Spirit and Life Devotional is a daily publication by Pastor Chinaemerem Ibezim, senior pastor of Able Ministers Chapel, a church based in Calabar, Cross River State.
“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” – 2 Peter 1:10 NKJV
Let’s see three other translations of the subject verse:
Contemporary English Version: “My friends, you must do all you can to show God has really chosen and selected you. If you keep on doing this, you won’t stumble and fall.”
New Living Translation: “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”
Amplified Bible: “Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin].”
Isn’t it obvious that a lot of us are taking our salvation for granted? Peter says it requires hard work, but a lot of us are living carelessly and lazily. All some of us have is salvation; nothing else; we are nothing more than churchgoers. But we must grow; we must become stronger and we must take our relationship with God more seriously.
Peter said, “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen.
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