Make Every Effort: Confirm Your Calling in Christ

Jun 14, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Divine Toolbox for Life and Godliness

God doesn’t leave believers guessing or scrambling. He’s already given every resource needed to live a life that honors Him and grows in holiness. These tools aren’t hidden—they’re found in knowing Jesus deeply, studying His character, and relying on His promises. Growth isn’t about mustering willpower but stewarding what’s already been poured out through Christ’s sacrifice. The cross reveals both God’s glory and goodness, proving He equips His people fully. Trusting His provision turns striving into surrender. [35:20]

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels unequipped right now? How does knowing God has already given “everything” reshape your approach to that struggle?

Day 2: Building Faith Like a Pro Athlete

Faith isn’t a passive gift—it’s a muscle. Just as a star athlete trains relentlessly, believers must actively cultivate virtues like goodness, knowledge, and self-control. These qualities don’t magically appear; they’re forged through daily choices to align with Christ’s example. Growth happens incrementally, not instantly, requiring persistence through failures. Peter’s list of virtues isn’t a checklist but a progression, each step strengthening the next. Spiritual stagnation occurs when we stop showing up for practice. [40:30]

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness. (2 Peter 1:5–6, ESV)

Reflection: Which “training drill” (goodness, knowledge, self-control) feels most challenging this season? What small step can you take today to grow in it?

Day 3: Enduring for the Gold Medal of Grace

Olympic athletes push through pain by fixing their eyes on the prize. Similarly, believers endure hardships by focusing on eternity with Christ. Endurance isn’t gritting teeth but letting eternal hope reframe present struggles. Every trial becomes a training ground to rely less on self and more on Jesus’ sustaining power. The goal—being with Him forever—makes temporary sacrifices worthwhile. Quitting isn’t an option when the finish line is resurrection glory. [49:54]

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: What current challenge tempts you to quit? How might focusing on “the joy set before you” change your perspective?

Day 4: The Father’s Grip in the Deep End

A toddler’s weak grip in a pool doesn’t matter—their safety depends entirely on the parent holding them. Likewise, believers aren’t saved by the strength of their faith but by the Father’s unshakable hold. Doubts and failures don’t negate His grace; His grip tightens when ours falters. This truth frees us from performance anxiety, reminding us that perseverance is His work in us, not our work for Him. [01:09:23]

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt God’s hold on you most tangibly? How does His faithfulness quiet fears of “falling away”?

Day 5: Trading Temporary Glitter for Eternal Gold

The world’s allure fades like cheap paint. Peter urges believers to reject hollow counterfeits—approval, comfort, control—and pursue Christ’s lasting beauty. Every “no” to sin is a “yes” to deeper communion with Jesus. Eternal life isn’t just a destination but the daily joy of walking with Him. As the hymn says, choosing Christ over earthly treasures isn’t loss but gain. [01:13:00]

For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1:11, ESV)

Reflection: What “shiny distraction” most often competes with your affection for Christ? What practical choice reinforces His worthiness today?

Sermon Summary

Peter sets the goal right up front: “entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided.” The text then names the requirement to reach that goal: a real share in “the faith” by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not a casual nod but a surrendered trust that wants Him more than sin. From there, God’s action takes center stage. His divine power “has given us everything required for life and godliness,” and that “everything” really is everything. God does not save and then leave the believer to figure it out. The Spirit guides into truth, the promises stand firm, and the way is clearly marked through the knowledge of Christ.

Those “very great and precious promises” hold forgiveness, transformation, and the hope of sharing in the divine nature. By them, the believer escapes the world’s corruption. But grace never cancels exertion. Precisely because God has provided and promised, Peter commands effort: “make every effort to supplement your faith.” The progression shows how grace-trained effort grows. Goodness names a born-again desire to be like God. That desire pushes into knowledge, the Scripture-rooted knowing of who God is, not the invented god of deconstruction. Knowledge then demands self control, since the old habits pull hard. Self control settles into endurance, a long obedience with the goal in view. Endurance yields godliness, real likeness to God. Godliness spills horizontally as brotherly affection, a surprising warmth toward brothers and sisters who would once have been avoided. The capstone is love, agape, the self-giving Jesus-love that becomes the church’s public badge.

