EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/24/2025 10:05 PM
My Worship Time Focus: “The Benefits Promised”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Peter 1:10-11
Message of the verses: “10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Peter is urging believers to select the positive option already stated in verse eight which says “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Reiterating verse 5 (“applying all diligence”, the apostle commands believers to be all the more diligent spiritually, so as to know, and the Greek word for know is (spoudasate) is the verb form of the noun spoude (“diligence”) used in verse five and again conveys urgency and eagerness. (5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,) (v.5). To emphasize the right believers have to enjoy assurance, the apostle speaks not of their faith, but God’s sovereign choice. MacArthur writes “Believers are able to make certain—in Hebrews 9:17 the word for certain [bebaios] is used in the sense of a legal validity or confirmation—God’s calling and choosing of them. To make (poiesthai) is reflexive, indicating believers are to assure themselves. Calling and choosing are inseparable realities indicating God’s effectual call of believers to salvation (Rom. 11:29; 2 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 1:9; cf. Matt. 4:17; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30) based on His sovereign election of them in eternity past (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4, 11; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 2:9). Peter’s concern is that believers have confidence and assurance that they are included in the elect.”
“As long as Christians practice these things—increasingly pursue the moral virtues essential to holy living—they give evidence to themselves and enjoy assurance that God has granted them eternal life (cf. Heb. 6:11).” “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, (Heb. 6:11). Practice refers to the pattern of daily conduct (cf. Rom. 12:9-13; Gal. 5:22-25; Eph. 5:15; Col. 3:12-17). If it is in keeping with the moral virtues Peter described, believers will never stumble into doubt, despair, or fear, which allows them to confidently enjoy an abundant and productive spiritual life (cf. Ps. 16:11; John 10:10; Eph. 1:18; 2:7; 1 Tim. 6:17).
“In this way, again referring to the constant pursuit of holiness, the blessings of assurance and perseverance come to believers. As a result, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to them. Assurance of one’s having entered into the eternal kingdom is the experience of the Christian who practices what Peter has listed. That was great encouragement to the apostle’s weary readers. No believer needs to live with doubt regarding salvation, but he may have assurance abundantly supplied in the present. A rich heavenly reward in the future may also be implied (cf. 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 4:9; 12:28; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 22:12).
“The Lord will reward His children based on their faithful pursuit of righteousness (see again 1 Cor. 3:11-14; 2 Cor. 5:10). Assurance in this life and riches in heaven are the benefits of spiritual diligence and fruitfulness.”
I have mentioned in past Spiritual Diaries that this part of 2 Peter has been very hard for me to understand, and so with that thought I will once again go back to Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s commentary to go over these verses to help me to best understand them. I certainly trust both John MacArthur and Warren Wiersbe as I have learned much from them.
10/24/2025 9:09 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment