Hearing GOD’S Voice requires us to be diligent!
Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2nd Peter chapter 1:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His Divine power has given to us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by glory and virtue,
We have all been called but few have accepted His call wholeheartedly. His Grace was freely given but He expects us to take steps toward full maturity in Christ. Our salvation was just the beginning.
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have been given the ability to be partakers of the Divine Nature here on earth. What is a partaker? It is one, by his own volition, takes part in something. You and I must decide to take part in the Divine Nature and it requires us to diligently seek It.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to Godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness Love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will be rewarded from our diligence in hearing and responding to GOD’S Voice and will be abundantly fruitful in all areas. Then Peter warns us:
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Don’t be shortsighted… be “longsighted”.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
It is up to each of us to make our call and election sure. It is vital that we be diligent on a daily basis to become mature in our walk with The Lord so that we don’t stumble.
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
What a great promise!
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present Truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent (body), to stir you up by reminding you,
I too have been called to remind you of these Truths! I remind myself as well and I am grateful for such an opportunity to grow in THE LORD.
And in 2nd Peter chapter 3:
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the Wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Untaught and unstable people will insert their own soulish opinions to what the Scriptures say. Beware of men’s opinions! Their opinions will cause you to go into a ditch. They can be convincing in their arguments and will often tickle your ears to entice you to accept such error. This is why it is critical to hear GOD’S Voice!
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Diligence is an active noun. We are to be active, not passive, in pursuing a mature walk where we consistently hear GOD’S Voice. We must not allow ourselves to become lazy and attempt to coast through life.
As Paul reminds us by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 12:
9 Let Love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly Love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;