2Peter 1:5-11 | Make Every Effort

SCRIPTURE READING

2 Peter 1:5–11 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

† INTRODUCTION

We’ve started our study through 2 Peter and seen how Peter makes absolutely clear for the churches that he’s writing to that every Christian has been blessed with ALL that is needed for a life of godliness.

He continuously highlighted how the proof of this is on the basis of God’s action.

NOT: ‘You want to know how awesome you are… just look at yourself.’

INSTEAD: ‘You want to know how great your position is… just see how great your God is.’

He’s called you.

He’s promised thousands of years before your time that he would accomplish your salvation.

He’s taken up residence in you. Turning you into a temple that radiates His presence.

† TITLE: Make Every Effort

Remember, Peter is starting his letter with a three point sermon:

Christians...

Have been given all they need to look like Jesus (v3-4)

Must actively pursue looking like Jesus (v5-9)

Must persevere to the end to inherit the Kingdom of Jesus (v10-11)

Last week we did the first point. Tonight is the FINAL TWO.

† Actively Pursue Looking Like Jesus | 2Peter 1:5-9

v5 - For THIS very reason...

This is all on the basis that every ounce of strength needed to pursue godliness has ALREADY been provided by Jesus. I cannot stress how important that fact is. That was 2Peter 1:1-4, what was covered last week.

What Peter is talking about is NOT working our way to earn favor, BUT living from the strength of existing favor.

Favor that was PLACED ON YOU, not earned by you.

If we don’t understand this then we’re going to get this all flipped up, backwards, and upside down.

We tend to quickly substitute actions as the method to earn God’s grace.

It’s because we rightly recognize that there is a sin problem, that we don’t measure up to a perfect standard… but we fail to recognize how big that failure is.

And then we over-esteem our actions, thinking that we can make up for what needs to be perfected.

†If you measure God’s favor by your actions, you’re either going to misrepresent God by bringing His standards down to your level, OR you’re going to be debilitated at your inability to measure up.

So please don’t get this backwards. Please start with the Gospel. If you are in Jesus, God is pleased, and you could not earn more favor or lose any favor.

And If you are not in Christ, God’s favor is put on you to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That God has written himself into your story to free you from your shame and sin that leads to death.

v5 - make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue… *the list continues*

Peter has taken the turn from foundation of action, to what the action should be. Last week was see that you’ve been given EVERYTHING you need. This week is “so freak’n get after it.”

With this turn of the letter can sometimes come fatigue…

This is the part of the letter that’s about doing things… I don’t want to fee bad about failing to do these things.

This is the part of the letter about hard work… and I don’t want to do hard work.

EFFORT = Haste, Zeal, Eagerness

If we’re not working from eagerness, like a motivated DESIRE to launch into godliness then we’ve got to do a heart-check. What Peter is going to outline in this list is not tedious slave-labor, he’s talking about living out Gospel Centered, Resurrection Life.

The “work” in EFFORT is a joy.

Ex: Who enjoys to play Ga Ga Ball? You’re not fatigued by the idea that it’s going to take effort. The reason you play and do some intense moves is because you’re happy to expend your energy because it’s your joy to play the game.

This is what EFFORT is conveying for us.

SUPPLEMENT = Provide / It’s idiomatic, meaning that the word in Greek isn’t strictly “provide” it’s actually a word picture that happen to mean “provide” when you put it in context.

Choreography - Dance in Unison / Celebration

Dance, Eagerness, Zeal, Celebration… here’s the point that Peter is making clear for us

†What Peter is commanding and describing is not painstaking work, but joyful activity

**PAUSE**

No one who loves to play Ga Ga Ball says, oh man, I guess I have to play Ga Ga Ball… I’ll jump around I guess...

No one who is gifted a new car says, ugh… you’re telling me I have to use my calf muscles to press the gas pedal AND use my upper body to steer… it’s just not worth it.

No one says that!

Just like those examples no Christian should say, ugh I HAVE to live out the Gospel.

