2 Peter 1:4-11

4For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

When we do not put all our effort into building our faith, our spiritual vision becomes clouded, leading to a weaker understanding of and commitment to our faith, salvation, heaven, and relationship with God. Our faith falls asleep. We find it hard to learn from the Bible or sermons, slowing our growth and the development of a stronger faith. 

Our vision becomes clearer when we closely examine our relationship with the Lord, allowing us to identify and repair areas of disconnect from His purpose. True peace comes through self-reflection, repentance, and making corrections. If we only receive praise without recognizing areas for improvement, we should realize that we’ve missed something. And, if we face hardship, we shouldn’t envy those who lead comfortable lives without effort in their faith. These hardships are designed by the Lord out of His love for us to refine and strengthen our faith, guiding us toward salvation.

To revive our faith, we must regularly review if and where we’re not aligning with God’s plan. Complacency, pride, and our old ways can steer us off course. Through self-examination and contemplation, we can see how our old habits hold us back. Recognizing and changing our sinful behaviors is how we reconnect with God. We should think about our past actions, present, and plan for the future, always considering the kind of person we want to be. Learning from our past helps us face present and future challenges faithfully. This growth comes through study of His word, through prayer, and striving to do what’s right in God’s view.

After looking into ourselves, think about how we treat others and the effects of our actions on them. Selfishness blocks our ability to understand others’ perspectives, leading to conflicts, resentment, and a lack of empathy. Have I been kind and respectful to others? Realize that faith is about being humble, putting the Lord and others above ourselves. Self-centered people focus only on themselves, believing they’re always right. Using religion selfishly prohibits us from reflecting on our actions as we serve our desires instead of the Lord’s. This is how our faith suffers when we lose our vision.

Spend more time working on your faith to see things more clearly through self-examination as you read the Bible, attend worship, and pray more earnestly. This means reflecting on your past, present, and future actions, considering your own actions and others. Discover and change your ways for the better. We shouldn’t get distracted or lazy on this journey. The more we try, the better our vision and the more joy and peace the Lord will bring into our lives.

Please click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1984-5-17a