2 Peter 1:2-11

Peter gives direction for growing Christians regarding the character qualities to develop in our lives.

1 Peter was written to comfort and support believers amidst misery and mistreatment, which was an outer attack. This epistle was composed to causation against an inside (inward) attack, lack of concern and sin. Here, Peter gives the antitoxin for dormancy and foolishness in the Christian life. These two epistles of Peter set up caution signs on the road that the church body is migrating on, to distinguish the apostasy that was in transit around then and which is common now presently.

In verses 2-4:
”Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.”

Notice that this passage involves multiplication. How does grace and peace get multiplied to us? It is through the knowledge of God, and of His Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Now some may think that to know Christ, they can simply open up the encyclopedia and read about Him. For those that do not know what an encyclopedia is, that was a book used many years ago before the advent of Google search. I think that you can still find them in any public or educational library. Many families had a set of them in their homes. I know we did when I was growing up.

For grace and peace to be multiplied, we must know Christ. Every professing Christian must know Christ. That does not mean to know about Him, but to know Him on a personal level. Many believers want the benefits of grace and peace but are unwilling to take time and use some exertion to know Him through prayer and Bible study. How can we partake in the privileges that God offers if we do not get involved in the knowledge of God?
 

• 2 Peter 3:18, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Here we see the “divine power,” the “precious promises,” and the “divine nature.” The power to grow comes from God. We do not have the means to live a life of glory and virtue. God has given us precious promises so that we can be partakers of divine nature. This is what keeps us from sin and gives us help as we live for Him.
 

• 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

​
Did we notice the word knowledge is used again in verse three? It is only through the knowledge of Christ that we can learn to live and grow into a godly people. We that have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness of God, have been given precious promises from God.

In John 6:37, he that comes to Christ, He will not cast out. In Matthew 11:28, it states “come unto me all that labor and are heavy laden.” Those are only a couple of precious promises given to us. Throughout the Bible we can find a multitude of other precious promises given.
 

• 1 John 2:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 
In verses 5-9:
Now we will see a little more math in the Scriptures; “add to your faith virtue.” Then it goes on to ‘add’ knowledge to the virtue, then ‘add’ temperance to the knowledge, next ‘add’ patience to temperance, then godliness to patience, then brotherly kindness to godliness, and then charity to brotherly kindness. That is a lot of adding.
 

• Galatians 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
• Romans 12:10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

• Colossians 1:10, That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

 
Faith should be more than believing in facts. Action is required, growing in Christ like character, and being morally disciplined. If we neglect this, we cannot demonstrate a changed life (James 2:14-17). Faith’s actions require hard work (increasing patience, doing the will of God, knowing God better) and they must be done continually. God will empower us and enable us, but it is our responsibility to put forth the effort to learn and grow.

Faith goes beyond believing. It is part of what we should do, and in doing so will bring about results of our spiritual maturity and our good works. Bear in mind, good works does not bring about salvation. Our salvation was a free gift from God, and that salvation should show IN good works. If someone states that he or she is saved, yet the lifestyle remains unchanged, then that person needs to get a checkup, because apparently, he or she does not know God or does not understand what God has done.

Have we made our Christian life an extracurricular activity? Is our Christian life only performed on the Sabbath day, the day of going to church? The Christian life is a growing process (2 Peter 3:18). You cannot grow a vegetable garden without working on it. If we look in a forest, what will we see? We will see trees and various vegetation either growing, because it is alive, or it is decaying, because it is dead. My, how our Christian lives are like that, either we are alive and growing or we are dead and decaying.

Are the things that were ‘added’ actually within us? Look at what Peter says, ‘for if these things be in you and abound…ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful’. (Look more math). We cannot produce fruit if we are barren, or idle. We must be active in the faith. We must put our faith into action. we cannot just sit idly by and watch the world go round.
 

• 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 
In verses 10-11:
“Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” Do not listen to false teachers that state because salvation is free and not by good works, you can just live like you want to. That is definitely not the case. If we belong to the Lord, ‘diligence’, hard work, will show it. If we are not working for the Lord, then do we really belong to Him? We may stumble along the way, but if we continually work on the math of a Christian life, we will not fall but will prosper.
 

• 1 Thessalonians 1:4, Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
• Jude 1:24, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
• 2 Timothy 4:18, And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• Matthew 22:14, For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

2 Peter 2:17 
 
The word of truth is the water of life. In which, it refreshes the souls that receive it. But those who deceive (false prophets/teachers) speak error because there is no truth in them. As clouds hinder the light of the sun, so do the false prophets darken counsel with words that have no truth. Being that these men promote darkness in the world, it is fitting that the mist of darkness will be their place in the hereafter. They gave off an impression of being wellsprings however they had no substance. This would suggest how they were as instructors, wellsprings of water in the desert but without water. Darkness is an example of God's judgment.
 
Peter is warning of false prophets coming into the church. This is a danger to growing Christians. A well without water is a dry well. There is no nourishment for life. It's pointless. Drawing dirty water from a dirty well is just as bad, there is no nourishment. If there is no water, then there is no life.

