we can climb the virtue ladder and add to that faith. All of this leads us to the incredible promise in verse 10.

2 Peter 1:10 (KJV)

… for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Doubt does not rob you of salvation, it robs you of the JOY of your salvation. This morning as we conclude this series we will see that doubt will melt away and in its place, an overwhelming longing to be ushered into the presence of Jesus will grow… If You do these things.

Give Diligence to Avoid Poor Spiritual Eyesight.

2 Peter 1:9–10 (KJV)

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 ...

-in contrast to not adding to faith

-in contrast to being spiritually near sighted

-in contrast to forgetting you were purged from your old sins

-Peter calls these folks brethren so we are not talking about getting saved but rather keeping the same theme of adding to faith… it was the faith that saved.

If you walk around with your eyes closed, you will stumble! But the growing Christian walks with confidence because he knows he is secure in Christ. It is not our profession of faith that guarantees that we are saved; it is our progression in the faith that gives us that assurance. The person who claims to be a child of God but whose character and conduct give no evidence of spiritual growth is deceiving himself and heading for judgment.

11 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 440). Victor Books.

2 Peter 3:17 KJV

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Give Diligence to Make Your Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:10 (KJV)

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure...

Romans 8:29 KJV

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Believers should embody the virtues Peter lists because it means honoring the sacrifice Jesus has made (vv. 5–7). Peter does not mean that people earn salvation through embodying virtues; Peter has already indicated that salvation depends on Jesus alone (see 1 Pet 1:1 and note; compare John 3:16–17; Rom 8:28–30; 1 Thess 1:4). Peter is indicating that believers confirm the power of Jesus’ work by their choices.

11 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (2 Pe 1:10). Lexham Press.

In His foreknowledge and purpose, there is no insecurity, no uncertainty; but in our vision and apprehension of them as they exist in and for us, much, until they are pointed out.” The exhortation is that the believer should make sure of the fact that he is saved by seeing to it that the Christian graces superabound in his life. There is no idea here of making sure that we retain our salvation but that we possess salvation

11 Wuest, K. S. (1997).

Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 12, pp. 27–28). Eerdmans.

1 John 2:5–6 KJV

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 3:18–20 KJV

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Give Diligence So You Never Fall.

2 Peter 1:10–11 (KJV)

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

The Christian who is sure of his election and calling will never “stumble” but will prove by a consistent life that he is truly a child of God. He will not always be on the mountaintop, but he will always be climbing higher. If we do “these things” (the things listed in 2 Peter 1:5–7, cf. v. 8), if we display Christian growth and character in our daily lives, then we can be sure we are converted and will one day be in heaven.11

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 440). Victor Books.

People who are so focused on living a virtuous life, through the power of Jesus’ work in them, do not have room for sinful behavior; instead, they honor God in all they do. By extension, Peter may also be referring to avoiding the compromising influences of the false teachers; those who embody the virtues will be able to discern truth from falsehood (2 Pet 1:5–7; see 2:1 and note11 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).

Faithlife Study Bible (2 Pe 1:10). Lexham Press.

Give Diligence So You Have Something to Look Forward To.

2 Peter 1:11 KJV

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In fact, the growing Christian can look forward to “an abundant entrance” into the eternal kingdom! The Greeks used this phrase to describe the welcome given Olympic winners when they returned home. Every believer will arrive in heaven, but some will have a more glorious welcome than others. Alas, some believers “shall be saved, yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).

The word ministered in 2 Peter 1:11 is the same as the word add in 2 Peter 1:5, and is the translation of a Greek word that means “to bear the expenses of a chorus.” When the Greek theatrical groups presented their dramas, somebody had to underwrite the expenses, which were very great. The word came to mean “to make lavish provision.” If we make lavish provision to grow spiritually (2 Peter 1:5), then God will make lavish provision for us when we enter heaven!

Just think of the blessings that the growing Christian enjoys: fruitfulness, vision, security—and heaven’s best! All this and heaven too!1

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 440). Victor Books

Doubt and spiritual nearsightedness keep believers from reaching their full potential in Christ. It is a tragedy when we as born again believers who have already been given everything we need for life and godliness, when we already have been made partakers of the divine nature; stumble and fall. We do not need to!

2 Peter 1:5–7 KJV

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.

We can climb the virtue ladder adding to our faith and thus reminding ourselves that God really is at work in our lives. The more we act like blood bought believers, the more we feel like blood bought believers.

By trusting in God, we can go far beyond what we could ever do on our own.

In a sermon, Juan Carlos Ortiz spoke of a conversation with a circus trapeze artist. The performer admitted the net underneath was there to keep them from breaking their necks, but added, “The net also keeps us from falling. Imagine there is no net. We would be so nervous that we would be more likely to miss and fall. If there wasn’t a net, we would not dare to do some of the things we do. But because there’s a net, we dare to make two turns, and once I made three turns—thanks to the net!”

Ortiz makes this observation: “We have security in God. When we are sure in his arms, we dare to attempt big things for God. We dare to be holy. We dare to be obedient. We dare, because we know the eternal arms of God will hold us if we fall.”

1 Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (2003). Practical Illustrations: 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude (p. 15). Leadership Ministries Worldwide

So make your calling and election sure by acting on what you have been given. If you do these things you can have the freedom to branch out and boldly serve God, even outside the box of tradition. If you do these things you are assured, your faith is real, you will never fall.