2 Peter 1:5-9

“Kinetic Christianity”

In science classes in high school, we learned about two different types of energy: potential energy and kinetic energy. Obviously these aren’t the only kinds of energy, but I remember these two because I could “see” how these things were applied to real life. Now potential energy is “stored energy,” and kinetic energy is “is energy in motion.”  To illustrate this, think of those model airplanes that are propelled by twisting a rubber band.  As I wind up the propeller and the rubber band gets tighter and tighter, I am putting energy into the airplane.  After I finish winding it and the plane sits without moving, it is said to have potential; there is energy stored in the rubber band waiting to propell the plane into the air.  When I take my hand off the propeller, that potential energy is then converted into kinetic energy, or energy in motion.  This kinetic energy causes the planed to fly.  So if I never take my hand off the propeller of the plane, the plane will never fly.  The potential energy will never be converted to kinetic energy.

The apostle Peter wrote this letter to Christians spread out through Asia who were facing many dangers. During the time of this letter, the Roman emperor Nero was persecuting the church and killing Christians for their faith and false teachers were infiltrating the church and spreading false teachings. Peter knew that the Christians back then would be prone to forgetting the basic truths of the faith, especially in the face of such trials. So his letter was written to exhort the church and to help to defend against that tendency.

In verse 5 of this passage, Peter writes to these believers, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith…” and he continues with a list of qualities that each believer is to add to their faith. But what is the “reason” that we’re supposed to add this? If you look back at verses three and four, we get an explanation. Peter tells those reading his letter that “[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” When most people talk about “their faith” they talk about it as though it were something that they’ve done on their own, or something that they have invented. To view faith like this cheapens the work that God is doing inside of us. Ephesians 2:8,9 tells us “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God,” and Peter says that through this gift, “he has given us everything we need” and that “he has given us his very great and precious promises.” God is the one who creates faith inside of us and allows us to believe both that He exists, but also something more.