Participants of the divine nature

The Bible always tells us to live a life in holiness before the Lord, and is that we can not pretend to be followers of Christ if we live a life under sin, if we are really Christians we have to live as such, as the Scriptures teach us, our whole Christian life is based on living for the Lord and living in the Lord.

The apostle Peter wrote:

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,

2 Peter 1:8-10

We are partakers of a divine nature, and that is why in the verses before these that we just quoted the apostle Peter mentions a series of qualities that we must possess:

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7

Peter tells us that if all these things are in us they will not let us have an idle life, nor we will be without enough fruit in the knowledge of our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ. But, there is a warning to those who, being within the flock, do not possess these qualities and the verse eight says that those who do not possess them have very short sight, are blind, do not purify themselves of their former sins, but live a false life or double moral. We must run from that brothers, we must run soon.

What we must strive for in this wide-ranging career is to be firm in the Lord, this must be our greatest concern in the Christian life, since we have been called to this.

If we keep all these things as paramount in our lives, then we will never fall, but we will stand firm in the Lord.

When Peter speaks of adding to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love, he is describing the spiritual growth that should naturally occur in every believer who walks with Christ. These virtues are not produced by human willpower alone but by the work of the Holy Spirit in a surrendered heart. Holiness is not simply avoiding sin—it is the active pursuit of Christlikeness. As we mature, these qualities grow stronger, shaping our character and influencing the way we think, speak, and act. The Christian who cultivates these virtues becomes a reflection of Christ in a dark world, and through this transformation, others can see the power of the gospel lived out in real, tangible ways. Holiness, then, is not a burden but a privilege, a visible testimony of the God who rescued us and made us new.

At the same time, Peter warns that those who lack these qualities live in spiritual blindness. This is a sobering truth. A person may attend church, know Christian doctrine, or speak religious words, yet remain spiritually unfruitful because their life does not exhibit the qualities that flow from true repentance and genuine faith. Forgetting that we have been cleansed from past sins leads to complacency and spiritual stagnation. When a believer no longer remembers what Christ saved them from, their heart grows cold, their zeal fades, and temptation becomes more appealing. This is why Scripture repeatedly calls us to examine our hearts, to remember the grace that saved us, and to walk in the new life we have received. The Christian must be vigilant, for holiness is not passive—it is an intentional, daily pursuit.

The promise Peter gives is extraordinary: “If you do these things, you will never stumble.” This does not mean we will be free from trials, but that we will remain spiritually stable, rooted, and guarded by God’s power as we persevere in obedience. A life built on these virtues becomes unshakable because it is anchored in Christ, not in emotions or circumstances. As we grow in these qualities, our calling becomes clearer, our faith becomes stronger, and our witness becomes brighter. The Christian race is long, and the path is narrow, but God has equipped us with everything we need to walk in victory. Let us therefore pursue these virtues with diligence, remembering that holiness is not optional—it is the very evidence that we belong to the Lord. May we strive daily to add to our faith, so that we may stand firm until the end.