Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 12 January 2020

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 2 Peter 1:10 

Peter now says, “Therefore,” to highlight what he has just said in verses 5-9. He wants them to pay heed to his exhortation to ensure that his readers will live up to that which he has stated. In order to let them know that this can happen to anyone, he then says, “brethren.” This is the only time he uses this particular word in the epistle. Elsewhere, he says “beloved” or speaks of the “brotherhood.” In this instance, he certainly uses this more common form of address to show that all are on the same level and all are susceptible to straying if they do not pay heed.

Next, he admonishes the reader to “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.” Here, Peter uses the same word for “call” that Paul does concerning Israel in Romans 11, the Gentiles in 1 Corinthians 1, and etc. It speaks of God’s invitation to all people to receive – by faith – His gift of salvation. This gift includes all of the blessings which accompany it.

Peter further uses the word for “election” which is the same that Paul uses when speaking of Israel in Romans 9 & 11, but also for Gentiles in 1 Thessalonians 1:4. It signifies being selected out of, and to, a given outcome. The calling and the election are like two sides of the same coin. The call is made, and those who respond are elected. Thus, when it is accomplished, one can speak of the calling and the election in the same sense – one leads to the next. Here, it is evident that both Jews and Gentiles are called with the same calling, and both are elected out of their respective people groups by the one gospel.

In saying to make the call and election “sure,” he uses a word which signifies solidity, and thus that which is fully dependable. This does not mean that a believer must do something to retain his calling and election. The context of his words in verse 9 speaks of a person who “has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” The surety, then, is not to keep the call and election, but to remember it so that there is no waffling in the certainty of the calling and election. In other words, it is surety of mind in position, not surety of position before the Lord.

Peter then says, “for if you do these things.” This is referring to each point that he mentioned in verses 5-7 where the virtues are named and are instructed to be supplied, one to another, from faith through to love. If the believer follows Peter’s words of instruction there, he says “you will never stumble.” The Greek is more emphatic, saying something like, “never not shall you stumble at any time.”

The word translated as “stumble” is used just five times, by Paul once, James three times, and finally this last time by Peter. It does not signify a loss of salvation, and such an idea cannot even be hinted at. James says that “we all stumble in many things” in James 3:2. But even more, Paul asks whether Israel had “stumbled that they should fall” in Romans 11:11. His answer in that verse is “Certainly not!”

Peter’s words are given to show that by following his exhortation, the walk of the believer will be sound and sure to him because he is already secured in his salvation by the Lord. To fail to do as he has recommended will cause anxiety in the believer who has forgotten the very calling and election by which he was saved. Peter desires that they not stumble in such a manner.

Life application: As there is no change in God, we can know with all certainty that our calling and election for salvation are guaranteed and certain from God’s perspective. His decrees, of which our election is one, are unconditional in nature.

However, if we have called on the name of Jesus, and if we are truly saved by His work, then we should have the internal desire to reflect what occurred by our fruitful deeds. If we fail to act this way then it is we, not God, who are actually unsure if we are saved or not. The unfaithful but saved Christian goes through life ever questioning the salvation he was granted.

Every time something bad happens, he will wonder, “What did I do to deserve this? Maybe God doesn’t really love me.” Every time he does something inappropriate, he will also mentally ask himself, “I wonder if God will be able to forgive me?” Such an individual is like a small boat tossed about on a raging sea. He has no sense of direction and no sense of security in his own life.

If we are diligent in reading and understanding the Bible, we will have every surety of our call and our election. We will understand the nature of God, and that what occurred is complete and eternal. When the flock fails to dig deeply and often into Scripture…they must be bombarded by a continuous stream of self-doubt! It is the individuals, and in turn the congregation, who know and trust their Bibles that understand the great nature of the salvation given by Jesus.

Lord God, thank You for Your eternal and unchanging nature. By understanding who You are, we can understand our position in You – eternally saved and free from condemnation. Give us wisdom to diligently evaluate and understand difficult verses that can be easily twisted or misconstrued. Thank You for our eternal salvation; thank You for Jesus! Amen.

Saturday, 11 January 2020

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 2 Peter 1:9

Over the past four verses, Peter has developed a case concerning proper growth in Christ. In the previous verse, he gave positive reasons for this (being neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord). He now he presents a negative reason which will result if what he has instructed is not adhered to. To set the stage for that, he says, “For he who lacks these things.” The Greek literally reads, “To whom these things are not present.” Vincent’s Word Studies explains –

“Note that a different word is used here from that in 2 Peter 1:8, are yours, to convey the idea of possession. Instead of speaking of the gifts as belonging to the Christian by habitual, settled possession, he denotes them now as merely present with him.”

