The Promise of Successful Christian Living

“I want to ride the bench,” said no athlete ever. No one joins a team with the hopes that they sit on the sidelines the entire season. Everyone wants to be out on the field, scoring points, defending their goal, and helping their team to victory.

The Apostle Paul often uses the analogy of sports to describe the Christian life when he says that we are to compete according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5), run in order to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24), and finish the race (2 Timothy 4:7). What Paul is communicating is that just as it takes self-discipline and dedication to be successful in sports, these same commitments are also necessary for success in the Christian life.

Just as every athlete wants to be in the game, every believer should desire to be engaged in the Christian life in a way that brings glory to God, advances the gospel, and strengthens the church. Thankfully, you and I have been given a promise in 2 Peter 1 on how we can do just that.

The Promises

After a brief introduction, Peter makes a bold statement: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises.” (1:3-4). This simple statement of fact tells us that Christians possess everything necessary to live a godly life because God has made great promises to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Peter then provides us with a great list of character qualities that are to be true of every Christian, things like virtue, self-control, godliness, and love. These qualities are to define the believer because they also describe the character of Christ, into whose image we are being transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18). Christ gave us the perfect example of what it looks like to live the kind of life that pleases the Lord.

After telling us that we have been given everything we need to live godly and then showing us what that godly life looks like, Peter then makes an astounding promise when he writes, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:8). He then lays on another layer to this promise when he says, “for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (1:10).

What an amazing combo of promises! Peter is saying that if we live this way, clinging to the great promises given to us in the gospel, and practicing these godly characteristics, we will always be in the game, we will always be successful, and we will never fall! That is outstanding!

The Reality

However, we need to remember that we are reading the Apostle Peter who knows a thing or two about falling. He experienced times of being ineffective and unfruitful in his walk with the Lord. It was Peter who rebuked Jesus (Matthew 16:21-23), denied Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75), and acted in a way that “was not in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:11-14).

Peter knows that even though we have been given promises, there are times when we don’t cling to them. If we are honest, we can look back at our own lives and see how we fell by denying Christ and did not act in accordance with the gospel by being ineffective and unfruitful because we didn’t practice these qualities. When this happens, Peter tells us that we have become nearsighted and blind because we have forgotten that we have been cleansed from former sins (2 Peter 1:9). But therein lies the hope that comes through the gospel!

The Hope

Again, remember that we are talking about the Apostle Peter, who also experienced the grace of God and the redeeming power of Christ. God revealed to Peter that Christ was the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), Peter was restored by Christ after his denial (John 21:15-19), and Peter was the first preacher of the gospel in the early church whom God used to save thousands (Acts 2:14-41).

Even though Peter tells us that when we sin, we have become nearsighted and blind, he says this comes because we have forgotten that we have been cleansed from former sins. What this means is that when we fall and find ourselves ineffective and unfruitful, it is because we have forgotten the gospel!

That negative statement is filled with overwhelming hope! Peter says that we have been cleansed of former sins which is a statement that clearly points us to the person and work of Jesus Christ; his life, death, burial, and resurrection. In his life, we have the perfect example to follow and the perfect sacrifice for our guilt. By his death, we have the forgiveness of all our sin and possess the imputed righteousness of Christ. Through his resurrection, he defeated the grave and granted to us eternal life.

This great reality gives us two tremendous reasons for hope. First, we have hope for eternity! We no longer need to fear death and hell, for we no longer deserve God’s eternal wrath but have become recipients of his steadfast love. God adopts us into his family and cares for us as his beloved children, and we will one day be welcomed into his heavenly home at the greatest family reunion ever!

Second, we have hope for today! Before Christ, we were defined by the fall, and we were ineffective and unfruitful because God viewed our actions as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But now, as followers of Christ, we can stand, we can be effective, we can be fruitful. We don’t have to sin! We can do what is right and pleasing to the Lord! And the more we look to Christ and walk with Christ, the more we will look like Christ as we practice self-control, godliness, and love! These are some very great and precious promises!

No player ever wants to sit on the bench, but wants to be in the game, helping their team. Likewise, every Christian ought to be engaged in living a life that is effective for the advancement of the gospel and the building up of the church. Thankfully, the Lord promises how we can be fruitful as we look to Christ and practice godliness. So, get in the game!