“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ”—2Peter 1:10-11
The word translated as “fall” in the above opening text, is from the Greek word ‘ptaio’ meaning ‘to trip’. Which in other words means: to err, sin, fail or stumble concerning salvation. So the statement “ye shall never fall”, as used in our opening text means:
- You shall never fall into error, such as heresy and delusion.
- You shall never fall into sin, especially habitual sin.
- You shall never fail or stumble concerning your eternal salvation. Such as falling into apostasy and agnosticism.
These definitions are flawless, given the preceding statements and the immediate accompanying verse as stated in the opening text…
The preceding statement says: “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure”. Your calling and election here, refers to our calling and election of grace. Which in a phrase means, “Eternal Salvation”. The immediate following verse confirms this. It says, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ”—2Peter 1:11
Hence, the Apostle Peter—by the Spirit—reveals to us, that there are certain spiritual secrets or keys which if we diligently engage, can certainly make us infallible. These spiritual secrets make us infallible to spiritual errors. They make us infallible to sin—especially habitual sin. And most importantly, they make us infallible from our calling and election in Christ Jesus, which is our call to Eternal Salvation and Life.
So What Are These Infallibility Secrets?
“Simon Peter , a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye 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 ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”—2Peter 1:1-11
From the above quoted scripture, the Apostle Peter by the Spirit, delivers Eight powerful spiritual secrets that guarantees our infallibility from our calling and election of Grace. So we are going to consider these secrets, so we can better understand them, and consequently be able to diligently walk in them, as the word of God admonishes us.
Here are these infallibility keys.
- Faith: First on the list of these infallibility keys is faith. Every born again child of God has same measure and spirit of faith, given to him or her, at salvation. And no believer has more quantity of faith than another.
We all have the mountain moving faith (Romans 12:3; 2Corinthians 4:13). Then to live an infallible life, you must always engage your faith. You must walk by faith and not by sight concerning every area of life (1 Corinthians 5:7). The word of God says, the Just shall live by faith (Hebrews 10:38).
- Virtue: The word translated as virtue in the context of the second book of Peter as we quoted earlier, is from the Greek word, “arête” properly meaning, manliness or valor. In other words, excellence.That is, being extremely good or being the best in everything we do.
You know, the Lord says we shall be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13).A very good scriptural example of virtuousness is the virtuous woman described in proverbs 31:10-29. So another great key of infallibility, according to scripture is excellence, through diligence, in everything we do. Including our service to God. To this end, the word of God tells us, whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with thy might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
- Knowledge: Knowledge here refers to the revelational knowledge of God’s word as revealed by the Holy Ghost from scriptures. And it comes by consistent bible study, meditation and prayers.
To walk in spiritual infallibility then, you must as a lifestyle, hunt for the revelational knowledge of God’s word. And as you receive these revelational knowledge, you must live them out to be infallible.
- Temperance: Another word for temperance is self-control or self-discipline. The word of God tells us we already have in us, the spirit of sound mind or self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). And the Apostle Peter also lists it here as one of the secrets of infallibility.
Thus, to walk in infallibility, we must walk in self-control; which is another word for temperance, sound mind, self-discipline or sobriety. We must discipline ourselves in what we say, how we eat; sexually; in how we dress; and in every other things.
- Patience: Patience as used in the book of Peter we are expounding here is from the Greek word, “hypomone” meaning, cheerful or hopeful endurance or constancy. It is also translated as patience continuance.
To be infallible in our calling and election in Christ Jesus, we must exercise patience in our walk with God. We are to hopefully endure whatever affliction or tribulation that comes our way without any iota of wavering even unto death.We must be patient in our profession and exercise of faith and love.
Even when we don’t get the desired result the word of God promises. We must not for any reason cast away our confidence and draw back unto perdition. Rather, we must patiently believe unto the saving of our souls (Hebrews 10:35-39).
- Godliness: Godliness is another key we are admonished to add to our faith for infallibility. Godliness is another word for holiness. That is sanctification. Godliness is Separation from sin and separating to God. It is living above sin. The word of God says we must pursue peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see God (Hebrews 12:14). So if we want to see God in our lives now and in eternity, we must walk in Godliness or holiness (sanctification).
- Brotherly Kindness: Brotherly Kindness is from the Greek word “Philadelphia”, which means, fraternal affection. It is another word for brotherly love or love of the brethren.
It is the love or kindness between brothers and sisters. It is the burden bearing love between brethren in the Lord. If we walk in this affection, the word of God says we shall never fall. This is one of the secrets of infallibility. It is this kind of love that obeys God’s second greatest commandment – Love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 22:39).
- Charity: Charity is from the Greek word ‘agape’ meaning Love. I believe this key should top the list of the secrets of infallibility, that’s why the Apostle Peter listed it last. Charity in most scriptural context encapsulates or includes brotherly kindness as we just expounded above.
It is an affection poured in the heart, only by the Holy Ghost. It is affection from God, towards God, and people. Charity is affection or benevolence that goes beyond brotherhood.Charity is divine affection that spreads even to the undeserving. To this end, it is superior to Philadelphia, which is just brotherly love.
Charity (agape) is a forgiving and forbearing love. And it is the greatest key for infallibility in Christ. But however, it must be combined with the other seven keys for maximum manifestation and effect.
So there you have it. According to the scripture, these eight secrets or keys are the biblical secrets to infallibility from our calling and election of grace.
