Recently a dear sister in Lord Yeshua was called Home. I had not expected this at the time, but in hindsight there were indications that the Spirit of God had been preparing me. What I expected to be a hospital visit turned into an unexpected ‘see you there, by God’s grace’ as I looked upon the body in which she had lived in. As I pondered on this the morning after, though tearful, I was nevertheless so encouraged in faith in knowing, according to the word of promise of God and her strong faith in Lord Yeshua until the end, she was with the Lord. Her faith had been turned to sight. The Lord encouraged me in that moment of sadness to seek all the more to serve Him, to know the will of God and do it. To, “make [my] call and election sure’ (2 Peter 1:10). As I pondered on this, I turned to the passage it comes from, to the precious truth, so comforting, assuring in its clear instructions and certain hope. 2 Peter 1:2-11 says this:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
But also for this very reason, 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. For he who lacks these things is short sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As they often do when I read this passage, the words “these things” jumped out for me, pointing to the things that matter now and will matter on the day of the Lord’s calling or His coming again for His Church ,as e.g. John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 teach us.
Some time ago, another sister in the Lord pointed out there are two types of entrances for Spirit born believers in Messiah Yeshua: the one mentioned in the above passage and that mentioned at 1 Corinthians 3:15 (note vs 10-15). I know which one I want, the grace of God in Messiah Yeshua helping me through the power of His Spirit, and I’m sure you do too! Let’s keep in mind the things which matter.
Until He calls or comes, Shalom and God bless you.
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