A common belief among the church is we should exhort each-other to holy living, which we commonly believe to be to stop committing sinful acts. This has actually caused a lot of confusion, resentment, bitterness and condemnation with many in the church due to the fact that it takes the center focus away from Christ and puts the focus back onto ourselves and our own works. It may surprise you to learn then that God has a completely different diagnosis and prescription for living a strong life in Christ (your holiness is actually already taken care of, as we have studied previously); but as for living a strong and solid life built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the typical way in which the church body handles this is not only detrimental, but actually opposite to what scripture says!
That’s why, today in this study we will be examining from scripture what God says about living a strong life in Christ. How it happens, what can hinder it, and how we should react if we see someone else struggling (or ourselves!) and hint: it is not by pointing out their faults! If you have been wondering what the real Biblical solution is to strength for living, this study will reveal the “secret”.
Now you have probably already seen the title of today’s study, and you even might be thinking that it is quite a bold statement. How can I dare to make the claim that believers can “never fall”? Well, it’s not actually my claim, it is in the scripture. The Holy Spirit has made the claim and I am just repeating it. The confusion comes from the fact that we typically think that believers “fall” whenever they sin. When a notable pastor or leader in the Christian community sins, we usually employ the phrase “he fell from grace”. Yet this use of the term is not truly accurate from a Biblical standpoint. In Galatians 5:4, we see the verse where our popular phrase comes from:
“Christ is become of no effect to you, whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.”
So we can see plainly from this verse that to “fall from grace” is not talking about sinful deeds at all, but actually unbelief in Christ. Remember that whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). If you try to earn the favor of God or His blessings by your own performance or obedience or by anything that you do, then you have fallen from Grace, this is what the phrase means. All of us commit sinful acts every day, if we fall from grace every time we sin, then Grace would be meaningless because it is actually by Grace that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8). We need grace, especially when we sin. And it is the Grace of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4, Psalms 130:4). To say that we fall from grace when we commit sinful actions is actually a complete misnomer.
Now with this biblical understanding of the term “fall from grace” we can now move onto the main topic, of how to live solid in Christ and “never fall”. For this, we go to 2nd Peter 1:4-11:
“Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Why the rather, brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
In verse 4, we see that we are given by God exceedingly great and precious promises. These exceedingly great and precious promises are given to you by God for a purpose…. That by these you might be partakers of the divine nature… Stop and meditate on what this is saying for a moment, because this is a marvelous reality and an amazing truth. God has given you all of these promises; they are not small promises, nor are they low-value; they are in-fact exceedingly great and precious. And this verse also says that By these promises you may be a partaker of the divine nature – that is the divine nature of God Himself. This is not fantasy or vain high-mindedness, this is the word of God written for you, my friend.
The verse then goes on to tell you another important truth that is vital to our understanding, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Please take note of this important detail: You have already escaped the corruption of the world. It was done the moment you received Jesus Christ. You are not trying to escape corruption through your behaviors or performance in any way. This part of the verse is telling you what your status is, not telling you what you have to try and earn or strive for. Keep this fact in-mind as we proceed.
Next, in verses 5 through 7, we see a list of character traits; they are virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity (or love).
Now verse 5 says in most English translations “with all diligence, add to your faith”, and this phrasing has caused some confusion, leading people to think that faith is not enough, and that along with their faith they must work to produce this list of things. However in the original Greek text, that small little word “to” there, in the phrase add to your faith, is actually the Greek en which means in. So the verse actually is instructing us to add these things in our faith. What does this mean for us exactly? That we are not being told to strive for these things ourselves in addition to having faith in Christ; not at all! We are actually being told that we should have faith for these things to be produced in us by the finished work of Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit. You are not trying to get or achieve these things… No, in Christ Jesus, you already have these things. The verse is saying, add these in to the faith that you have. Recognize them and receive them.
You don’t need to take my word for this… look at verse 8: For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you will be neither barren nor unfruitful; where? In the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire context here is the faith knowledge that we have about Jesus and what we have in Him. Continue on to verse 9 and see it even more clearly.
He that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, having forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Now I find this extremely interesting! If we see someone lacking moral character in the body of Christ, we tend to admonish him that he needs to straighten up, he needs to get right! We tell him that he needs to restore relationship with God and we use all of this condemning language and judgmental tones that would make the person feel as if they severed themselves from God. However, God’s diagnosis here is very different from ours. He says that if you see such a person, they are blind to the truth! They have forgotten that they have been purged from their sins! God’s prescription for such a person, is not to spurn them on to self-effort or works, but to remind them of the truth that in Christ they have been cleansed! Their sins have been purged! This is a total paradigm shift from the way that Christians typically think and behave!
This is even reinforced more in verses 10 and 11:
“Why the rather, brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Verse 10 says to give diligence, to what? To make your calling and election sure. To be clear, this is not saying to make sure that you are saved, or that you need to do something to ensure or prove your salvation, beyond accepting Christ. What this is actually saying is that you should settle the matter in yourself. Make your calling and election sure within yourself. Some people are always on shifting sand, doubting their salvation or always afraid that they will lose their salvation. Even though we are all predestined to be conformed to he image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:30). This verse says that those who make their calling and election sure beyond doubting, those people will never fall. On the other hand, do you remember what we learned at the start of this study about falling from grace? Trusting in works and self-effort? Those who doubt their calling and election will always be tempted and struggle with going back to works because they will always be on shifting sand – never sure of their salvation.
However, verse 11 is a wonderful lifeline for all who have ears to hear this truth: an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The entrance is there, it is being ministered to you, and not just a little bit, but abundantly. For those who hold fast to Jesus Christ, we know that the entrance way can not be shut in our face because He Himself is the door (John 10:9). Jesus is the entrance way, and once you have Him, you have everything.
Those who struggle and strive within themselves for any of the things we have read about today, they have not fully grasped the fundamental truths of what Christ has done for them. Yet remember what the Holy Spirit said – don’t point an angry finger them… don’t minister, guilt, condemnation or shame… but remind them of what Christ has done for them. The verse says that they are blind; and Jesus is the One who opens the eyes of the blind and restores sight.
Yes, when you grasp the truth of your reality in Christ, you will realize how safe and secure in Him you really are. How your battle has already been won and how everything you thought you needed has already been supplied by, in, and through Him. So, look and live, believe and receive. It is all given to you in Christ.