2 Peter 3:14 — Rinse and Repeat

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Summary: Today’s passage summarizes the point of Peter’s letter. From his greeting to his closing point about our precious faith, Peter outlines the Christian life in brilliant detail.

Peter is very close to the end of his letter. In today’s passage, we see the goal of his letter clearly stated. Maybe this is a good time to review what he has been teaching us. He wants those who believe to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with our Lord.

Looking back over his whole letter, Peter begins by addressing the issue of faith. His letter is written to people who already know about Jesus and have faith in him.

The second thing he brings to our attention is that God gives us “everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3). We have the tools we need. Peter is writing to remind us how to use them.

Third, he reminds us of our goal here on earth: To “participate in the divine nature.”

Wow. Think about that one for a moment. We are allowed to be a part of God’s nature, and by extension, his work here on earth. This may be hard to wrap our minds around, but it is truly amazing. After all, that humanity has done to alienate our Creator, he continues to reach out to us, offering us clemency instead of judgment. More than that, if we only will say “yes” to him, he pours his own Spirit into us to teach and guide us. On top of all of that, he actually allows us to “help” him in the work of redeeming his Creation.

I put the word “help” in quotes because I imagine our “help” is akin to a three-year-old trying to help his daddy work on the car. The three-year-old does not understand how things work, what the tools are for, or what is dangerous and what is not. Yet he wants to “help.” Our loving Father smiles, finds something for us to do, and dotes on us as we do our best.

Fourth, he reviews the basics of Christian life:

1. Add to your faith goodness.
2. To goodness, add knowledge.
3. To knowledge, add self-control.
4. To self-control, add perseverance.
5. To perseverance, add godliness.
6. To godliness, add mutual affection.
7. To mutual affection, add love.

What Peter has given us is a mini-master’s class of Christian living. At the end of the list, he adds these words; “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1: 8) This is the marketing equivalent of “RINSE AND REPEAT.” Yet, in this case, this is very good advice.

Peter’s fifth point is a reminder of the “prophetic message.” God’s Word is eternal. Peter knows this and we know it, too.

His sixth point is his diatribe against false teachers. We learned a great deal from Peter about these people. How to recognize them, what they believe, why they believe what they believe, and why we should avoid them.

Seventh is a short discussion about another enemy of the faith; scoffers. Peter points out that we need to be aware of them so that we are not intimidated by their words.

Finally, Peter reveals part of the “prophetic message” and gives us a rare peek into the final days of the universe as we know it.

All of these tools Peter has given us have a purpose. They are intended to help us become “spotless, blameless and at peace” with our Lord. They are meant to prepare us for our meeting with God. We cannot continue to live as we once did. We have been transformed through God’s divine power and the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Application: Use the tools, especially the seven steps to a greater participation in the divine nature. 

Food for Thought: How is today’s passage different from a “works” theology?