Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
As long as he remained alive in his mortal earthly body, Peter counted it right and fitting and his duty to keep stirring believers to remember what they had learned. He knew he would soon lay aside this bodily life in martyrdom as Christ had shown him, yet even in old age and weakness he held it timely to keep reminding while life lasted. This continual deliberate reminding was necessary even though they already knew the truths and were established in present truth, to arouse them to act at once on the light received with vigilance in daily life as they fitted for immortality. The things to be kept in memory are grace and peace multiplied through knowing God and Jesus, the gift of all things for life and godliness, the exceeding great promises by which they share the divine nature and escape corruption, the diligent adding of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity, and the diligent making of calling and election sure unto never falling and abundant entrance into Christ's everlasting kingdom. This is genuine progressive sanctification in which believers work on the plan of addition by adding grace to grace while God works for them on the plan of multiplication, and it is to be stirred in others by reading the chapter verse by verse and day by day, teaching it purely in churches and schools, and urging wholehearted practice and witness while time remains.
Peter's Words and Setting
The tabernacle in which Peter remained is his present bodily earthly life in the mortal body. He knew that life was short and that he would soon lay it aside, as Christ had shown him. That laying aside would be martyrdom through persecution, and his own experience of deprivation and suffering strengthened his desire for believers to know the truth. Even in old age and bodily weakness he held it his timely duty to keep reminding as long as life lasted.
To think it meet was to count it right and fitting and his duty while he remained alive to stir believers up by putting them in remembrance of what they had learned. That purpose belonged to all his remaining earthly life. He spoke to those of like precious faith, the faithful in Christ. That stirring word was also addressed to students on the anniversary of their school's opening, concerning their privileges and opportunities to increase in knowledge and grace and perfection of character.
Why Constant Reminding
The reminding is continual and deliberate, kept up as long as life lasts even though the readers already know the truths and are established in present truth. It is addressed to those of like precious faith, holding it fitting while still living in the mortal body to stir them up by reminding them of what they have learned. The things kept in remembrance are grace and peace multiplied through knowledge of God and of Jesus, all things for life and godliness given through divine power, escape from corruption in the world through lust by the exceeding great and precious promises through which believers share the divine nature, diligent adding to faith of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity so as not to be barren nor unfruitful nor blind nor forgetful of cleansing from old sins, and diligent making of calling and election sure so as never to fall and to receive abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ. They include also that the message of the power and coming of Christ is not cunningly devised fables but eyewitness of His majesty and the voice from heaven on the holy mount, confirmed by the more sure word of prophecy to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn, given not by the will of man or private interpretation but by holy men moved by the Holy Ghost, together with warning that false prophets and false teachers will privily bring in damnable heresies. Being kept in present truth comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life, with practice of the Word through prayer, watchfulness, and service confirming religious experience and giving assurance to enter through the gates into the city.
To stir up by putting in remembrance is to give a word of caution and to repeat the evidences of the Word. It is done by forcibly presenting the instruction of the first chapter of Second Peter and asking for most earnest efforts to heed it, pledging to read and practice that chapter day by day. In that work angels are present and the impression of the Holy Spirit must come to the human heart, to be accepted with a heart that understands the principles of eternal life and then worked out in daily life. Its aim is to arouse believers to act at once upon the light and evidence received, giving God the service of whole mind and heart, bringing souls forward for prayer and moving those long deciding to take their position to keep the Sabbath with decided victory. Such repeated reminding should not cause offense.
This stirring is needed and necessary because believers are fitting for immortality and for the glory to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Fitting for that requires carefulness at every step not to give offense to Jesus Christ, who bought them with the price of His own blood. It is needed because they do not have the depth of experience that is their privilege and do not keep their minds fixed on things of eternal interest. The reminders therefore call for constant vigilance and carefulness in daily life, helping believers avoid foolishness and idle speech and give heed to God's Word. They call them to take in the Word and live the Word and act the Word at all times and in all places, to walk in humility before God, to take fast hold of the Mighty One in continual dependence, and to give others an experience in works and not in words merely.
Peter labored that believers would keep these things in remembrance after his decease as well, knowing that shortly he must put off the tabernacle of the body. He expressed full confidence that his readers would carry out the principles he presented. He declared that while he remained with them he would keep those truths before their minds and help their memories, calling for appreciation of the promises and for carrying out the plan of addition by adding grace to grace and following on to know the Lord.
