Promises and Warnings!




2Peter:3-11 (New Living Translation)

Growing in Faith

3. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6. and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7. and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Please read very carefully and recognize the promises that are for us if we diligently supplement our faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. There is also a warning that if we don't, we are blind even to the point of forgetting we were saved. Have you ever heard someone say, "well, I don't know if I am saved or not?" Could this be the reason why? It is Gods plan for us to grow and mature as Christians. I don't know about you, but this is a revelation to me! I hear the warnings loud and clear. Could this also be the reason some have not moved into the fullness of God? The other promise I want you to notice is the last part of verse 10, "Do these things, and you will never fall away" (or stumble as some versions read). Now, that should do something for our faith! I pray your faith will be strengthened as you meditate on the Word of God! Please understand the importance as Peter explains to us exactly what is happening and why.

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