Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11

I could imagine if the Apostle Peter spoke these words today, he would have alot of “hyper-grace” folks calling him a legalist or a heretic, but the Apostle Peter is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so Christians should listen to the Apostles teachings and understand how to apply this to our Christian walk. 

The Apostle Peter starts out by addressing the audience “brethren or brothers and sisters” meaning this teaching is for the Church, so if you are a Christian you should pay attention to what Peter is conveying here. Peter goes on to say “Give diligence or every effort, to make sure your calling and election is sure or confirmed” The sad reality is there are many people who are calling themselves Christians that have never been saved. Peter is challenging us to evaluate whether we have been truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit or not

This teaching may shock some people , some it may even anger, but its better to be angry with the Apostle or preacher, than to one day stand before The Lord and him state “Depart from me I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23) The scariest words in the Bible, as Jesus goes on to teach, there are many people who are doing works in the name of Jesus, they claim to be followers of Jesus, but Christ has no idea who they even are, how is this possible? 

Because as Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you will not enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3) Unless you are Born Again, unless you are baptized and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you can’t be a child of God. You can’t remain dead in your sins and be alive in Christ (Ephesians 2) its one of the other, doing religious works for Christ won’t save you, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves, its only by faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone that you can be saved

When you are Born Again, as Peter states “entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into an everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” The Lord is the only way to salvation, to eternal life, to Gods Kingdom. Are you producing fruits that are evidence of your conversion? (Matthew 7, Galatians 5) As Jesus said “A good tree will bear good fruit, and a bad tree will produce bad fruit” (Matthew 7) So what does your Christian walk look like? 

My question or challenge for you today, is do you remember the day of your salvation? Do you remember when Christ saved you? If you don’t remember when Christ saved you, are you sure you are really saved? If you feel drawn by the Father, if you feel convicted by the Holy Spirit, then call upon The Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9

So now that you have become saved, now that you have been convicted of your sin, you repented and put your faith in Jesus Christ, you now have become Born Again and baptized with the Holy Spirit, so now what? What do you do after you become a new creation in Christ? Well it’s a process of sanctification, the Holy Spirit living inside of you, and working in you, growing and transforming you

The Apostle Peter here describes the Christian walk, “Giving all diligence or reason, add to your faith virtue or patience , knowledge, godliness,kindness, and love” Notice Peter says you “add to your faith” in the Christian walk. You don’t just remain stagnant or the same as a Christian, you’re continually growing in Christ with the Holy Spirit living inside of you. As Peter says “make every effort”, the question is are you making any effort to grow in The Lord? Are you actually growing in Christ or are you at the same spot when you first became saved?

You might say, I don’t want to do any of these things, I want to be a lazy Christian and wait for the rapture to come. Notice what Peter says “If these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” If you want to be fruitful for Christ, if you want God to use you to do amazing things, then you can’t be a lazy Christian and seek Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul. If you make no effort seeking The Lord by studying the scriptures, praying without ceasing, fellowshipping and serving the Church, then God has no use for you, because you are a wicked lazy servant 

It comes down to the root of the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37) Do you actually do this? Do you really love Jesus with everything you are? If you do, then why doesn’t your life reflect this? If your life does reflect this, then you will see the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, the fruit being produced through you because of Christ

As Jesus said “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well” (Matthew 6:33) If you want to know what God’s will is for your life, Seek Christ, Seek The Kingdom, be led and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, Amen!

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4

As the Apostle Peter begins his second epistle, often times we like to skip over the introduction and get right into the heart of the text, however in these salutations there is alot of wisdom and revelation that is shared by the Holy Spirit that if we skim over it, we will miss it. First notice Peter , even though he is an Apostle of Christ, identifies himself as a servant of Christ also. We must all have this servant mentality to be a true disciple of Christ. As Jesus said “Whoever humbles themselves like a little child, is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:4)

Then the Apostle Peter addresses the Christian community “To them that have obtained precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ” I don’t know if people realize how precious the gift of our salvation given by God is? When you truly understand how precious your faith in Christ is, this is evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians who continually pursue the pleasures of this world, and when a trial or tribulation comes, they fall away, this is evidence they never understood the severity of their salvation. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast

( Ephesians 2:8-9)

Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord! We can obtain the peace of God when we have the knowledge of God through Christ our Lord and the Holy Spirit. When a Christian understands the salvation of their soul is secure this will bring them peace through any storm. As the Lord Jesus said “Don’t fear those who can kill the body, Fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in Hell” (Matthew 10:30) When you understand the depravity and severe condition of your soul, the gift of grace from God should bring you eternal peace

Peter goes on to say “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature” Think about that, as a Christian you are a partake of God’s divine nature, meaning the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, God is living inside of You! As the Apostle Paul said “The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead, is living inside of You” (Romans 8:11) You are not weak and defeated, you have the power of the living God living inside of You! Have the peace of God knowing you are His child, chosen and victorious, and will live forever in Jesus name Amen!

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11

Satan has one agenda and that’s to destroy as many souls as possible, including yours! The Apostle Peter states “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walks about, seeking whom he may devour” Satan and his demons are roaming the Earth right now looking for people to devour. This is why most ideas and agendas from this world are destructive for your soul, because they are from Satan, as he is called the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Notice Peters first advice for us all “Be sober minded” we live in a world that celebrates intoxication. Alcohol abuse has become normalized, recently marijuana has become legalized, the majority of the world is under the intoxication of some drug or narcotic. This has made many in this world an easy target for Satan. Nobody ever makes good decisions intoxicated, and Satan is just counting on that. You will never hear the voice of God when your drug or high, you need to be sober minded, you need to be diligent and alert to the Holy Spirit. Sadly the world has fallen under the intoxication of the evil one, its like shooting fish in a barrel

As the Apostle Peter states “Resist Him” “Stand in the faith” Many people don’t want to resist the devil, he offers them some temporary pleasure and they rather gratify their flesh for a moment then save their souls for an eternity. As Jesus said “What does it profit you to gain the whole world and to lose your soul” (Mark 8:36) This doesn’t just mean money, this also means power and pleasures of this world that will damn your soul. None of those things will benefit you while you spend an eternity in Hell. Resist the devil and He will flee from you (James 4:7)

But you might say well I’m suffering here, this world is not fair, read the words of the Apostle Peter “after you have suffered a little while, make you perfect, establish, and strengthen you” Any suffering you experience in this world will be temporary, remember that. We must have an eternal perspective , don’t fall into the traps of Satan who is looking to devour you like a roaring lion. Stand strong in the faith, because by the grace of God, you have been called into eternal glory by our Lord Jesus Christ

To God be the glory , the power, the dominion , the honor, through our Lord Jesus Christ, forever and ever, Amen!

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1 Peter 5:1-4

As many of you know, I currently have the privilege of being a “Pastor” for a local Church in my area, I believe I was called by God to fulfill this calling and I take this with full seriousness and responsibility. The word “Pastor” actually derives from Latin meaning “Shepherd” So when your calling someone a Pastor , you are calling them a Shepherd of a Church, which is totally Biblical. As mentioned in my previous commentaries, God has designed order and structure to the Body of Christ, when we gather as Christians there is an order to the service

Peter begins this message with who his intended audience is, “The elders which are among You” these are the spiritual leaders of your Church community. So these instructions Peter is about to give under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is not just limited to your Pastor or Pastors for larger congregations. These instructions are instructed for everyone in your Church Body that is taking on a roll of leadership in some form. Which as mature Christians , we should all be stepping up as “elders” in some form, whether leading a Sunday School class, or Youth group, ect. 

As a leader in your Church community, this is a great calling and responsibility. View yourself as a Spiritual Shepherd. What duties does a Shepherd perform? They protect the flock from wolves, they feed the flock, they oversee the flock, and they guide and gather the flock. This is a very high calling by God, as with a Shepherd, you may have to lay down your physical life for the flock, this is the love you should have for your Church. A strong Church usually has strong elders, because they are overseeing the flock from danger or heresies.