In other words, the things that Peter recommend being done were viewed as actual possessions of the wise person who followed his instruction. However, the person who fails to do so, not only does he not possess them, they are not even available to him. Their presence, for him, is nonexistent. It is reflective of the opening chapters of Proverbs where wisdom calls out. The one who listens will benefit, the one who fails to listen will suffer.

Peter now says what the state of such a person is when his recommended course of action was not heeded, beginning with the thought that he “is shortsighted.” The Greek word, found only here in Scripture, is muópazó. It is the basis for our modern word “myopic.” It is a compound word which comes from the Greek words musterion (a mystery) and ops (the face – which is the root of optanomai – appearing). Thus, it means that the person cannot see far off. This is then used in a spiritual sense by Peter. He is unperceiving of his own spiritual state.

Peter then says, “even to blindness.” The word is commonly used, and it can mean both literal blindness, such as in Matthew 20:30, or spiritual blindness, such as in Matthew 23:16. In this case, Peter is equating the person in a spiritual sense to someone who is so myopic that he is – for all intents and purposes – blind. Peter is emphasizing sight as a metaphor for the instruction which he gave in the previous verses. The instruction was ignored, and his sight now fails. Of these words, shortsighted and blind, Vincent’s Word Studies explains –

“The participle being short-sighted is added to the adjective blind, defining it; as if he had said, is blind, that is, short-sighted spiritually; seeing only things present and not heavenly things.”

Thus, this person sees only what is worldly and near, but not that which is of the highest importance. His spiritual sense is completely fogged over and, as Peter says, he “has forgotten.”

The words, “has forgotten,” fail to convey the Greek. It is a noun. More literally, it is translated as “having taken forgetfulness.” It is as this person has voluntarily picked up the state of forgetfulness and now carries it with him. Because he voluntarily failed to do what Peter says, and because his hands were empty and needed to be filled with something, he picked up this trait and now carries it around with him. And that by which he has taken up forgetfulness is “that he was cleansed.”

Again, the translation is lacking. Peter again uses a noun to describe the state, saying, “the cleansing.” The person has taken up forgetfulness that he had “the cleansing.” The Greek word speaks of purification, and most directly from moral impurity, meaning sin. For example, it is the same word used in Hebrews 1:3 –

“…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

And this is exactly what is on Peter’s mind as he finishes the thought with, “from his old sins.” In other words, this person, who failed to pay heed to the words Peter lays out for instruction, has forgotten that He was saved by Jesus and was forgiven his sin through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. It has been argued that “past sins” means that only his past sins were forgiven, but not his future sins. The stupidity of that shows a bias against the doctrine of eternal salvation, which Peter has already argued for. It further speaks against the efficacy of the cross of Christ to forgive all sin.

And more, Paul states that in Christ, believers are no longer under law, but under grace. Because of this, and because it is by law that there is a knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20), and thus sin is imputed through law, then believers are no longer imputed sin (Romans 5:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:19).

What Peter says here is not an argument for temporary salvation, but for eternal salvation. A person who is forgiven by Christ and saved can actually forget that he was once saved, but God has not forgotten. The individual has been saved, and he remains saved – despite his own shortsightedness. Praise God for His infinite mercy.

Life application: All believers should remember the substance of 2 Peter 1:9, and they should remember where the verse is.

Peter went through a list of eight things we should apply to our lives in order to grow so that we will be “neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Those eight things are faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. By growing in these attributes, we are molded into Christ’s likeness as we are sanctified by the Spirit of God.

Peter’s words acknowledge, quite clearly, that believers are saved, washed, and clean. The blood of Jesus has covered, and will cover, every failing they have.  It is fully capable of both saving and keeping the believer safe – despite his own blindness.

Lord God, Your word says that we can go so far away from you that we forget we have even been saved by Christ Jesus and washed in His purification from sin. But You do not forget. Once a person has come to You in faith, a new state is seen where sin is no longer counted against us. Thank You, O God, that we have the surety of eternal salvation, despite our own shortcomings, even to blindness of our forgiven state! Thank You for the work of Jesus on our behalf. Amen.

