2 Peter 1:5-7

When Peter wrote his letter, many of the people who received it were illiterate. So it was quite usual for instruction to be offered in the form of lists that could be easily remembered. The list that Peter provided here shows how determined

he was to encourage his readers to grow in their Christian faith. He knew that growth wasn’t automatic; without our full cooperation and effort it just won’t happen.

Growth as a Christian has to start with faith. Nothing will happen unless we commit ourselves to God and trust ourselves to him. The next steps on the journey don’t need to be taken in any particular order but they are all a vital part of spiritual growth. The Greek word that is translated as moral excellence is used in other settings to speak about land that is fertile, or a knife that cuts well. That is to say, God wants us to be the best that we can be. That will only happen as we grow in knowledge of God, ourselves and the world, and it will depend upon us being more self-controlled, patient and godly. The outcome will never just be good for us but it will strengthen our loving relationship with other Christians and everyone else around us.

We don’t get anywhere in this life without hard work. No musician, entrepreneur, artist, writer or sportsperson has ever achieved great things without putting in hard work. But the difference with the Christian life is that effort alone is not enough. We have the enormous advantage of knowing that, every step of the way, we are working in partnership with our great God.

Question

Which of Peter’s instructions is particularly important to you at the moment and why?

Prayer

Lord God, thank you that you love me so much that you want me to become stronger and more fruitful in my Christian life. Amen