Make every effort: Peter’s desire for us is that we would be confident of our relationship with Jesus, assured in our faith. I believe that this is the reason he implores us to make every effort to add to the faith we have been granted those disciplines that will enhance and make effective our relationship with our heavenly Father, Jesus our Brother, and the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
Through our brother Peter, God reveals His desire for us. God’s desire is that we would see and choose what is most important – experiencing His love, we would then Love Him with our whole strength, showing our devotion, in and to that love, by making every effort to show Him and others, that He and those that are His ARE most important. In adding to our faith what is most important we are agreeing with God that He is wise and good and join with Him in His grand and most important purpose - that we would be like Jesus – to the glory of our Father.
It is God’s intention that we see then, that this life of making every effort is not just with Him, but that we would receive from God His admonition that “it is not good for us to be alone” and thus recognize the privilege and joy of being part of the Body of Christ, those with whom God has placed us, and see the second part of the “Great Commandment” to love, for what it is, that it is like the first, that when we love one another, we are loving Him and His purposes, Him and His Body, we are loving what and who He loves. That we would place much energy and effort into the loving of “one another”, just like Jesus did, like family, and therefore, see affection for our brothers and sisters in Christ, we agree with Jesus with what He believes to be most important among all things important – to love those with whom we will spend eternity (and in doing so, entice the lost to join the party!).
When we develop and foster brotherly affection, we are joining Jesus in calling one another “friend and brother, family”, and actually participating in Jesus’ declaration: my family is those who do the will of God by following me with full devotion, with one another. (Mark 3)
Brotherly affection - I love my relationship with you - I like you, I have a growing affection
Mark 3:31-35
Hebrews 10:19-25
Phil 2:1-5
1Corinthians 11:17-34
Let us consider this: though we are responsible and will be held accountable for the maintenance of our own relationship, we are never meant to do this alone:
His Divine Being in His own Divine Community - “Let us make them…” (Gen 1:26) - a reflection of the fullness of the deity which is Jesus (Jn 1:16; Col 1:19; 2:9)
As God, in essence, is saying: “I AM not alone, neither have I ever been alone, therefore…”
His divine wisdom - “...it is not good for man to be alone…, …in Our image and likeness…” (Gen 2:18) expressed most fully in Jesus, the wisdom of God, in whom is locked the wisdom of God, which is now ours in Christ Jesus (1Cor 1:24,30; Col 2:2-3; Ja 3:17)
And I will not leave you alone… John 14
His divine power - the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jo 14:16; Ro 8; Eph 1:13; 4:30 1Cor 1:12; 2:9-11; 2Pe 1:2-3)
His divine presence - “my Father and I will make our home in you” (Jn 14:21,23; 15:10 16:27)
His divine working - “it is God who works IN you” (Isa 26:12; Phil 2:13; 1Co 12:6) also works through you
His divine providence and placing - “...members of one body… given grace… to edify one another…” (1Co 12)
His divine prompting - “to will and to act, to desire to act, according to…” (Phil 2:13; 1Cor 12:6; 15:10; 2Co 5; Eph 1:5)
His divine keeping - the Lord knows how to keep His own” (ps 37:28; 97:10; 1Pe 1:4; 2Pe 2:5,9)
His divine finishing - promises to finish what He has begun - “He will finish the work that He has begun (Ph 1)
His divine purpose - creating and conforming us in and to Jesus - “to be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Ro 8)
His divine plan - to fill the kingdom of and for the Son He loves - “.... that He would be the first among many brothers and sisters”
His divine going - “...as You have sent me, so I send them…”, “...therefore go… and I will be with you…” (Jo 17; Matt 28)
His divine intercession - Jesus and the Holy Spirit are interceding, advocating for us, defending us
To His divine glory - that in His grace upon us, not just for salvation, but for our privileged work with Him, that He would declare to the heavenlies His immeasurable grace - (Matt 5; Eph; Phil 2)
By His divine sovereignty - that everything would be placed under His feet (Ps 110:1; Dan 2:44; Mat 22:44; Heb 1:13; 10:13; Phil 2:5-11) and we would rule with Him forever
All according to…
His divine breath - His Word, Jesus, and His words - the words that proceed from the mouth of God - and this according to God’s final Word, practiced and confirmed by Jesus (Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4; Jo 1; Deut 8:3; 29:29; Pr 6:23; Ro 2Tim 3:16; 15:4; 2Pe 1:20-21)