Friday, 10 January 2020

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8

Peter now sums up the words of verses 6 & 7. He has been noting specific traits, in order, so that believers will grow and be effective in their walk with the Lord. To do so, he begins with, “For if these things.” It is the eight traits he has named: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. It is these things he is referring to by saying, “if these things are yours and abound.”

The word he uses, which is translated as “are yours,” speaks of possession. If you, as a believer, possess them, not just in a fleeting way, but as permanent belongings, and if they abound in you as an individual, Peter says that “you will be neither barren nor unfruitful.”

The word “barren” does not convey Peter’s intent. It is a word, ergon – meaning “work” – which is preceded by a negative particle. This then indicates the opposite thought. Thus, it signifies being idle. Peter has been speaking of actively supplying one thing to another and so “barren” fails to convey the meaning. Instead of supplying one trait to the next to be a sound, vibrant, and active believer, he is idle. Hence, he will be unproductive and “unfruitful.” But if he does what Peter suggests, he will not be idle or “unfruitful.”

Unfruitful means exactly that, “without fruit.” To fail to apply Peter’s admonitions means that there will be nothing of value to show for the grace which has been bestowed upon the believer. With that in mind, Peter reveals what the benefit of paying heed to his words is by finishing the verse with, “in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Greek rather reads, “unto the knowledge.” As Vincent’s Word Studies says, “The idea is not idleness in the knowledge, but idleness in pressing on and developing toward and finally reaching the knowledge.” Each virtue which is supplied to the previous one is given by Peter with the intent that the individual will move forward in his walk, becoming more and more knowledgeable as he goes. It is Christ who has saved, and it is Christ who is to be emulated. But for those who fail to do as Peter instructs, their walk in their salvation will stagnate. This is so much the case that Peter will tell what the ultimate effects of such a stagnation will be as he continues into verse 9.

Life application: A review of the “things” Peter has mentioned and which, when they abound, bring about fruitfulness are –

Faith – The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Virtue – The quality of possessing valor, holy excellence, moral power, and fortitude.

Knowledge – Awareness, intelligent insight – seeing the truthfulness of things in the proper perspective.

Self-Control – Maintaining mastery over your temper, lusts, and other emotional and physical appetites.

Perseverance – Withstanding opposition to the gospel, and living faithfully and strongly in Christ even against the surging tides of antagonism.

Godliness – Having a pious, holy, and devote attitude in all ways and in all circumstances.

Brotherly kindness – Maintaining fraternal affection toward other believers in the Body of Christ and demonstrating that affection with one’s actions.

Love – Having a volitional rather than an emotional love, regardless of lesser feelings which war against the soul. This means to love and demonstrate that love deliberately.

If we exercise these qualities properly and in increasing measure, we will be “neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Isn’t this the goal that we should each aspire to as we live our lives in the presence of God?

Gracious and infinitely wise Creator, You certainly know our proclivities to falling short of the admonitions found in Your word. Be with us, sustain us, and help us to grow in all virtuous ways so that we will be sound and faithful followers of Jesus. Thank You for hearing our prayer and responding according to Your great wisdom. Amen.

Thursday, 9 January 2020

…to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 2 Peter 1:7

Peter continues with his three-verse instruction for the believer who has been called by God. As a reminder, this calling holds the promises he outlined in the preceding verses. To ensure those promises are not forgotten, he continues his list with the thought of supplying “to godliness brotherly kindness.”

A more literal translation would be, “the love of the brethren.” The state of reverence of the previous verse is logically and rightly then supplied with this next trait. If it were the other way around, a hint of perversion could easily be introduced into the conduct of the person. Without the trait of godliness, a love for the brethren could easily turn into an inappropriate relationship.

Even if the perverse sin of homosexuality did not arise, the term “the brethren” is inclusive of women, because the masculine stands for both genders when addressing an audience with both sexes. A person lacking godliness is prone to error by allowing a fraternal love to turn into an emotional love. This obviously means other than with the intent to marry. When this occurs, restraint is weakened, and temptations arise. Peter’s words are carefully following a proper path of conduct which is set to avoid such things. Now, with that path laid out in an appropriate manner, Peter finally finishes with, “and to brotherly kindness love.”

The love Peter speaks of here is agape, or the love which is centered on moral preference. It is the love that God prefers and can be, at times, termed divine love. It is a love of goodwill and benevolence. It is the love carefully explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 which says that “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

With such love, a love that Paul also says “never fails,” there will be nothing inappropriate introduced into a relationship, and there will only be goodwill and pure intent. It is the highest aspect of the path which Peter has laid out for the believer because if it is properly set forth, it will perfectly emulate God who John says “is love” in 1 John 4:8.