Truths Kept in Memory
What is to be kept in remembrance is grace and peace multiplied through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, with all things that pertain to life and godliness given through divine power. It is the exceeding great and precious promises by which believers partake of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust. It is the diligent adding to faith of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity, so as not to be barren nor unfruitful nor blind nor forgetful of cleansing from old sins. It is the diligent making of calling and election sure so as never to fall and to receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ, with fruitfulness in knowing Christ as those qualities abound.
Also to be remembered is that the message of the power and coming of Christ is not cunningly devised fables but eyewitness of His majesty and of the voice from heaven on the holy mount. It is confirmed by the more sure word of prophecy to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn, given not by the will of man nor of any private interpretation but by holy men moved by the Holy Ghost. With it goes warning that false prophets and false teachers will privily bring in damnable heresies and destructive teaching.
Believers are to remember that they are to be partakers of the divine nature of Jesus Christ through knowledge of Him who gave His life to buy them with the precious blood of the Son of God. Even the simplest can take hold of that divine nature, and God will not leave them to drift with Satan's temptations. God works only with human cooperation and will not force anyone to drink the water of life. If they stand in Christ and determine to become all God intended, they can become as precious and beloved in God's sight as Daniel was, complete in Christ and therefore regarded as heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ to the immortal inheritance.
Being kept in present truth comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life. Practice of the Word through prayer and watchfulness and service confirms religious experience and gives assurance, making the right doubly sure to enter through the gates into the city of God. This call to remembrance keeps believers attentive to these teachings and practices and to their privileges and opportunities to increase in knowledge and in grace and perfection of Christian character, as addressed also to students on the anniversary of the opening of their school.
Growth Assurance and Victory
The chapter presents sanctification as a genuine progressive work in which perfection of character is reached through cooperation with divinity and diligent effort rather than haphazard effort. Believers work on the plan of addition by adding grace to grace step by step, accepting the promises by faith and practicing godliness, while God works for them on the plan of multiplication, supplying grace and peace as they faithfully live it out. This continued growth and forward progress in knowing the Lord is learned by making the Bible the textbook, gaining increasing capacity, learning and also practicing the lessons of Christ, and deciding by personal choice between success and failure. God elects those who work on the plan of addition, and those who receive Christ as Savior are given power to become God's children, so eternal life requires such faithful deliberate growth and perseverance in preparation for heaven.
Practicing the cultivated virtues makes believers fruitful in knowing Christ and keeps them from falling. When the added qualities of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity abound through God's multiplication of grace and peace by knowledge of God and the precious promises of partaking the divine nature, believers make their calling and election sure and receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. The first chapter is therefore to be read carefully verse by verse as guidance for gaining victory over evil and growing in Christian experience. Constant reminding is needed even for those who already know these things and are established in present truth, so they will be doers of the Word and not barren, blind professors who forget cleansing from old sins, but will stop grumbling and hindering progress and hold fast the eternal life insurance of never falling.
Its truths are given for encouragement and are to be grasped by faith. When allowed to fill heart and mind they give comfort to all of like precious faith and give strength to resist every temptation to look on the dark side of circumstances and to talk discouragement. Everlasting life is presented as a privilege to be secured, with the instruction to be read and understood personally by every worker. What seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness does is enlist heart, mind, soul, and strength and affect the entire character, so that all who follow the principles secure life insurance as they seek Christ's righteousness, become one with the Saviour and partakers of the divine nature, are molded after Christ's likeness into a holy temple for the Lord, and through such lives light shines to church and world.
It teaches practical godliness in which law and gospel must be presented together as a perfect whole. The great moral standard of righteousness is to be distinctly set forth alongside the love of Jesus Christ displayed on the cross, leading the convicted sinner to repentance toward God and faith toward Christ for cleansing from transgression and adoption as sons of God and joint heirs with Christ. Those seeking eternal life must follow God's Word and build character step by step in obedience to Christ's teaching rather than treating themselves as their own law, for disobedience and character not formed in such obedience leaves people unfit to be citizens of God's kingdom.
