You have everything you need, but are you using it? Discover why faith alone isn't enough to keep you from falling, and learn the practical steps to build a life of impact.
Jeremy Haroldson concludes the "Learn the Bible" series with a deep dive into 2 Peter—a letter written by a man who knew his time was short. This isn't a casual greeting; it is a final will and testament of leadership strategy.
While 1 Peter focused on external pressure (persecution), 2 Peter focuses on internal danger (stagnation and deception). Jeremy unpacks the "math" of spiritual growth: Faith + Virtue + Knowledge + Self-Control + Steadfastness + Godliness + Brotherly Affection + Love. This is the blueprint for a life that is "neither ineffective nor unfruitful."
The letter opens with a massive claim: "His divine power has granted to us *all things* that pertain to life and godliness."
Jeremy challenges the scarcity mindset. You don't need "more" anointing, "more" power, or "more" help. You already have the full resource package of Heaven. The issue isn't supply; it's access. Your job isn't to beg God for tools; it's to pick up the tools He has already placed in your hands.
Faith is the foundation, but you can't live in a foundation. You have to build the house. Jeremy walks through the 7-step progression Peter commands us to add:
"If these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful." Stagnation is the enemy of impact.
What happens if you don't grow? "For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."
Jeremy identifies "Spiritual Amnesia" as the root cause of failure. When you forget who you are and what you've been rescued from, you lose your compass. You drift back into old patterns not because you are "bad," but because you are blind to your own identity. Growth is the only cure for this blindness.
Peter spends a whole chapter warning about false teachers. Jeremy updates the context: Beware of influencers, ideologies, or leaders who "promise freedom but are themselves slaves of corruption."
The test of any teaching is: Does it produce liberty or bondage? Does it lead to self-control or self-indulgence? If a philosophy validates your lower impulses rather than challenging you to higher character, it is a trap.
Peter's final charge is to "be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure."
Jeremy concludes that certainty isn't a feeling; it's a result of diligence. You don't "find" confidence; you build it through consistent action and character development. If you build the structure Peter describes, "you will never fall."
Perfect for:
It means that faith is not passive. It is a partnership. God provides the power (faith/grace), but you must provide the effort (diligence) to add character traits like virtue and self-control. Faith is the engine; character is the transmission that puts power to the ground.
Peter explains that "The Lord is not slow... but is patient toward you." What we interpret as "delay" or "absence" is actually God's mercy, giving more people time to repent and align with Him before the final judgment. Delay is an opportunity, not a denial.
It is the condition of forgetting your true identity as a cleansed, empowered child of God. When you forget your past deliverance, you lack gratitude and direction for the present. The remedy is constant "reminders" through scripture, community, and personal growth practices.
Key Scripture Reference: 2 Peter 1:3, 1:5-7
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness... For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control..."