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The Seven Qualities of a True Christian - 2 Peter 1:9-10


2 Peter 1:9-10
9For he who lacks these qualities (moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love) is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
I included the qualities from verses 5-7 to remind you of the most important qualities that a Christian can strive to make a part of their lives.

  • Moral excellence - Striving to live a life free from sin.
  • Knowledge - Placing a priority on reading and studying the Scriptures.
  • Self-control - Disciplining yourself to say "No" to temping desires,
  • even when no one is looking.
  • Perseverance - A determination to stay true to your faith, no matter what the circumstances.
  • Godliness -  A desire to learn what God is like and adopt those characteristics into your own life.
  • Brotherly kindness - Seeking to show care, concern, and compassion for others.
  • Love - Acts of humble service and self-sacrifice that expect nothing in return.
         
In verse 9, Peter explains that if you read this list of qualities, and find that they don't describe you, then you have forgotten that you have been "saved" from a life that doesn't look like this. A round-a-bout way of saying that these are the qualities of a true Christian. Verse 10 states a command that might seem a bit odd at first.
10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you
The apostle Peter understood the doctrine of predestination, but at first glance, it might seem a little strange that if God chose you to be "saved", then you wouldn't need to do anything to help make that divinely ordained 'choice' certain. I took a closer look at the word for "make certain", and found that the word used here in the original Greek can also mean to, "make firm" or in a modern vernacular, "to seal in your own mind". So the diligence is to practice these qualities so as to reinforce your "salvation" in your own mind, therefore strengthening your faith and helping you not to stumble in your walk.
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Comments

  1. punchin kikimamapieDecember 27, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    yes my name is crystal i understand but i don't really understand because yes this may be the truth but how can you be for sure that he means that. Anyways if its the truth may god continue to bless you if not u answer to god but god also forgive me fro if i have wronged you and hope u accept my apology.

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  2. Chris R. QuinlanDecember 28, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Without knowing what specifically you are talking about here I can't answer your question with any precision. I will answer generally. As to the issue of whether I know for sure what Peter (or God) "means", I do not. I take great care when handling scripture and my writings represent almost 15 years of biblical studies, under various teachers. I consider myself to be a student of the bible and what I'm trying to do in my blog is mainly to encourage Christians, but also to bring the conviction of the Word to non-Christians, which hopefully God might use in some way to bring souls into His kingdom. I stand by my writings as my best effort to understand and help others understand God's word. Could I be wrong on some points? Sure. I'm just as fallible as any other bible teacher. A lot more could be said. I would only ask that you consider what I've written. Thanks for the comment. No need to apologize.

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