³God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity. ⁴Through his glory and integrity he has given us his promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world.

⁵Because of this, make every effort to add integrity to your faith; and to integrity add knowledge; ⁶to knowledge add self-control; to self-control add endurance; to endurance add godliness; ⁷to godliness add Christian affection; and to Christian affection add love. ⁸If you have these qualities and they are increasing, it demonstrates that your knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ is living and productive. ⁹If these qualities aren’t present in your life, you’re shortsighted and have forgotten that you were cleansed from your past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters, use more effort to make God’s calling and choosing of you secure.

If you keep doing this, you will never fall away. ¹¹Then you will also be given the wealth of entering into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹²Therefore, I will always remind you about these qualities, although you already know about them and are well-grounded in the truth that you now have. ¹³As long as I’m still alive, I think it’s right to refresh your memory. ¹⁴I know that I will die soon. Our Lord Jesus Christ has made that clear to me. ¹⁵So I will make every effort to see that you remember these things after I die.

Pay Attention to God’s Words

¹⁶When we apostles told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we didn’t base our message on clever myths that we made up. Rather, we witnessed his majesty with our own eyes. ¹⁷For example, we were eyewitnesses when he received honor and glory from God the Father and when the voice of our majestic God spoke these words to him: “This is my Son, whom I love and in whom I delight.” ¹⁸We heard that voice speak to him from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹So we regard the words of the prophets as confirmed beyond all doubt. You’re doing well by paying attention to their words. Continue to pay attention as you would to a light that shines in a dark place as you wait for day to come and the morning star to rise in your hearts. ²⁰First, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. ²¹No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God’s direction.

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Footnotes

a 1:2 Or “grace.”