I find verse 2 very interesting because alot of English translations say “Shepherd the flock of God” while others say “Feed the flock of God” The original Greek word there is “poimanate” which means many things Shepherd, Feed, Tend, rule, govern, if you want to know what the duties of a Pastor are, just look at this one Greek word and it will give you the details. The Pastor and the Elders are the Spiritual Shepherds of the Church. This is essential for any healthy Church. When a Church has no Pastor or mature elder group, they typically fall away because there is no one leading the flock

Peter makes a great point next “neither being lords over Gods heritage” Don’t abuse your position of authority as a Pastor or elder. There are some people who can’t handle any power or authority, once its given to them, they try to be a dictator and rule over the people. This is not your calling, a Shepherd is not to persecute its flock, the Shepherd is to guide and nurture the flock. This is another place where Church communities go wrong, a Pastor who wants to lord over their people, will end up scattering the flock

Finally I just want to end with a reminder from Peter “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear” remember we are all under the authority and subjection to the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ. There is a chain of command, and you are not on the top, in order to be true Spiritual Shepherds for the Church, we need to be in total obedience and submission to the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ, ,Amen!

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4: 15-19

Are you ashamed of your Lord Jesus Christ? Millions , perhaps Billions of people identify their religion as Christian, but how many of them could you actually know are a Christian if they didn’t tell you? Have any of these people ever shared the gospel with you, or have you shared the gospel with any stranger lately? We claim to be unashamed of Jesus, however when it comes to talk about Jesus, we don’t. We are too afraid we might offend someone or lose a “friend”. This is being ashamed of your Lord and Savior

Jesus said “Anyone who is ashamed of me before others, I will be ashamed of you before my Father” (Luke 9:26, Matthew 10:33, Mark 8:38,Luke 12:9) Think about it, Jesus Christ died for you, not only did He suffered a horrendous death, but he was humiliated and persecuted in public for You, can you not suffer some humiliation or persecution for Christ?  You refuse to share the gospel with others because your afraid they might make fun of you, do you understand what your Lord suffered for you? Do you understand your importance of work as a disciple of Christ? 

The Apostle Peter says “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf” When you are mocked or persecuted for sharing Jesus Christ, you are bringing glory to God! Most Christians are too busy evaluating what is the cost for themselves if they do this or that, but as Jesus said “Anyone wants to be my disciple they must deny themselves, carry their cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24) If you are more worried if people are going to mock or laugh at you, you already failed as a disciple of Christ. 

The Apostle Peter goes on to say “For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it begins first with us, what shall the end be for them that do not obey the gospel of God” Some might say I’m being too harsh with my words, but even the Church will be judged on whether they are truly Born Again or not. And if God is going to judge even the Church, then how much worse will it be for those who rejected Christ? This is why its critical for us to fulfill the Great Commision (Matthew 28:19) and share the gospel with everyone!

So if your not ashamed of Jesus Christ, what are you doing to bring him glory? Have you told anyone today about the good news of Jesus Christ and what he’s done for us? Don’t be ashamed of the One who was never ashamed of You! Amen!

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

As a Christian, you have received a higher calling by your Lord. This calling does not just include the salvation of your soul, but it includes the service of your soul. You were bought with a price, everything you do should be to glorify God. Many people just want the blessings from God but they don’t want to serve God. There is no separation between the two, if you are Born Again, you have been reborn as a Child of God, and the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, there is no lukewarm Christian

The Apostle Peter begins with “if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles or divine responses of God” Your words are powerful and have great influence on the world, are you speaking the oracles of God or are you speaking nonsense of this world? If you have been called in Christ, you need to preach the teachings of Christ. How will they know unless they hear a preacher? (Romans 10:14) Can we bless God and curse others with the same mouth? Does salt water and fresh water flow from the same (James 3:11) Preach the word of God as you were called to do!

Next Peter states “If any man ministers or serves, let him do it as the ability which God giveth” We are all called to serve and minister in some form, not everyone’s calling will look the same, but whatever our calling is we should fulfill it to our best ability. Noah was called a preacher of righteousness and only saved the 8 souls of his family on the Ark, by today’s standards many would have called Noah a failure as a preacher. However Noah fulfilled his calling God had placed before him. Today’s Christianity is all about stats and charts to determine a successful Church or ministry, this is not the will of God, we should finish the race that was set before us!