The Gospel is resurrection life that has been provided FOR you, so you can have it today, and apply it today, and not have to wait on the benefits. Death has died in the Gospel and sin no longer rules over you.

†PETER’S LIST

†FAITH = Trust

†VIRTUE = Valor, Renown, Glory tied to actions

†KNOWLEDGE = Relational Experience

†SELF CONTROL = Restraint of Desires (Typically sexual desires)

†STEADFASTNESS = To withstand pressure under difficulty

†GODLINESS = Devoutness/Reflection of God

Now this list has a purpose, but it’s not to dissect it SO much that you think about what needs to be 100% true of step one (Faith), in order for it to develop into step two (Virtue).

We should step back from the list to see what Peter is doing with the list as a whole.

If we synthesize the steps, what is Peter saying… and what are some key points from the movement of the steps.

†1. Trust in Jesus, builds into practical actions that make us look more like Jesus

Trust, builds into applied action (virtue) that leads to deeper relationship (knowledge), and then more applied action (sexual self control and other displays of self control), that withstands pressure (steadfastness), and is consistently holy (godliness).

†Ephesians 4:13-16

English Standard Version Chapter 4

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

†2. We can measure how well we’re doing at this list by the output (final step)

Did the way this list end seem familiar to anyone?… “godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”

† Matthew 22:34-40

English Standard Version Chapter 22

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

†Christian Virtue is not a theoretical thing, it is an extremely practical posture. And the posture is love for God and love for others… a united whole.

**PAUSE**

v8-9 READ

Are these things present and are they growing. That’s the checkpoint that we’re looking for.

Sometimes we can get tripped up by the knowledge that these things don’t look perfect in our life. But the encouragement that Peter gives is, high they should just be present and growing… they don’t need to be perfect… and they won’t be until eternity.

A blind Christian (in the spiritual sense) is an oxymoron. It can’t happen and Peter is highlighting that.

FORGOTTEN = Forgetting in the New Testament tradition is not an involuntary action, an accident. Instead it’s the result of willful inaction. Failure to

† Persevere to the End (to inherit the Kingdom of Jesus) | 2Peter 1:10-11

v10-11 READ

DILIGENT = Effort/Eagerness - Coming back around to that eager action.

This is your friendly reminder from Peter that we’re not talking about begrudgingly done slave-labor. Joyful action, like playing Ga Ga Ball or driving a new car.

Calling & Election = Reminder from v1-4. The basis for this action is outside of you, so this isn’t to mistake this warning and think that on the basis of YOUR supplied effort you’ll either make it or fail.

It’s to remember that you’ve been called therefore there’s nothing holding you back if you’re in Jesus.

Michael did an excellent lesson on Assurance that you can reference online. It’s under our Student Takeover lessons on the website.

Instead let’s reflect on two passages that are connected to this context in 2 Peter.

†John 6:35-40

English Standard Version Chapter 6

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

† †Philippians 2:12-13

English Standard Version Chapter 2

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Effectiveness in the Gospel is not an assurance because we can see how awesome we are.

†Effectiveness in the Gospel is an assurance because it’s directly connected to the One who has called us to the Gospel. It’s God’s work not my work.

END

So we make Every Effort, that has already been supplied to us by our God...

This subject has been something that I’ve been personally impacted by as I reflected and sat in prayer over the new year. “Make Every Effort”… how much am I only making some effort or specific effort. It has felt like and seemed like there has been opportunity left on the table.

Now when I say this, I’m not saying that in order to make it seem like EVERY effort is being made, that I must therefore sap every single second of free time and apply it in some way.

But it does mean that I direct every single second to being intentional. This extends to work, devotional life, family life, and personal time. When tasks needed to be taken care of, and when time should be enjoyed in rest.

You don’t decide to make every effort and then BAM, it happens. You must dedicate yourself to the discipline of working one-step-at-a-time.

In Small Group you are going to spend time thinking about what 1 THING you are going to do this week in order to grow in godliness, and then put an action plan together for it, specific steps and tactics that will help you accomplish what you set out to do.