Thoughts on 2 Peter 1

Today’s reading: Numbers 28; 2 Peter 1

Do you want your life to matter for Christ? Then you would do well to pay attention to what Peter has for us in 2 Peter 1.

Peter gives us a list of character qualities in this chapter that he uses some pretty strong language and makes some pretty bold claims about. He tells us that if these qualities are ours and are increasing, they keep us from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus. He also tells us that if we lack these qualities we are so nearsighted as to be  blind, having forgotten that we were cleansed from our former sins. He then tells us that if we practice these things we will never fall and will have entrance into heaven richly provided for us. Then, on top of all that, he tells us that he is nearing the end of his life, so he will use whatever time he has left to make sure they remember these qualities after he dies.

What’s really interesting to me about all this is that if someone asked me how to make sure their life counted for Jesus, I would not give an answer like this. I would most likely give them practical advice like getting involved with an active church, finding ways to serve, finding a spiritual mentor, seeking out opportunities to share their faith, etc. But that is not where Peter goes (which honestly just goes to show how much I still have to learn…).

Peter’s focus is not on a set of effective works you should be doing, but on the character you should be developing, and when you stop and think about it, that really makes a lot of sense. We have talked about this in previous posts, but God has a role for every Christian in the Body of Christ. There are different ways that God gifts and empowers us, by His Spirit, to fulfill various roles within the church, and the early church was much more aware of that than we tend to be today. And if Peter gave an answer more like mine, what would be the result? If he said you need to learn the Bible, what about the illiterate person or the person without access to a bible (we have a lot of access to the Word in the West today, but that’s not true of all places and it would not have been true for Peter’s readers)? Are we excluding them from being effective? If he said you need to share your faith with others, what about the person with crippling social anxiety? Are they unable to be effective for Christ? If he said you need to find a spiritual mentor, what if there wasn’t one? Many of the churches Peter is writing to were relatively young and may not have had access to long-standing Christians, or maybe you are the most senior Christian there and don’t have access to someone further along to mentor you.

The point is, Peter, nearing the end of his life, is much wiser than I am, and we would do well to take to heart what he says is so important that he wants them to always remember it, even after he is not there to remind them anymore:

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. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Here’s my very quick summary of each of these:

• Faith - All of the Christian life starts from faith, our trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the basis for our salvation and for our relationship with God.
• Virtue - Actively living in a way that lines up with God’s will and desire for our lives, or actively doing good for others.
• Knowledge - A Christian should not be ignorant, but the knowledge we gain should also not be idle; it should change us and the way we live (e.g. I can know a seat belt will make me safer in the car, but does that knowledge change what I do such that I start wearing a seat belt?).
• Self-control - Having a will that is trained to say “no” to what is outside God’s will for our lives. 
• Steadfastness - Developing the ability to consistently pursue God’s will despite adversity.
• Godliness - A Christian should have a mindset of respect and reverence toward God that drives them to consider God in their thoughts and actions.
• Brotherly affection - Growing in the ability to develop relationships characterized by affection, affirmation, and encouragement with those outside your family.
• Love - Reflecting the sacrificial, self-giving love of God out to others,

Ultimately, if you want your life to count more for Christ today than it did yesterday, Peter says we start here with this list. And it’s worth noting that this is not a passive experience, as though this is the list of characteristics God will develop in every Christian after they have put their faith in Christ. Peter says we are to “make every effort” to pursue these character qualities.

So which of these is God wanting to grow in your life this morning? If something doesn’t stand out already just as you read the list, take a minute to sit before the Lord and ask Him where He would have you grow. Given how much importance the Apostle Peter places on pursing continued growth in these characteristics in the life of an effective Christian, I don’t think it’s really possible for us to put too much stock in this list or overemphasize the importance of pursuing this list if we want our lives to meaningfully count for God.

Father, which of these areas do I most need to grow in, and what does it look like for me to actively pursue growing and developing in that part of my character?