The theme of the Apostle Peter’s second inspired letter is that in order avoid the errors of false teaching and to avoid misunderstanding God’s promises, we must have a correct understanding of who Jesus is. But a correct understanding of Jesus is more than an intellectual knowledge of who He is. It is not enough to know about Jesus, we must know Him. Merely knowing about Jesus will cause us to live meaningless and unproductive lives. Knowing Jesus, on the other hand, will cause us to try to become like Him.
In chapter 1, verses 3 through 4 Peter wrote that our knowledge of Jesus will enable us to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires and to participate in the divine nature. In verses 5 through 11 he writes, “Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
In this passage Peter lists seven character qualities which the followers of Christ are to add to their lives. These qualities are moral excellence [or goodness], knowledge, self control, patience [or perseverance], godliness, brotherly, (the kind of affection that family members have for one another), and love, that is the kind of sacrificial and unconditional love that God has for us.
The first thing to note is that in order to add these qualities into our lives, there must already be something there to which to add them. Peter identifies this quality as faith. In other words, Peter assumes that the readers of his letter already possess faith. To put it plainly, if someone does not first believe in Jesus Christ, then it is pointless for him to try to follow Peter’s instruction. Attempting to do so is, in fact, an act of unbelief because that person is trying to earn his salvation by his own efforts instead of submitting to the authority of the Savior. Peter urges his readers “to make every effort” (NIV) to add these qualities to their lives. But we are to also rely on God’s power to accomplish this. In Galatians 5, verses 22 through 26 the Apostle Paul gives a list of the fruit of Spirit. It is interesting to note that three of the qualities he mentions are found in Peter’s list. These qualities will be found in our lives to the extent we allow God’s Holy Spirit to work in us to help us develop them.
Secondly, we should not try to view each of these character qualities in isolation. Instead we need to understand that each grows out of the one which precedes it. Moral excellence cannot be obtained without faith. Knowledge results from moral excellence. Knowledge makes it easier to be self-controlled. We cannot have patience without self-control, and so on.
A third thing to note is that it is not enough to merely have a little bit of each of these qualities. Peter says that they must not only be present in our lives, but be in increasing measure. We can think of this process as climbing a spiral staircase. The first stair-step is faith which allows us to progress to moral excellence. We climb step by step until we arrive at love. But when we arrive at love we find that just, as climbing a staircase raises us above the ground, adding these character qualities to our lives has increased our faith and puts us in position to ascend to an even higher level.
What are the results of adding these character qualities to our faith? Peter writes that it will keep us from being idle or unfruitful [NIV, “ineffective and unproductive”] in our knowledge of Christ. Peter does not tell us what he means by this. Since he takes most of the rest of his letter to warn about false teachers however, it seems that what he is saying is that if we have these character qualities in our lives in increasing measure it will enable us to recognize and reject false teaching. In chapter 3, verse 17 he writes “…lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall…” A true knowledge of Jesus will protect us from error.
Another result of adding these character qualities to our faith is that it will “make our calling and election sure.” (verse 10) We are chosen by answering Christ’s call. Peter says that if we secure our calling by making continual spiritual progress we will never fall. If we ever become complacent and do not continue to grow in our knowledge of Christ, then we place ourselves in danger. There is no standing still. We are either progressing in our faith, or we are slipping. Another result from adding these qualities to our faith is that we “will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom.” (verse 11 NIV) We all wish to enjoy the glories of heaven. If we want God to welcome us then we will do what Peter instructs.
There are also consequences for not adding these character qualities to our lives. Peter says that if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind. This means that he cannot see the consequences of his sin and disobedience. In chapter 3 Peter points out that because God’s judgment on sinners does not always come immediately, that many refuse to believe that there will be a judgment at all. But the blindness of those who do not progress in their faith extends not only to the future, but to the past as well. Peter writes that such a person has “forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.” (verse 9) He has forgotten the very reason for Jesus’ coming into the world. In view of this there is an important test that we should apply to spiritual teachers. Do their lives show increasing measures of the character qualities that Peter says are essential for spiritual growth? If not, then they are blind even though they claim to have insight.