The chapter sets forth experiences fitting men and women to become efficient workers for God. Those who offer themselves for gospel service should study it to find direction to work they can do, and those not adapted to preaching and teaching the Word should be directed to a work they can do. It is given as a marked lesson for people working together, helping them live out individuality under control of the Holy Spirit with kindness and a Christlike spirit rather than insisting that everyone conform to one person's preferences.
Stirring Others in Practice
Stirring others means putting the whole first chapter of Second Peter before them, reading it to the church, reading it aloud as an uplifting testimony, and reading it carefully verse by verse. Believers are to pledge to read and practice that chapter day by day, to impress every word on mind and heart, to study its teachings and carry them into the religious life, to follow on to know the Lord, and to lay hold on the Word as their own with its immortal promise of heaven. This forcible presenting of the instruction and earnest call to heed it is the appointed way to keep stirring people up by putting them in remembrance as long as life lasts, even though they already know the truth and are established in present truth. Keeping in present truth in this way comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life, with practice of the Word through prayer, watchfulness, and service confirming religious experience and giving assurance to enter through the gates into the city.
The same stirring is done by cherishing the remembrance of the bright chapters in Christian experience and dwelling upon them in testimony meetings. This pleases God, encourages believers, impresses unbelieving hearers, and gives testimonies the right ring that unbelievers present will recognize. The reason is that angels of God are with those who have gained a personal knowledge of Christ Jesus, and those angels impress hearts. As believers work on the plan of addition by this remembering and testifying, God works on the plan of multiplication, multiplying grace and peace through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, filling them with happiness as they behold the countenance of Jesus beaming with love and are made like Him.
The instruction is to be taught in schools and churches as pure teaching free from error and fables, so that minds may grasp the truths concerning salvation. The Bible is to be made the textbook for steady advancement, for increasing capacity, for making student life as perfect as possible, and for learning and also practicing the lessons of Christ, with learners storing up treasures of the knowledge of God and of Christ to impart to others. Repetition is especially important for new believers, to help them grasp unfamiliar teachings of Scripture without losing their force or accepting mistaken ideas. Those who offer themselves for gospel service are to study the chapter to find direction for the work they can do, including those not adapted to preaching and teaching the Word, since it sets forth the experiences that fit men and women to become efficient workers for God.
Reminders are meant to arouse believers to act at once upon the light and evidence received, giving God the service of the whole mind and heart with every capability called for. That arousing brings souls forward for prayer and moves those long on the point of decision to take their position to keep the Sabbath, making a break and gaining decided victory. It calls for constant vigilance and carefulness in daily life, helping believers avoid foolishness and idle speech and give heed to God's Word, and for following biblical truth carefully and taking heed when it exposes personal need. It calls them to take in the Word, live the Word, and act the Word at all times and in all places, to walk in humility before God, to take fast hold of the Mighty One with continual dependence on Him, to guard one another's interests and add grace to grace, and to give others an experience in works at every point and not in words merely, escaping evil and following God's instructions, because eternal life requires faithful deliberate growth rather than haphazard effort.
The stirring is urgent while time remains to do a great and earnest work, for the world is fast ripening for the closing up of its history. Those truly serving the Lord Jesus will be a holy sanctified people, communicating the light of truth to all around them, not only in their households but outside them, not only to those who believe as they believe but to those not in the faith. This is done by presenting the truth in the most earnest manner, by offering books that give the right idea of the faith, and by conversing in a kind and tender manner, speaking of the Scriptures and out of the Scriptures to arouse interest, for only a hundredth part of what ought to be done is being done. Speaking the truth just as it is and keeping it before people day by day is meant to raise the missionary spirit so that God's Spirit is poured out and hearers come up to His help, and to bear a clean-cut testimony to those who have lost their bearings so they know where to stand, because everything is being decided for life or death, work is for eternity, and the Lord is coming.
The chapter's instruction points to victory and is to be studied and practiced and read and understood personally, presenting everlasting life as a privilege to be secured. It is instruction from the Lord and Saviour that those who take the name of Christian must obey to honor that name. It requires the mind to be thoroughly cultivated, forbidding no aspiration or enterprise that pure religion sanctions, and those who obey it will be richly blessed.
