By Rev. Lilian Karinga, All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, Kenya

Confirming Your Calling and Election – 2 Peter 1:10-11

In the first chapter of Peter’s second epistle, he instructs believers at least three times to make every effort. We can tell from his years as a disciple and an apostle, Peter knew that the life of a believer requires effort. This is despite the fact that he opened each letter with a prayer for God’s grace in abundance upon the believers. It has sometimes been thought that God’s grace is a replacement for willing and diligent effort on the part of the believer. Yet Paul, who would be wrongly quoted in this matter, puts grace in perspective when he tells Titus that “… the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions…” (Titus 2:11-12). Peter must have had a correct view of the grace that enables us to do what would be humanly difficult if not impossible including making every effort to do what God expects of us.