The text then draws a hard line. If these qualities increase, the believer is spared uselessness and bears fruit in the knowledge of Christ. If they are absent, the person is spiritually shortsighted and has “forgotten” cleansing, showing a heart that never truly went all-in. Peter refuses to feed anxious doubt; instead he calls for certainty through visible desire and steady growth, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election.” God supplies help all along the road. The Spirit holds like a Father’s grip that does not slip; the Father lifts the faltering runner; the local church surrounds the struggler with courage. Growth is not a straight line. Some seasons feel like a crawl. But the promises, the Spirit, and the family of God keep the believer leaning into the joy set before him. “I’d rather have Jesus” becomes not a lyric but a settled direction, a love that outlasts the world’s flash.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s power supplies everything needed [35:20] God’s action comes first and keeps coming. His divine power gives “everything required for life and godliness,” and He does it through the knowledge of Jesus. This removes the panic of self-salvation and replaces it with sturdy dependence. The believer’s work is real, but it rests on provision that cannot fail. [35:20]
2. Precious promises reshape the aim [38:49] The promises hold forgiveness, transformation, and future glory, and they pull the heart toward God’s nature while loosening the grip of the world’s corruption. Hope is not wishful thinking, it is a pledge from God’s own character. Living by promise is how desire changes direction and endurance takes root. [38:49]
3. Effort confirms calling and election [56:12] “Make every effort” is not legalism, it is love answering grace. The growing stack of virtue, knowledge, self control, endurance, godliness, affection, and love becomes evidence that faith is alive. This is how assurance matures, not through rare signs, but through a steady appetite to become like Jesus. [56:12]
4. Love crowns the growth progression [53:35] Brotherly affection matures into agape, the self-giving love that Jesus commands and models. This love does hard things, forgives long, and moves toward the unalike because Christ moved toward enemies. When love becomes the church’s reflex, the world sees Christ’s beauty without a word. [53:35]
5. The Spirit and church carry strugglers [01:06:39] The Spirit’s grip is stronger than a faltering hand, and the Father lifts the runner who cannot take another step. Beside that, the local church stands as God’s weekly help, singing courage into tired souls and lending endurance. Together they make sure the pilgrim finishes with joy, not just with survival. [66:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:10] - Setting in 2 Peter 1
[31:49] - Reading 2 Peter 1:1-11
[33:09] - The goal: rich entry
[34:08] - The requirement: true faith
[35:20] - God’s provision for godliness
[37:33] - The Spirit guides into truth
[38:49] - Great and precious promises
[40:30] - Make every effort to grow
[43:30] - Goodness and knowing God
[46:09] - Knowledge guards against counterfeits
[47:46] - Self control and endurance
[50:49] - Godliness to brotherly affection
[53:35] - The capstone of love
[56:12] - Results of growth or neglect
[60:06] - Confirming calling without fear
[64:54] - Help from the Spirit
[66:39] - Help from the church
[69:48] - Not a straight line forward
[72:41] - I’d Rather Have Jesus
[73:28] - Prayer and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Peter 1:1-11 (ESV)
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 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, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 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. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Observation Questions

What specific qualities does Peter list as essential to "supplement your faith" (2 Peter 1:5-7)?
According to 2 Peter 1:8-9, what are the two outcomes for believers based on whether these qualities are present or absent?
How does Peter describe God’s role in providing what believers need for "life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3)?
What example from the sermon illustrated the relationship between effort and God’s provision? [41:20]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Peter emphasizes the progression of qualities like goodness, knowledge, self-control, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7)? How do these build on one another?
What does it mean to "confirm your calling and election" (2 Peter 1:10)? How does this relate to both God’s promises and human effort?
The sermon stated, "Growth is not a straight line. Some seasons feel like a crawl." [01:09:48] How does this tension between struggle and assurance align with Peter’s warnings about spiritual shortsightedness (2 Peter 1:9)?
How does the role of the Holy Spirit and the church (as described in the sermon) [01:06:39] support believers in pursuing the qualities Peter lists?

