As we continue our study of 2nd Peter 1:1-11 we come now to the punch line in verses 10-11: “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Did you catch the phrase, “you will never fall”? Similar to the words which caught my attention in verse 8, this phrase also hooked me – “you will never fall!”
Christians often stumble in the face of the ambiguities they encounter in their daily life. It could be health issues, emotional trauma, questions about uncertainties, opposition, friends that neglect or fail you. All of these and many more can cause us to “fall” into discouragement, disappointment, despair and even defeat. Often our own shortcomings cause us to stumble and fall.
How does a Christian keep from falling? In a very real sense he can’t keep himself from falling. Jude declares in Jude 24-25, “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
The same root word is found in both of these references. It has the idea of being “sure-footed as a horse that does not stumble” (Xenophon). God protects and preserves those who trust in Him. It’s like a child holding on to the strong grip of his father. He might stumble, but the grip of the father keeps him from falling.