As long as he remained alive in his mortal earthly body, Peter counted it right and fitting and his duty to keep stirring believers to remember what they had learned. He knew he would soon lay aside this bodily life in martyrdom as Christ had shown him, yet even in old age and weakness he held it timely to keep reminding while life lasted. This continual deliberate reminding was necessary even though they already knew the truths and were established in present truth, to arouse them to act at once on the light received with vigilance in daily life as they fitted for immortality. The things to be kept in memory are grace and peace multiplied through knowing God and Jesus, the gift of all things for life and godliness, the exceeding great promises by which they share the divine nature and escape corruption, the diligent adding of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity, and the diligent making of calling and election sure unto never falling and abundant entrance into Christ's everlasting kingdom. This is genuine progressive sanctification in which believers work on the plan of addition by adding grace to grace while God works for them on the plan of multiplication, and it is to be stirred in others by reading the chapter verse by verse and day by day, teaching it purely in churches and schools, and urging wholehearted practice and witness while time remains.
Peter's Words and Setting
The tabernacle in which Peter remained is his present bodily earthly life in the mortal body.
He knew that life was short and that he would soon lay it aside, as Christ had shown him.
That laying aside would be martyrdom through persecution, and his own experience of deprivation and suffering strengthened his desire for believers to know the truth.
Even in old age and bodily weakness he held it his timely duty to keep reminding as long as life lasted.
To think it meet was to count it right and fitting and his duty while he remained alive to stir believers up by putting them in remembrance of what they had learned.
That purpose belonged to all his remaining earthly life.
He spoke to those of like precious faith, the faithful in Christ.
That stirring word was also addressed to students on the anniversary of their school's opening, concerning their privileges and opportunities to increase in knowledge and grace and perfection of character.
Why Constant Reminding
The reminding is continual and deliberate, kept up as long as life lasts even though the readers already know the truths and are established in present truth. It is addressed to those of like precious faith, holding it fitting while still living in the mortal body to stir them up by reminding them of what they have learned. The things kept in remembrance are grace and peace multiplied through knowledge of God and of Jesus, all things for life and godliness given through divine power, escape from corruption in the world through lust by the exceeding great and precious promises through which believers share the divine nature, diligent adding to faith of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity so as not to be barren nor unfruitful nor blind nor forgetful of cleansing from old sins, and diligent making of calling and election sure so as never to fall and to receive abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ. They include also that the message of the power and coming of Christ is not cunningly devised fables but eyewitness of His majesty and the voice from heaven on the holy mount, confirmed by the more sure word of prophecy to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn, given not by the will of man or private interpretation but by holy men moved by the Holy Ghost, together with warning that false prophets and false teachers will privily bring in damnable heresies. Being kept in present truth comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life, with practice of the Word through prayer, watchfulness, and service confirming religious experience and giving assurance to enter through the gates into the city.
To stir up by putting in remembrance is to give a word of caution and to repeat the evidences of the Word. It is done by forcibly presenting the instruction of the first chapter of Second Peter and asking for most earnest efforts to heed it, pledging to read and practice that chapter day by day. In that work angels are present and the impression of the Holy Spirit must come to the human heart, to be accepted with a heart that understands the principles of eternal life and then worked out in daily life. Its aim is to arouse believers to act at once upon the light and evidence received, giving God the service of whole mind and heart, bringing souls forward for prayer and moving those long deciding to take their position to keep the Sabbath with decided victory. Such repeated reminding should not cause offense.
This stirring is needed and necessary because believers are fitting for immortality and for the glory to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Fitting for that requires carefulness at every step not to give offense to Jesus Christ, who bought them with the price of His own blood. It is needed because they do not have the depth of experience that is their privilege and do not keep their minds fixed on things of eternal interest. The reminders therefore call for constant vigilance and carefulness in daily life, helping believers avoid foolishness and idle speech and give heed to God's Word. They call them to take in the Word and live the Word and act the Word at all times and in all places, to walk in humility before God, to take fast hold of the Mighty One in continual dependence, and to give others an experience in works and not in words merely.
Peter labored that believers would keep these things in remembrance after his decease as well, knowing that shortly he must put off the tabernacle of the body. He expressed full confidence that his readers would carry out the principles he presented. He declared that while he remained with them he would keep those truths before their minds and help their memories, calling for appreciation of the promises and for carrying out the plan of addition by adding grace to grace and following on to know the Lord.
