Make Every Effort

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. —2 Peter 3:14

At the beginning of 2 Peter 1, the apostle gives us the encouragement of everything God has done for us and the resources that He’s provided. But in verses 5–7, we find there are some things we need to do.

“For this very reason . . .” Because of all that God has done for us, we are to “make every effort to supplement faith” (v. 5). It’s not a half-hearted or a lackadaisical attempt. It takes intense effort.

We have God’s divine nature in us. We have His promises and His power. But that doesn’t mean we automatically become godly while we sit and do nothing. We must cooperate with God, to exert ourselves based on the power He has given us. It’s His power, His strength, His motivation, but we must work alongside that. We must be diligent to expend effort to live the Christian life—all in dependence on the divine life He has placed within us.