The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Peter 1:1-12, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our LORD;

3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

8 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.

9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

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.

12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”

In his final letter to believers of all ages, Simon Peter urges adherence to the spiritual and moral directive of our LORD Jesus Christ. In this way, every believer will become “a partaker of the divine nature” and escape the lust that endeavors to demean His teaching and destroy the effect of the righteousness He came to instill in us. Peter further avows that the acclamation of these qualities will enable believers to avoid stumbling and to be increasingly useful “in the true knowledge” that the LORD Himself demonstrates through His own life.

It does us well to consistently evaluate our standing with Him and with His teachings. In this manner, we not only “avoid stumbling,” but we encourage other believers to evaluate their lives as they communicate with Him. Further, it is Peter’s confident assurance that those who engage in serious evaluation will not stumble, thereby avoiding a hindrance to others.

Quite seriously, we all need to adhere to Simon Peter’s encouragement. We also need to encourage others by reminding them of the LORD’s directives. Of course, we should remember to do it gently; and above all, to demonstrate His Word through our own lives.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.”

–Corrie ten Boom