“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Peter wanted to be an elite disciple. He told Jesus that his devotion was so great that he would follow Him like none other of the disciples would. Though they bailed out, he would stay true, even unto death. But Peter’s desire outstripped his level of maturity.
As he grew he came to understand the dynamics of discipleship. Yes, from the very beginning we are given all we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). We have divine potential. But that power must be actualized. Becoming all we can be in Christ is a process.
Every believer is an acorn that can become a mighty oak; but to do so we must, with all diligence, add virtue to our faith; add knowledge to our virtue; add temperance to our knowledge; add patience to our temperance; add godliness to our patience; add brotherly kindness to our godliness; and add charity to our brotherly kindness. (2 Pet. 1:5-7)
Wow! Sounds like a big ticket … and we prefer shortcuts. But there is no shortcut to real growth. Peter came to understand why he fell. He thought he was further along than he really was. And here, after he has recovered and grown wiser and stronger over the years, he desires to strengthen his brethren, as the Lord prophesied he would.
Let us not despise the words of the wiser apostle. Let us commit to God’s necessary work being done in our life. If we do, we will excel as His disciples, and we will not fall.
“For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10)