Truths Kept in Memory
What is to be kept in remembrance is grace and peace multiplied through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, with all things that pertain to life and godliness given through divine power. It is the exceeding great and precious promises by which believers partake of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust. It is the diligent adding to faith of virtue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity, so as not to be barren nor unfruitful nor blind nor forgetful of cleansing from old sins. It is the diligent making of calling and election sure so as never to fall and to receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ, with fruitfulness in knowing Christ as those qualities abound.
Also to be remembered is that the message of the power and coming of Christ is not cunningly devised fables but eyewitness of His majesty and of the voice from heaven on the holy mount. It is confirmed by the more sure word of prophecy to be heeded as a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn, given not by the will of man nor of any private interpretation but by holy men moved by the Holy Ghost. With it goes warning that false prophets and false teachers will privily bring in damnable heresies and destructive teaching.
Believers are to remember that they are to be partakers of the divine nature of Jesus Christ through knowledge of Him who gave His life to buy them with the precious blood of the Son of God. Even the simplest can take hold of that divine nature, and God will not leave them to drift with Satan's temptations. God works only with human cooperation and will not force anyone to drink the water of life. If they stand in Christ and determine to become all God intended, they can become as precious and beloved in God's sight as Daniel was, complete in Christ and therefore regarded as heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ to the immortal inheritance.
Being kept in present truth comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life. Practice of the Word through prayer and watchfulness and service confirms religious experience and gives assurance, making the right doubly sure to enter through the gates into the city of God. This call to remembrance keeps believers attentive to these teachings and practices and to their privileges and opportunities to increase in knowledge and in grace and perfection of Christian character, as addressed also to students on the anniversary of the opening of their school.
Growth Assurance and Victory
The chapter presents sanctification as a genuine progressive work in which perfection of character is reached through cooperation with divinity and diligent effort rather than haphazard effort. Believers work on the plan of addition by adding grace to grace step by step, accepting the promises by faith and practicing godliness, while God works for them on the plan of multiplication, supplying grace and peace as they faithfully live it out. This continued growth and forward progress in knowing the Lord is learned by making the Bible the textbook, gaining increasing capacity, learning and also practicing the lessons of Christ, and deciding by personal choice between success and failure. God elects those who work on the plan of addition, and those who receive Christ as Savior are given power to become God's children, so eternal life requires such faithful deliberate growth and perseverance in preparation for heaven.
Practicing the cultivated virtues makes believers fruitful in knowing Christ and keeps them from falling. When the added qualities of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity abound through God's multiplication of grace and peace by knowledge of God and the precious promises of partaking the divine nature, believers make their calling and election sure and receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. The first chapter is therefore to be read carefully verse by verse as guidance for gaining victory over evil and growing in Christian experience. Constant reminding is needed even for those who already know these things and are established in present truth, so they will be doers of the Word and not barren, blind professors who forget cleansing from old sins, but will stop grumbling and hindering progress and hold fast the eternal life insurance of never falling.
Its truths are given for encouragement and are to be grasped by faith. When allowed to fill heart and mind they give comfort to all of like precious faith and give strength to resist every temptation to look on the dark side of circumstances and to talk discouragement. Everlasting life is presented as a privilege to be secured, with the instruction to be read and understood personally by every worker. What seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness does is enlist heart, mind, soul, and strength and affect the entire character, so that all who follow the principles secure life insurance as they seek Christ's righteousness, become one with the Saviour and partakers of the divine nature, are molded after Christ's likeness into a holy temple for the Lord, and through such lives light shines to church and world.
It teaches practical godliness in which law and gospel must be presented together as a perfect whole. The great moral standard of righteousness is to be distinctly set forth alongside the love of Jesus Christ displayed on the cross, leading the convicted sinner to repentance toward God and faith toward Christ for cleansing from transgression and adoption as sons of God and joint heirs with Christ. Those seeking eternal life must follow God's Word and build character step by step in obedience to Christ's teaching rather than treating themselves as their own law, for disobedience and character not formed in such obedience leaves people unfit to be citizens of God's kingdom.
