The Call to Maximum Effort

In our previous devotional on 2 Peter 1:2-4, we explored the incredible blessings God pours into the believer’s life—His divine power, His exceedingly great and precious promises, our participation in His divine nature, and our escape from worldly corruption. These aren’t minor gifts; they’re transformational realities that change everything about who we are and how we live.

Now Peter issues a powerful call: “giving all diligence.” The word “diligence” here means maximum effort, earnest endeavor, sparing no energy. This isn’t casual Christianity or half-hearted spirituality. Diligence in godly living requires our full engagement and disciplined commitment (Hebrews 12:1). But notice the crucial connection—Peter says “for this very reason.” Our diligence flows directly from gratitude for the abundance of divine grace God has already poured into our lives.

God has given us His grace and power to enable godly living (2 Corinthians 9:8). Now we respond by making every disciplined effort we can to live our lives accordingly. This is the beautiful rhythm of the Christian life: God’s grace empowers us, and gratitude for that grace motivates our diligent pursuit of holiness.

Lavishly Adding Godly Attributes

Peter tells us to “add” godly attributes to our everyday lives, and the word carries the sense of generosity—to supply lavishly, to furnish abundantly. We’re not to sprinkle a little virtue here and there when convenient. Rather, we’re called to richly supply our faith with these qualities, building them into the very fabric of who we are.

The list Peter provides isn’t random or arbitrary—it’s a carefully ordered progression of character qualities that build upon one another, each supporting the next. We’ll explore these specific virtues in detail in our next devotional, but for now, grasp the principle: diligence in godly living means actively, intentionally cultivating Christlikeness in every area of life. It’s based on the grace God has given us, empowered by His divine power, and motivated by gratitude for all He’s done.

This is the proper response to receiving divine grace—not passivity, not presumption that grace excuses laziness, but eager, diligent pursuit of the virtues that reflect our new nature in Christ (Philippians 2:12-13).

The Danger of Spiritual Neglect

But what happens if we don’t pursue diligence in godly living? Peter paints a sobering picture in verses 8-9. If we don’t diligently seek to add these virtues to our lives, we will be considered “barren” and “unfruitful.” Barren means useless, producing nothing of value. Unfruitful means the believer bears no resemblance to Christ and appears either as an unbeliever or a superficial Christian (John 15:2).

This spiritual neglect leads to a dangerous condition: blindness. The person who lacks these qualities becomes spiritually shortsighted, unable to see clearly, and eventually blind to their own spiritual condition (2 Corinthians 13:5). When we can’t discern our true spiritual state, confidence in our profession of faith erodes. What remains is a life filled with doubt, fear, and uncertainty—the very opposite of the abundant life Christ promises.

Most tragically, Peter says such a person “has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” How is this possible? When we cease pursuing diligence in godly living, we gradually lose sight of the transformation that occurred at salvation. We forget the magnitude of what we’ve been saved from and the wonder of what we’ve been saved to. Memory of God’s grace fades, gratitude diminishes, and with it goes our motivation for holy living (Revelation 2:4-5).

The Path Forward

Peter’s warning isn’t meant to condemn but to awaken us. If we find ourselves lukewarm, unfruitful, or uncertain in our faith, the remedy is clear: return to diligent pursuit of godliness. Remember the cleansing you received. Recall the divine power that has been given to you. Respond in gratitude by making every effort to add these godly qualities to your life.

The Christian life isn’t passive. It’s an active, vigorous, joyful pursuit of becoming more like Christ—not to earn God’s favor, which we already have in Christ, but because we’ve received His favor and want our lives to reflect it. This is diligence in godly living: maximum effort fueled by maximum grace, producing maximum transformation.

In our next devotional, we’ll explore each specific virtue Peter lists, discovering how they build upon one another to create a life that is fruitful, effective, and confident in Christ. But first, we must settle this foundational truth: God’s abundant grace demands our diligent response.

Reflection Questions

1. How would you honestly assess your level of diligence in pursuing godly living? Are you giving maximum effort, or have you settled into spiritual complacency?
2. When you consider all that God has given you—His divine power, His promises, participation in His nature—how does gratitude for these blessings motivate your pursuit of holiness?
3. Have you seen signs of spiritual barrenness or unfruitfulness in your life? What would it look like to begin actively “adding” godly qualities again?
4. Is there evidence that you’ve “forgotten” the cleansing you received from your old sins? How can you refresh your memory of God’s transforming grace?

Prayer

Consider the abundance of grace God has poured into your life and ask Him to renew your diligence in pursuing godliness out of deep gratitude.