Another thing to consider is I don’t want you to downplay your ministry or calling. God needs people everywhere in everyplace , even in the dark places. Whatever you do for a living, do it for the glory of God, whatever you spend your time and days, do it for the glory of God. We can serve The Lord in any place or circumstance, everyone needs to hear the gospel (Matthew 28:19) Everyone needs to witness the love and power of Jesus Christ, this is accomplished by the hands and feet of Christ, you the Church! Wherever you are , there is the Church, go and serve The Lord!

Finally brothers and sisters, I’ll end with the words of the Apostle Peter inspired by the Holy Spirit “that God in ALL things be glorified through Jesus Christ , to whom be praise and dominion, forever and ever, Amen” In ALL things , whatever you are doing, give Glory to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and be led and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, Amen!

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:7-10

Live your life like Christ could return today! This is the mindset we should have as Christians, nobody knows the day or hour of Christ’s return (Matthew 24:36) If you knew that Christ would return today, you probably would make changes in your life. You probably would not be wasting so much time making money or go to that bar to drunk, because time is essential. When The Lord returns you don’t want to have your lamps empty, you want your lamps full and ready for service, you don’t want the door shut on you when Jesus comes (Matthew 25)

One of the obvious signs we are living in the end times is division and hatred in the body of Christ today. None of this is Biblical, in fact the Apostle Peter says “Above all things have fervent love among yourselves, for love shall cover the multitude of sins” Christ never commanded the Church to divide into many denominations and argue about the timing of the Rapture. We are to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. How can you hate your brother or sister and believe the Holy Spirit is living inside of you? Jesus died on the cross for your sins, because He loves you and those who you hate! (Romans 5:8)

The Church was designed by God so we can be a family of God. Many people have just used the Church as an organization or maybe a career, but we are a spiritual family, a community of believers set apart by Jesus Christ. How can you be part of this community, when you hate the community? As Peter goes on to say “Use hospitality one to another without grudging” As Jesus taught us a Kingdom divided will not stand” (Matthew 12:25) Is there any surprise why your community has little effect on the world? If your divided you will not stand, you need to submit to Christ and be obedient to his calling

The Church community is to take care of one another without even thinking twice. There should never be a brother or sister in Christ in need, if so the body has failed. To love one another is more than just words, its actions. Take care of one another, support one another, bear each other’s burdens. This is the life of the Church, we don’t just sit in the pews for one day and go home, we are a family, we love and care for one another, if you don’t understand this, you don’t understand the Church. 

I will end with more words from the Apostle Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” Be good stewards to one another in the Church, if your children were in need , you wouldn’t hesitate to give them what they need, the same should be for your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a family of God, to love one another because Christ has loved us first! Amen!

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Peter 4:5-6

If you died today, would you be ready to stand before The Lord Jesus Christ? This should be one of the most important questions of your life, Am I ready? Unfortunately most people go about their daily lives, distracted by whatever keeps them distracted, and never gives any consideration for their souls. 

The Apostle Peter tells us “Who shall give account to Him (Jesus Christ) that is ready to judge the quick and the dead” As the Bible says “Its appointed everyone once to die and then to judgment” (Hebrews 9:27) One day everyone will stand face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, every knee will bow (Philippians 2) its so important for people to understand this, rejecting Christ as Lord is not an option, you will stand before him and bow before him one day!

As Peter says here you will also give an account for your life, you words and actions we will all have to give an account for. This should be terrifying for everyone! To stand before a Holy God and explain your sinful thoughts and behavior, what will be your excuse? This is why Jesus said “Unless you are Born Again, you will not see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) You can’t enter God’s Kingdom in your current state, you must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, as Christ is ready to judge the living and the dead

The question is always raised by non-believers “How can God judge those who don’t know any better or never heard the gospel” Well as we know God is sovereign over all , things, you may assume someone has never heard the gospel however God will reveal the gospel to everyone! As the Apostle Peter says “the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to the flesh” What’s Peter referring to? Is Peter referring to just the fallen angels or is Peter referring to all who are spiritually dead? Either way, God is sovereign and the gospel will be reached everyone before they are judged

This also emphasizes your importance as the Church to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) Any opportunity we have to share the gospel should be taken, as people’s souls are at stake! If you truly love people, then you must prepare them, everyone will stand before The Lord Jesus Christ and be judged!  Are You Ready?