The chapter sets forth experiences fitting men and women to become efficient workers for God. Those who offer themselves for gospel service should study it to find direction to work they can do, and those not adapted to preaching and teaching the Word should be directed to a work they can do. It is given as a marked lesson for people working together, helping them live out individuality under control of the Holy Spirit with kindness and a Christlike spirit rather than insisting that everyone conform to one person's preferences.
Stirring Others in Practice
Stirring others means putting the whole first chapter of Second Peter before them, reading it to the church, reading it aloud as an uplifting testimony, and reading it carefully verse by verse. Believers are to pledge to read and practice that chapter day by day, to impress every word on mind and heart, to study its teachings and carry them into the religious life, to follow on to know the Lord, and to lay hold on the Word as their own with its immortal promise of heaven. This forcible presenting of the instruction and earnest call to heed it is the appointed way to keep stirring people up by putting them in remembrance as long as life lasts, even though they already know the truth and are established in present truth. Keeping in present truth in this way comes by putting oneself in the channel to keep knowing the Lord, by searching the Scriptures and carrying them out in daily life, with practice of the Word through prayer, watchfulness, and service confirming religious experience and giving assurance to enter through the gates into the city.
The same stirring is done by cherishing the remembrance of the bright chapters in Christian experience and dwelling upon them in testimony meetings. This pleases God, encourages believers, impresses unbelieving hearers, and gives testimonies the right ring that unbelievers present will recognize. The reason is that angels of God are with those who have gained a personal knowledge of Christ Jesus, and those angels impress hearts. As believers work on the plan of addition by this remembering and testifying, God works on the plan of multiplication, multiplying grace and peace through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, filling them with happiness as they behold the countenance of Jesus beaming with love and are made like Him.
The instruction is to be taught in schools and churches as pure teaching free from error and fables, so that minds may grasp the truths concerning salvation. The Bible is to be made the textbook for steady advancement, for increasing capacity, for making student life as perfect as possible, and for learning and also practicing the lessons of Christ, with learners storing up treasures of the knowledge of God and of Christ to impart to others. Repetition is especially important for new believers, to help them grasp unfamiliar teachings of Scripture without losing their force or accepting mistaken ideas. Those who offer themselves for gospel service are to study the chapter to find direction for the work they can do, including those not adapted to preaching and teaching the Word, since it sets forth the experiences that fit men and women to become efficient workers for God.
Reminders are meant to arouse believers to act at once upon the light and evidence received, giving God the service of the whole mind and heart with every capability called for. That arousing brings souls forward for prayer and moves those long on the point of decision to take their position to keep the Sabbath, making a break and gaining decided victory. It calls for constant vigilance and carefulness in daily life, helping believers avoid foolishness and idle speech and give heed to God's Word, and for following biblical truth carefully and taking heed when it exposes personal need. It calls them to take in the Word, live the Word, and act the Word at all times and in all places, to walk in humility before God, to take fast hold of the Mighty One with continual dependence on Him, to guard one another's interests and add grace to grace, and to give others an experience in works at every point and not in words merely, escaping evil and following God's instructions, because eternal life requires faithful deliberate growth rather than haphazard effort.
The stirring is urgent while time remains to do a great and earnest work, for the world is fast ripening for the closing up of its history. Those truly serving the Lord Jesus will be a holy sanctified people, communicating the light of truth to all around them, not only in their households but outside them, not only to those who believe as they believe but to those not in the faith. This is done by presenting the truth in the most earnest manner, by offering books that give the right idea of the faith, and by conversing in a kind and tender manner, speaking of the Scriptures and out of the Scriptures to arouse interest, for only a hundredth part of what ought to be done is being done. Speaking the truth just as it is and keeping it before people day by day is meant to raise the missionary spirit so that God's Spirit is poured out and hearers come up to His help, and to bear a clean-cut testimony to those who have lost their bearings so they know where to stand, because everything is being decided for life or death, work is for eternity, and the Lord is coming.
The chapter's instruction points to victory and is to be studied and practiced and read and understood personally, presenting everlasting life as a privilege to be secured. It is instruction from the Lord and Saviour that those who take the name of Christian must obey to honor that name. It requires the mind to be thoroughly cultivated, forbidding no aspiration or enterprise that pure religion sanctions, and those who obey it will be richly blessed.