With these virtues properly aligned and supplied one to another, Peter will next explain the benefits the believer will possess.

Life application: When godliness is pursued first, then our inter-personal affections will be rooted in Christ and demonstrate Christ-like attitudes, including kindness. This doesn’t mean that the unconverted world can’t show a similar kindness, but it will naturally be based on a misdirected attitude unless it bears the resemblance of Jesus.

From there, if we have a Christ-like brotherly kindness towards each other, then we can properly love without hindrance or pretense. The love Peter speaks of transcends brotherly kindness and enables a person to love volitionally, rather than emotionally. A deliberate choice is made in this type of love which says, “I will love my enemies and even put them ahead of myself.” In other words, we are to put others in the same position in our attitudes as God put us when He sent Jesus to die for us.

We were once enemies of, and towards, God, but He – in His great love for us – sent Jesus to reconcile us to Himself. This is the goal to which we should aspire as well, and it is something we need to work towards as we follow the steps Peter has laid out for us. May we endeavor to faithfully reach this high and favorable state!

Lord, help each of us to become the faithfully loving person You intend for us to be. You know the depths of our hearts and souls, and the limits we have that are placed there. Break down these barriers and give us the supernatural ability to overcome these limitations so that others, even our enemies, may see You there. To Your honor and glory we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, 8 January 2019

…to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 2 Peter 1:6

Peter continues to provide instruction for the believer who has been called by God. This calling holds the promises he outlined in the preceding verses. To ensure those promises are not forgotten, he continues his list with supplying “to knowledge self-control.”

Through reading and studying the Bible, through proper theological training, and through other such endeavors, knowledge is increased. From there, Peter says to supply to that reservoir “self-control.” The Greek word signifies dominion within. HELPS Word Studies says it is “proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself.” Thus, it is that which comes by the power of the Lord. Charles Ellicott says of this, “In other words, your discerning between good and evil must lead to avoiding the evil and choosing the good.”

Just because one obtains knowledge, it does not mean that he will rightly apply it. A person may be a great theologian, and yet he may be a pervert. Therefore, one must supply to his knowledge this self-control. And then to that, he is to supply “perseverance.”

The thought is obvious. We all have fallen inclinations. If we have a tendency to overdrink, and we have knowledge from the word that this is wrong, then we must display self-control in that area. But it is not a one-time thing. Rather, it is to be an ongoing process. We are to persevere in our state of self-control. Vincent’s Word Studies says it is “the heroic, brave patience with which a Christian not only bears but contends.” A believer is to effect the necessary changes in his life, and then to remain in that state.

At this point of development, Peter then says that we are to supply “godliness.” This is a piety towards God. The particular Greek word is never ascribed to God, but rather to people who would emulate Him. It is piety or directing one’s attention toward God in reverence. It is the word used by Peter in verse 1:3 when he said that “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

Because God has given us His divine power, then we are to appropriate that power to supply it to those characteristics which will cause us to increase in a proper way before God as we continue our lives before Him.

Peter will finish his list of these things in the next verse. After this, in verse 8, he will explain quite clearly why this must occur.

Life application: Self-control, restraining one’s temper, and guarding all of one’s physical appetites is basically the opposite of self-indulgence.

If we have knowledge without self-control, our knowledge would be useless. To understand it is wrong to over-indulge, but to do it anyway is to reject the knowledge. Then, as we exercise self-control, we supply to it perseverance.

This is a logical progression of thought. We have knowledge so let us use it to control ourselves; we have self-control, so let us exercise it continuously – with perseverance. Let us not falter from our self-control and step backwards, but rather we should heroically press on despite opposition of the world and of our own weak flesh. As we persevere, we work towards godliness.

Godliness is a condition of living a pious, devout, and holy existence. It would make no sense to desire this if we had no self-control. And even if we did at one point, unless we persevered in restraining our desires, we could never expect to live in a godly fashion.

As you can see, each step that Peter mentions must logically precede the following step as we march on toward living as God would have us live. Live for Christ; be filled with the Spirit of God; and press on in this attitude all the days of your lives!

O precious Savior, how hard it is to persevere in right conduct and self-control.  You know, O Lord, our weaknesses both in temptation and in endurance. Strengthen us as we walk through this life of trial and testing. Grant us the supernatural ability to live as You would have us live. We ask this so that You will be glorified in us. Amen.