Have You Stalled?
Scott K. Miller, Associate pastor
Victory Baptist Temple, Piedmont MO
September 26, 2024
2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith...;
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his second epistle, he was greatly concerned about the spiritual welfare of those to whom he was writing. Much like our own day, there was the grave danger of believers being led away with the error of the wicked, instead of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Moral depravity being the rule of the day, Peter’s exhortation was toward spiritual growth instead of spiritual laxness.
God has given to each believer everything he needs to excel in godliness and spiritual excellence. However, it is his part to exert himself (give all diligence) to add to what he has been given.
Perhaps a farming illustration may help our understanding of how this applies. Let’s say that you are given thousands of acres of land with all the equipment necessary to make it a productive farm. With all the necessary provisions, the land will not produce anything unless you take the necessary steps to “work” it.
The Lord has given each believer “exceeding great and precious promises” that he may escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust.” However, very few take the necessary steps to “work the farm” in order to produce a Christ-honoring life. This is the reason Peter says, “Add to your faith.”
Too many Christians are stalled spiritually. Peter calls it being barren. A stalled automobile is ineffective—it’s simply not useful. It has to be pushed or pulled to a garage for repairs.
Tragically, most of today’s preaching is focused on pushing or pulling believers due to the fact that they have stalled and are not useful in God’s service. They are not, “shew[ing] forth the praises of Him who hath called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
When a believer becomes stalled in his advance in Christ-likeness, he becomes worldly in his lifestyle, rather than holy, like the place he is going.
Friend, it’s time for an examination. If you’re not “working the farm” you’ve stalled. It’s time to start giving all diligence to add to your faith. Your eternal grand entrance into heaven, or loss thereof, is dependent upon it (See 2 Peter 1:11).
Consider: Any effort put into spiritual advancement in being like Jesus will pay great dividends when one enters heaven.
