Diligence That Leads To Abundance

But he that lacketh these things is blind,

and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten

that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give 

diligence to make your calling and election

sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall

never fall: for so an entrance shall be

ministered unto you abundantly into

the everlasting kingdom of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ.

2Peter 1:9-11

     What things is Peter writing about that a person may lack? First, Authentic Christians are to be partakers or the nature of God and this is shown in your life by not participating in the lusts and corruption of this world. Furthermore, one is to be diligent, a diligence that adds faith to your virtue. What is virtue? Virtue is that a person becomes formed in their life and conduct based on moral and ethical principles, a moral excellence. Virtue is also to be chaste, and virginity, and to have a good and admirable quality. Knowledge is to be added to your virtue and this requires study of God's word, reading what other may have written and listening with critical thinking as to what other say then by listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit attempting to guide you then it will be hard for you to wander off into some heresy or simply false teaching. Knowledge then should lead you to be temperate. To be temperate means to have moderation in our life and self restraint, to not become extreme in your opinions, those opinions not built upon the knowledge gained from your study of Scripture. Further a person is not to be overindulgent. Adding those things listed above work only with patience which must be developed and will of a person is adding virtue, knowledge, temperament, by being diligent to change from this world's culture to the culture of an Authentic Christian. If one then has added those things there is another addition that must be added and that is godliness, not some superficial godliness but a life that needs no other manifestation than the way you live your life. Godliness leads a person to brotherly kindness, and by this brotherly kindness then you can be charitable and we certainly need charity in our congregations for many are suffering. Do you want the abundance of God? Well then, do those things and you will not be barren for if you do not do them then you are blind to the will of God. 

     Diligence leads you to make you calling and elections sure and if you do those things then it is impossible for you to sin. Not that I teach perfection in this life for our souls are corrupted in this life, but, we will have the means not to sin, that is, if we are diligent in those things that lead to godliness. The abundance given by God can be applied to things that occur in this life, but the final and absolute abundance is your entrance into the kingdom of God, heaven, when Jesus Christ returns for His bride, His church.
     God calls all to repentance: "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). If you are an Authentic Christian you have heeded the call of God and for those already having Authentic Christian Faith they are considered righteous and have already heeded the call there fore, they are no longer being called, but they are then elected and that election is to have the promise of God for an incorruptible body, and immutable body and eternal life where sin no longer resides. 

     A person must change from the inside out for it is inside a person within their wills, minds, and souls that need changing or they will not be true and Authentic Christians, they might be nominal Christians but not Authentic Christians. Your faith, my faith must conform to the will of God and He has outlined that needed change for all of us in His word. Therefore, if you want to really change from the inside out you must read and study with prayer the word of God. Listen to men who lead but listen with critical thinking and not just absorb all that is taught without study. 

I declare to you that the LORD 

    will build a house for you: 

when your days are over and 

    you go to be with your fathers,

I will raise up your offspring to 

    succeed you, one of your own

sons, and I will establish His kingdom.

     He is the one who will build a house

for Me, and I will establish His throne

     forever. I will be His father, and 

He will  my Son. I will never take my

    love away from Him, as I took it

away from your predecessors: I will

    set Him over My hose and My kingdom

forever; His throne will be establish forever.

                         1Chronicles 17:9b-14

Become diligent in your walk 

Richard L. Crumb