Last words - almost Part 2

Last Words – almost  Part 2  Why we should . . . .

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 make your calling and election sure, 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. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.   (2Pe 1:5-14)  ESV

Ever have doubts?  Ever struggle with the security of your calling in Christ?  I do.

When the flesh bombards me with urges or the world seeks to seduce me and seems so powerful or when those “spiritual forces of darkness,” seem so overwhelming and I struggle, I have doubts.

When I look at the sinfulness of my sin.  When I am confronted by the fact that, “every intention of the thoughts of his (my)heart was only evil continually,”  (Gen 6:5) I doubt.

I wonder why He called me.  I wonder why He keeps me.  I wonder if I am, “good enough,” and finding that I am not, I doubt.

But there is a sure resolution to this, a heaven sent way to confront those times of doubt and press on.  A verse 10 and 11 of our passage provide that resolution.  The answer is:

PRACTICE

Ποιέω  poiéō; [to create, make, do, act],

(I)          To make, form, produce, bring about,  cause, spoken of any external act as manifested in the production of something tangible, corporeal, obvious to the senses, completed action.

(II)        Figuratively spoken of a state or condition, or of things intangible and incorporeal, and generally of such things as are produced by an inward act of the mind or will; to make, cause, bring about, occasion

What is this we are to do?  Verse five makes it clear, “make every effort to supplement your faith with . . . .”  We’ll deal with later (hopefully you’ve noticed we’re moving backwards through the passage).  But we are to practice the supplementing or adding of these qualities to or with our faith.

It has been said that we are saved by faith alone but that the faith that saves is not alone.  Unfortunately many have taken this as an opportunity to add qualifications and conditions to salvation.  But Peter presupposes his audience, you and me, have faith and are saved.  So, what’s this “adding” all about?  What does, ‘the faith that saves is not alone,” mean?

It really isn’t all that complicated or difficult.  I have faith that there is a thing called gravity – therefore I do not jump off of tall buildings.  I believe that there is a thing called friction and so when I want to stop my car I apply the brakes.

I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, rightfully my Lord and that He gave His life for my sins that I might have eternal life – THEREFORE I - - - - - - -

But, I don’t THEREFORE perfectly and I have accepted that for He has covered those failings as well.  Practice doesn’t make perfect but it does bring progress and that’s just the point.  As we make progress in our walk the Him, as we grow in the consistency and effectiveness of our obedience we will become more and more secure n our relationship to Him. 

Now – our relationship to Him – depends upon Him and Him alone – but our sense of it, our experience of it is, unfortunately, is powerfully affected by our attention to and in it.  I don’t have to prove my faith to Him or anyone else - I’m the one demanding proof and the proof is in the practice not the product.  The product is always and ever dependent upon Him>PERIOD!

But our sense of that wonderful intimate relationship, our grasp on belonging to Him – that comes as we practice and watch Him produce. 

Read an almost word for word translation of verse 10:

“be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you”

This is YOU making certain – you making you certain and NOT you making His calling and choosing certain. 

Through “practicing” what Peter has laid out for us we will grow more and more confident in our calling and choosing – and more confident of it.

Now I want to give a warning here about fruit.  Some of us are to grow figs some of us grow mushrooms.  Some fruit is evident to all and some fruit, not so much.  Sometimes we don’t even see the fruit of our practice for years – and years.  Some we won’t see until He reveals it.  But we have faith He can, will and does make good use of every effort undertaken for His glory.

Zodhiates’ The Complete Word Study New Testament he writes, “Poiéō (practice) may well refer to the doing once and for all, the producing and bringing forth something which, when produced, has an independent existence of its own.

There is an old Jewish tale of a Rabbi who was maligned by a man in his town.  The man later repented and went to the Rabbi so seek forgiveness and make amends:

The Rabbi told the man, "Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds." The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a  simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the Rabbi that he had done it, the Rabbi said, "Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers."

Huh?  Well, like those feathers, our practice is scattered to the winds.  Just as the evil words the man had spoken were gone, not to be seen, our practice, what it produces can be and often is just as elusive.  We may not see what our practice produces in the world but He does.

Our practice does however demonstrate to us and for us our faith.  Both the blessings and the tribulations that come with living for Him demonstrate the truth of His promises and His predictions.  Whether we receive thanks or curses for our practice, whether we do or don’t see the results of our practice, practice produces.

We are secure in Him- we will never be secure in us.  Until we are with Him, concerns and doubts will pop into our heads and hearts – that’s just the way we are.  But He never has any doubts!

Why PRACTICE -  Vs. 10,  “if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

Fall?   = ptaíō;  as 'to stumble against,' 'to collide with,' or, in the more usual intransitive, 'to stumble,' 'to fall,' 'to suffer a reverse,' and figuratively  'to err,' 'to sin.'