Everything We Need
Without salvation, works are pointless. A person can try in every way to “live up to” some standard of righteousness, but if they can perfectly attain success at it than you can be sure that standard is not perfect. There is one perfect standard and it is the righteousness of God. There is exactly one man who ever attained that standard and that is Jesus.
Despite alone being the one who did not deserve the wages of sin, he suffered death so that those who had failed to attain the righteousness of God could be saved. For many, this is the end of the value of righteousness. Jesus provided all the righteousness and we attain it by faith. Having gained righteousness through Christ, many reason there is no value in virtue. In fact, for many, “morality” is seen as a dirty word.
However, God revealed through Peter a more accurate perspective regarding this righteousness gained by faith.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:3-4
Being partakers in the divine nature through faith in Christ, we have escaped the corruption of this world! Therefore, we have been freed to pursue godliness through knowledge of Christ. We have been called to participate in the very glory and excellence of our savior!
Every Effort
Far from salvation being the end of a Christian’s walk, it is only the beginning. Rather than treating all effort to live righteously as vainglorious, we ought to understand it as a proper activity of those who have become the righteousness of God through our Lord! We ought to make every effort to live rightly.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
2 Peter 1:5-7
Many want to see more brotherly affection but that is the end result of this pursuit of godliness. “Niceness” can be achieved with little effort and a bit of flattery, and unfortunately the world readily accepts this counterfeit.
However, true brotherly affection takes a deep care for the needs of others. To succeed in loving others, one must have patience, humility, self-control, and nearly every other virtue! It takes wisdom, because just telling others what they want to hear or giving them what they want to have is not love. Love is looking to the best interests of others, even and perhaps especially when they are not pursuing what is best for themselves. Some people will even hate one who actually loves them, because they do not desire the good for themselves.
Being Effective
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
2 Peter 1:8-9
How often have you heard that the pursuit of righteousness is fine but only when it doesn’t impede our “true mission”? This is exactly the wrong perspective! Those who are seeking greater virtue are preparing themselves to be the most effective and fruitful in good works. To try to rush past character building to the “real work” is to be so nearsighted that you cannot see the point at all, which is freedom from sins.
Show Faith by Works
The outworking of righteousness of God in our lives is the very thing that can give us confidence that we are in Christ to begin with.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:10-11
It is by practicing the qualities of Christ that we gain certainty that we are resting in him. Far from being works that save, they are the works of one who has already been saved. As recorded by James.
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James 2:17-18
The evidence of our faith is in living out the nature of God in our lives. Having been freed from our sins, we are free to live as Children of God. No longer slaves to the desires of our flesh, we are able to live for higher ordered desires to serve God faithfully.
Many are out there trying to sell you on a cheap grace that may save you from a pricked conscience but cannot save you from your bondage to sin. Seek those who have the true gospel of Jesus Christ, which proclaims freedom from sin to live for God instead!
