An eGFR for the soul: evaluating the vital markers of a Christian life that is actually moving forward.

Our text in this study is: 2 Peter 1:5-9

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Whether you diligently track your steps, watch your cholesterol, or panic when the doctor mentions your eGFR, we all understand the importance of monitoring our physical health. But what about our spiritual vitals? In this video, titled “2 Peter 1:5-9 – Good Faith Effort,” we treat the Apostle Peter’s words as a blood test for the soul, looking for the markers that indicate a thriving Christian life.

Peter urges believers to “make every effort to supplement your faith.” In our verse-by-verse Bible study, we unpack the fascinating Greek root of this word “supplement,” which gives us our English concepts of chorus and choreography. The picture is not one of us trying to “dead-lift” godliness in our own power. Instead, God is the Director who has lavishly paid all the expenses and provided the script. Our role is to get out on the stage and join the divine production. It is like receiving a car as a gift; you do not pay for it, but you are expected to drive it.

We explore the specific virtues Peter lists: goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. We clarify that this is not a sequential 12-step program where you master one level before unlocking the next. Rather, these are the simultaneous ingredients of a healthy believer. We discuss what it looks like to exercise self-control in our spending and driving habits, and how true knowledge involves discerning God’s will in our specific circumstances.

The passage also comes with a stark warning. A Christian can be saved yet still be “useless and unfruitful.” We examine the tragedy of spiritual amnesia—forgetting that we have been cleansed from our old sins—and how this leads to spiritual blindness. If you want to avoid stalling out in your walk with Jesus, this message is a call to active participation in your sanctification.

If you are looking for clear, expository teaching from a Calvary Chapel perspective, this video will help you assess your growth. Join us as we learn to cultivate the gifts God has given us and ensure that our faith is neither barren nor unfruitful.