Peril of not Adding

Peril of not Adding

2 Pet. 1:9

            I have previously written on Peter's admonition to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.  Verse nine takes us into a new phase of this admonition.  We are reminded of the peril, if we fail to add those things to our faith.

            First, there is blindness.  The word means smoked up.  It is like when the wick is turned too high in an oil lamp, it will smoke up the globe, and the light cannot shine through.  Peter said if we do not add those things we are blind or smoked up.  He adds that we cannot see afar off.  In other words we live for the immediate presence.

            Second, he says the one not adding those things has forgotten what his salvation is all about.  His salvation has become like an old shoe.  To such a one our Lord's sacrifice has lost its value.  He has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.  This in turn reverses his affections, and he no longer sets his affections on things above as we are told in Col. 3:2.

            Third, perseverance is required as in verse 10.  We are to give diligence to make our calling and election sure.  Now we must know we can not bring about our election and calling.  Neither can we keep ourselves saved.  The admonition is that we make sure that we have been among that number.  We are to work at adding the graces of verses 5-7.  The believer is expected to grow in grace.  That is not into grace but in grace into which we have been called.  See Heb. 6:9-12.  We are even to aspire to an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord according to verse 11.