• John 4:14 - but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

 
When a well dries up it is filled in because the dry well is a danger to others. A well that is stagnant if not tended to and used becomes unhealthy.
 
Wells are often supplied by springs & rain - Proverbs 16:22, Psalms 84:6.
 
They are often deep and too difficult to draw from - John 4:11.
 
They are also covered to prevent being filled in - Genesis 29:2,3.
 
Some wells were stopped up by the enemy - Genesis 26:15,18; 2 Kings 3:19,25.
 
Occasionally, some wells didn't have water - Jeremiah 14:3; Zechariah 9:11.
 
A Sinner is a desert soul, barren, with no water.
 
A Backslider has dirty water or is slowly drying up. 

• Jude 1:12, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;” KJV

 
“These people are like dirty spots among you—they bring shame to you in the special meals you share together. They eat with you and have no fear. They take care of only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. The wind blows them around. They are like trees that have no fruit at harvest time and are pulled out of the ground. So they are twice dead.” ERV
 
For comparison, we could look at the differences between the physical and spiritual of being
with or without water. 
 
                                                A well or body with water                 A well or body without water
 
Physical
 
Spiritual

2 Peter 1:2-11
 
First Peter was written to comfort and support believers amidst misery and mistreatment, which was an outer attack. This epistle was composed to caution against an inside assault, lack of concern and sin. Here Peter gives the antitoxin for dormancy and foolishness in the Christian life. These two epistles set up caution signs on the road the church body is migrating on to distinguish the apostacy that was in transit around then and which is common now at present.

​ 
In verses 2-4:

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.”

Notice this passage involves multiplication. How does grace and peace get multiplied to us? It is through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. Now some may think that to know Christ they can simply open up the encyclopedia and read about Him. For those that do not know what an encyclopedia is, that was a book used many years ago before the advent of Google search. You could find them in every public or educational library. Many families had a set in their homes, I know we did when I was growing up.

For grace and peace to be multiplied, we must know Christ. Every professing Christian must know Christ. That does not mean to know about Him, but to know Him on a personal level. Many believers want the benefit of grace and peace but are unwilling to take time and use some exertion to know Him through prayer and Bible study. How can we partake in the privileges that God offers if we do not involve in the knowledge of God?

• 2 Peter 3:18, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Here we see the “divine power,” the “precious promises,” and the “divine nature.” The power to grow comes from God. We do not have means to live a life of glory and virtue. God has given us precious promises so that we can be partakers of divine nature. That is what keeps us from sin and gives us help as we live for Him.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Did we notice the word knowledge is used again in verse three? It is only through the knowledge of Christ that we can learn to live and grow into a godly people. We that have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness of God, have been given precious promises from God.

• John 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
• Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Those are only a couple of precious promises given to us. Throughout the Bible we can find a multitude of other promises given.

• 1 John 2:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

In verses 5-9:

Now we will see a little more math in the Scriptures; “add to your faith virtue.” Then it goes on to “add” knowledge to the virtue, then “add” temperance to the knowledge, next “add” patience to temperance, then godliness to patience, then brotherly kindness to godliness, and then charity to brotherly kindness. That is a lot of adding. (Galatians 5:22; Romans 12:10)

• Colossians 1:10, That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Faith should be more than believing in facts. Action is required, growing in Christ like character, and being morally disciplined. If we neglect this, we cannot demonstrate a changed life (James 2:14-17). Faith’s actions require hard work (increasing patience, doing the will of God, knowing God better) and they must be done continually. God will empower us and enable us, but it is our responsibility to put forth the effort to learn and grow.

Faith goes beyond believing. It is part of what we should do, and in doing so will bring about results of our spiritual maturity and our good works. Bear in mind, good works does not bring about salvation. Our salvation was a free gift from God, and that salvation should show IN good works. If someone states that he or she is saved, yet the lifestyle remains unchanged, then that person needs to get a checkup, because apparently, he or she does not know God or does not understand what God has done.

Have we made our Christian life an extracurricular activity? Is our Christian life only performed on the Sabbath day, the day of going to church? The Christian life is a growing process (2 Peter 3:18). You cannot grow a vegetable garden without working on it. If we look in a forest, what will we see? We will see trees and various vegetation either growing, because it is alive, or it is decaying, because it is dead. My, how our Christian lives are like that, either we are alive and growing or we are dead and decaying.

Are the things that were “added” actually within us? Look at what Peter says, “for if these things be in you and abound…ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful.” (Look more math). We cannot produce fruit if we are barren, or idle. We must be active in the faith. We must put our faith into action. We cannot just sit idly by and watch the world go round.

• 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

In verses 10-11:

“Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.”

Do not listen to false teachers that state because salvation is free and not by good works, you can just live like you want to. That is definitely not the case. If we belong to the Lord, “diligence,” hard work, will show it. If we are not working for the Lord, then do we really belong to Him? We may stumble along the way, but if we continually work on the math of a Christian life, we will not fall but will prosper. (1 Thessalonians 1:4; Jude 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:18)

• Matthew 22:14, For many are called, but few are chosen.

If we claim to be the Lord’s, then we should work hard to prove it (that is faith put into action). In doing so, we will not be so easily deceived by enticing sin or erroneous teaching.