Application Questions

Which of the qualities in 2 Peter 1:5-7 (goodness, knowledge, self-control, etc.) do you feel most challenged to grow in right now? What practical step could you take this week to pursue that growth?
The sermon emphasized that God’s promises "reshape our aim" by pulling us toward His nature. [38:49] What worldly corruption do you need to actively "escape" (2 Peter 1:4) to align more closely with those promises?
Brotherly affection and love are described as the "capstone" of spiritual growth. [53:35] Is there someone in your church community you’ve struggled to love? How could you intentionally move toward them this month?
The sermon compared endurance to an athlete keeping their eyes on the goal. [49:54] What "joy set before you" (Hebrews 12:2) helps you endure when spiritual growth feels slow or difficult?
How can you lean on the church community (e.g., small groups, serving, worship) to "sing courage into tired souls" [01:06:39] when you feel spiritually weary?

Sermon Clips

42s

#FaithInAction

“Does that mean we just sit back and soak in Jesus like some people would say? Well, no. It's there's a more there's a more active part to that. Do we just say, well, god, make me holy, and I'll continue to live like I always have? God, it's your job because you said you're gonna do it. Well, Well, Peter says, no. That's not how it's done either because, yes, god has done all that. But guess what? Thirdly, our effort. by our own exertion. We must put out effort. Look what Peter says in in in verses five through seven.”

29s

#AgapeLoveInAction

“brotherly affection grows into love. This is the agape love. This is unconditional. This is self sacrificing love. This is the kind of love that god showed in sending Jesus for us, dying for us. The spirit then empowers us to live like Jesus and do that for others, to be willing to die if we need, doing absolutely everything we can for one another in a love that says, not me but you.”

27s

#GodsPromisesAreTrue

“So by god's glory and goodness, we receive the great and the great and precious promises. What are those? Well, the context tells us that it's promises of forgiveness, promises of becoming like god, the promise of eternal life. He's made those promises. This will be yours. I guarantee you. I'm gonna provide you a way to get there, and I'm promising it. Remember, god does not make a promise he does not carry out. God cannot make a promise and does not make a promise that he can't fulfill.”

34s

#ShareTheDivineNature

“God has promised just as he provided all that's needed to us to also provide us everything we need to reach eternal life and become like him. We are not alone. Peter goes on in second in second Peter one four. He says, by these things, he has given us very great and precious promises. So not only has he said that I'm gonna give you the way and I'm gonna show you the way, I'm gonna make a promise to you. By these, he has given us very great and precious promises so that through them, you may share in the divine nature escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.”

43s

#GrowToConfirmCalling

“What if we do grow, what if we don't grow in these in these traits that that Peter has listed out? Well, Peter, as always, he may have grown older and wiser, but Peter is as blunt as he was when he was young. Look what he says. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure that's a key key phrase. If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sentence. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election because if you do these things, you will never stumble.”

27s

#LiveInAssurance

“So how do we respond to what Peter lays out here pretty bluntly? Well, let me tell you how we don't respond. We don't respond and say, what if I'm really not a Christian? We spend our entire life thinking, what if I'm not a believer? What what what if it wasn't true for me? What if it wasn't real for me? Nowhere in Peter in second Peter, nowhere in first Peter, nowhere in the bible does it ever say to live that way, in constant doubt or in constant fear. What if I'm not really in Jesus?”

39s

#GodProvidesEverything

“He wants you to know there's a provision provided for you. So second, a provision. God has provided everything. And by the way, I looked up the word for everything in Greek. It means everything. It's it it is that's that's all that it means. Everything you need to reach the goal. So god's not leaving you out there without the tools you need, without the ability, without things that you need to reach the goal of reaching heaven. He has given it to you. His divine power, he says in verse three, has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him. That word knowledge we looked at last week that appears throughout first second Peter. Through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

40s

#JesusRevealsGod

“And where was that displayed on the cross? We see the both the glory of god and the goodness of god as his son dies for us, revealing the heart of god, his love, but also his righteousness, and his sacrifice of his son who became our sins so that we could be righteous in god's sight. So it's through knowing Jesus fully, who he is and what he has done, what he's going to do, his promises for the future. He has given everything we need for life and for godliness, and it all comes through Jesus. God does not save you and then say, okay. Go figure it out. You're on your own. It's it's done. That's not how it works at all.”

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Mascoutah First Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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