Living the Christian life takes effort

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 How merciful and gracious of God to offer eternal life as a free gift!  It’s wonderful that undeserving sinners can trust that Christ was completely righteous in their place and then turn to him in faith.

  But this free gift is not meant to simply be admired and appreciated.  God intends for us to live out what we say we believe.

  Let’s not be deceived into thinking that the Christian life is just letting go and letting God do his thing.  Those of us who know Christ as Lord and Savior have been granted "by his divine power all things that pertain to life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3) As “partakers of the divine nature” we have “escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:4)

  God has given us eternal life and it doesn’t start when we die.  It starts now.  And it's so important that we realize it will take effort...diligent effort to live it to the glory of God.

Notice the theme of diligent effort in 2 Peter…

1:5  “…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue…”
1:10 “…be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”
1:19 “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention…”
3:14 “…be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
3:17 “Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”
3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

  Perhaps we need to be stirred up (2 Peter 3:1) more than we may have realized!  There is much to learn about true righteousness, holiness, and godliness.  There are many who will lead us in the wrong direction and to our detriment (2 Peter talks about the lawless, the scoffers, and the ungodly).

  The question is what are we paying attention to?  What (or rather who?) are we living for? 

2 Peter 1:19 (ESV) says,
“And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place..."
It also says in 2:1, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…"

  It is clear that the Christian life involves effort, diligence, practice in living out godly qualities, paying attention to God’s word, taking care that we are not “carried away” by poor and false examples, and growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  That can only happen as we make spending time in God’s word our greatest priority.  

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