I love whenever we are told to “work hard,” it is so important for us to understand everything that God has done so we can be an example for everyone. Open God’s word and study it, asking God to reveal everything you need to live an unselfish life full of love.
In verse 11 Peter says, “Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
There is so much to gain by truly putting God first and surrendering your life for living the life Christ did. In the book “The Beautiful Fight” by Gary Thomas he says, “If we don’t stress experience as well as reason people will never encounter the reality of our faith, because they simply cannot read our minds.” Are we learning all we can so we can just live it? The world is going to happen and if we aren’t filling ourselves with God’s word we will be filled by the evil desires of this world. Greed, sex, drunkenness, and jealousy, all things that we feel make living fun.
As Peter states in chapter 2 verse 18, “They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.”
Don’t be lazy and think you will be able to slide by not working because you said you accepted Christ. These false teachings can be dangerous.
Verses 19-21 says, “They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a Holy Life.”
Satan will work hard to get you back, are you willing to work even harder to stand firm and do all God requires. Remember we have died to our old self and live transformed by Christ. Amen