Add To Your Faith

Today I want to look at what the Apostle Peter said we need to do, to make our calling and election sure.  (Meaning ... having no doubt, confident, certain, confirmed.)    

2nd Peter 1:1-10 ... (edited for clarity)

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ."

Okay, it's opinion time for me once again.  I feel that the above verse in the K.J.V. has one word out of place when compared with some of the oldest versions which read ... "through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."   One word out of place can change Peter's testimony, which is that Jesus is not only our Savior, but also our God ... meaning they are one in the same.  But that's just my opinion. 

Peter continues with ...

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and goodness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Peter, having already stated that we have obtained the same "like precious faith" that he has, wants us to know that we have also been given by the resident power of God within us ... all things that pertain to life ... your spiritual life; although God also provides the things the natural life needs as well.  We have been given great promises in His Word that will, by faith, release God's divine nature and power within our soul, which will result in being able to escape the corruption of sin in the world.      

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith ..."  What?  I've got to think about that for a minute.  "Add to my faith?"  How?  Humm ... Peter isn't saying to add more faith to the faith we have.  God gave us the measure of faith when we were born again, when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  So what are we to add to our faith?

"Add to your faith ... virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience Godliness; and to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Sounds a lot like the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22-23 that our lives are supposed to produce.  In fact, Peter goes on next and says that having things like patience and Godliness in your life will assure that you won't be unfruitful.

"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

Now here is the main point Peter is making ...

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."

By doing what Peter states in this last verse, you are not making your salvation any more sure in the heart of God ... that was established on the cross of Christ ... but rather it becomes "a sure fact" in your heart and life by walking in such a manner described, so as to never fall ... to never stumble.

When Peter says ... "by doing these things, you shall never fall" ... I do not believe he is speaking of your salvation.  You did not receive salvation by doing good things.  That would mean your "works" saved you.  I also do not believe that if you don't have enough good works in your faith walk, that you will lose your salvation.  It doesn't work that way.

Another Apostle by the name of Paul alludes to this question in Philippians 2:12-13, where he says that we are to ... "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

Paul is not saying to design your own type of salvation.  But if you did just that ... I'm afraid you would have much to fear and tremble about at the judgment day.

All Paul is saying by using the words "work out" according to the Greek rendering they were translated from is ... "to work fully, to accomplish, to perform."

When we look at the original Greek meaning of the key words in his following sentence, it is saying this ... 

"... it is God which worketh (to be active) in you ... to will (to determine as an active voice which leads us to accept reluctantly, but without protest) and to do (actively work) ... His good pleasure (satisfaction, delight, desire)." 

So, what it really comes down to is this ... by "adding to your faith" all the things that pertain to spiritual life ... that by adding these things you become partakers of the divine nature, (the resident power of God) who can then work His will in you, without your protest.
  
The Apostle Peter's last word on this was ... "give diligence (careful and persistent work or effort) to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."




Comments welcome.