VIII.
I wonder if we hear Peter’s words to us as encouragement or scolding?

It could be when we read, “… make every effort to support your faith with …” we could hear him speaking from disappointment and scolding us for our shortcomings But I do not hear him with that kind of voice, but speaking words of encouragement to people he loves.

IX.
“Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you.”

Peter is not telling his readers anything they do not already know. Not only that but he believes they not only know these things but are living from that foundation of “faith … and goodness … and knowledge …”

So, does it make sense that he “intend[s] to keep on reminding [them] of these things”?

It does to me. I certainly need reminders. I need encouragement. I need a mature voice of one who has been there before me to remind me I am on the right path. I need that reminder to strengthen my daily walk on that path.

What about you? Do you find his reminders profitable? Do they give you strength for today and tomorrow?

X.
Over these past three months we have looked at 13 passages of Scripture all of which have something to say to us about faith and living a life of faith.

It might be time to look back over those passages and see what encouragement they offer you. What can you take from them that helps you “…. support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.”

I don’t think we should set this up in our minds as a test to measure success or failure, but rather as an example of what the outcome of faith can be. Faith is the start and if you give yourself to that faith you will not stumble, you will not be ineffective and you will not be unfruitful. Isn’t that part of what Peter sets out as reminders for his readers?

It is good for us to be reminded also.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}