2 Peter 1:10-15 – 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. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Right now, the temperature where we live in the Arizona desert is well over 110 degrees. To state the obvious, we are not chopping wood and making fires to sit by right now. When the winter comes, however, that will change. On crisp evenings, one of our favorite things to do as a family is to sit under the stars around our outdoor fireplace. Since he was little, our youngest son has been the keeper of the fire. He likes starting and stoking fires. One of the first lessons he learned as a boy was that fire burns hot as long as the logs are together. As soon as the logs are scattered, they smolder until they cool down and their flame goes out. Christians are a lot like logs. Church is a lot like a fireplace. This is why Peter writes a letter to churches and seeks to fan their flame of faith “to stir…up by way of reminder”.
When we hear a sermon, sing a song, and hear a testimony along with other believers, we are reminded of who Jesus is, who we are, and encouraged to continue forward on our faith walk.
Peter knows that you cannot lose your salvation because it is by God’s “calling” and “election” and therefore secure. Peter also knows that while you cannot lose your salvation, you can lose confidence in your salvation. As soon as a Christian stops growing, they can easily start doubting. For this reason, when we gather with God’s people and stir one another up, we “confirm” our salvation and commit to “practice these qualities” of Christian faith trusting that our God will “never fail”.
Have you ever had a season where you were scattered from church and saw your passion for God start to smolder? Who do you know that is in that season and would benefit from you coming to stir them up again?
To download the free e-book Power Under Pressure which is a study in 2 Peter for individuals, groups, and families from Pastor Mark click HERE. To listen to Pastor Mark’s 4 sermons on 2 Peter preached in the summer of 2020, visit realfaith.com. These and other resources are made possible by our ministry partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries to whom we say THANK YOU!