Our foundation text in this study is taken from the Second Epistle of Peter, chapter 1. Let's look first at verse 10: "Wherefore thee rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall [or fail]."

In The Amplified Bible the latter part of this verse says, "... make steadfast your calling and election; for if you do this you will never stumble or fall."

In this epistle Peter was teaching God's people how to never stumble or fall. He gave them some instructions and then said, "If you take heed to these things - if you do these things - you shall never fall!"

This is a goal we can reach for. We need to know the things we can do that will cause us to never stumble, to never fall. The answers are found right here in this chapter of God's Word.

Look closer at this portion of Scripture and read the verses leading up to verse 10. This gives us some idea, some clue, of how it is that we will never stumble or fall.

"Like Precious Faith"
Let's begin at the beginning: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle [or special messenger] of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).

From this verse we know that, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received like precious faith through Him. We have been given the faith of God.

"Grace"
"Grace...be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2).

Verse 2 in The Amplified Bible says, "May grace (God's favor)...be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise and correct) knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."

I want you to understand what Peter was saying here: May grace (God's favor)...be multiplied to you. He was praying for those believers and saying to them, "May God's favor be yours."

We know then that grace means God's favor. Favor allows us to do things that others cannot do. When God gives us favor, we are really blessed! With godly favor, we receive favor from both God and man. Then comes peace.

"Peace"
Let's look at verse 2 again from The Amplified Bible. Besides grace, Peter was praying that the Church know God's peace. The description of peace is given in this verse: "May grace (God's favor) and peace, (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you."

We see here that peace has a sixfold definition: perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, freedom from fear, deliverance from agitating passions and deliverance from all moral conflicts.

Included in this peace is the freedom from fear - all fear.

Think of all the fears you could be experiencing these days: fear of crime, fear of failure, fear of sickness and disease, fear of financial loss, fear of dying young, fear of losing your loved ones, fear that something bad will happen to you.

This one verse covers any area of fear you can imagine.

Peter was praying that God's people be set free from all fears. He wanted them to be free from agitating passions - passions of the flesh, things the body craves and desires. He wanted them to be free from moral conflicts. When you are without those conflicts, you can know God's way and be able to function and operate in it.

"Knowledge"
In verse 2 Peter was pronouncing a blessing upon God's people. Let's look at it again: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord" (KJV).

"May grace (God's favor) and peace...be multiplied to you in (the full, personal, precise and correct) knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (AMP).

We know the New Testament was written originally in Greek, and there are several Greek renderings for the word knowledge. We will look at two Greek words found in this chapter.

The Greek word in verse 2 translated "knowledge" is epignosis, which means a full and exact knowledge.

The key here is gaining epignosis - that full, complete and exact knowledge of God; coming to know His character, what He has done for you, what He has put in you. The more you learn about God and Jesus, the more you will be kept from stumbling or falling.

The apostle Peter prayed that the Church might have the full, complete, exact knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He prayed that because he knew knowledge was the key to victory.

You need to realize that epignosis - exact knowledge - is the key to victory in your life, too.

Peter was saying to the Church: "In order for you to neither stumble nor fall, you need to have the epignosis - the full, complete, exact knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."

"All Things That Pertain Unto Life and Godliness"
Continuing in this passage of Scripture, we read: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).

In The Amplified Bible this verse says, "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness."

In this verse the word all is a key. All means God has given us everything. It says we have been given all things that pertain unto life and godliness.

The New American Standard Bible says it this way: "... seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness."

Through His divine power, God has given us everything so that we might be able to win in this life. He has given us a promise in His Word for enough supernatural ability to bring about victory.

"More Knowledge"
We receive everything pertaining to life and godliness through knowledge, but not through knowledge alone. In verse 3 Peter goes on to say, "...through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue."

In The Amplified Bible it says, "...through the (full, personal) knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)."

In the New American Standard Bible it says: "...through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."

In other words, the more you know and understand the Lord Jesus and have a closer rapport with Him, the easier it will be for you to receive the promises that are available in this life.

God has given you a promise in His Word for power through the knowledge of Him so that you will be able to exercise victory in every area of your life. That means having victory at home with your spouse. It means raising your children the way God commands in His Word. It means knowing how to handle your financial affairs.

No matter what you may have to deal with in this life, God has provided victory for you in advance. That victory comes through the epignosis.

The Greek word for "knowledge" in verse 3 is also epignosis. All things that pertain unto life and godliness come through the exact, full knowledge of God - His character, Who He is, what He has done for you.

This means having knowledge of God the Father as Jehovah the Lord. You need to know about Jehovah. In the Hebrew He is given several names, such as Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, Jehovah-Nissi. The more knowledge you receive of Him, the more you will be able to walk in His blessing. That's why knowledge is power.

"Escaping the World's Corruption"
Peter goes on in verse 4 to say, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).

As believers, we accept all that Jesus has done for us: He died on the cross, took sin in our place and rose triumphantly from the grave, having defeated the power of sin and Satan. When we receive all He did for us, we become partakers of His divine nature. Then we are able to escape all the corruption that is going on in the world around us.

People are being destroyed throughout the world today. We can see and hear what is happening by watching and listening to news reports.

AIDS has become one of the top news subjects. In one African country, a third of all adults has been infected with the AIDS virus. That means one out of three persons in that country has the virus. As a result, millions of children are being orphaned as their parents are dying of that disease.

AIDS is one way in which the world is being destroyed, and it has come about because of the lust of the flesh.

But God does not intend for His people to be destroyed with the world.

The Amplified Bible says it this way: "By means of these (referring to those promises) He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape (by flight) from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4 AMP).

You see, the whole world is filled with covetousness, lust and corruption. It is decaying.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16).

Believers can be caught up in that corruption: the lust, the greed, the power. They can be destroyed with the world - unless they are able to escape.

God did not intend for the Church to be destroyed along with the world. He planned an escape for us.

There is only one way to escape the world's corruption (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life and all the greed in our world today). That way of escape is through the epignosis - the exact, full, complete knowledge of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, His Son.

Our escape from that corruption is based upon our really knowing the Lord and being in the position to receive His promises.

Learn Your Background
As you learn more and more about your heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, you will better understand His promises. And the more you know God and understand His promises, the more you will be able to see yourself as you really are - in Him.

That's also true regarding your life here on earth. By understanding your father and mother - their characteristics, their habits, their beliefs - you are better able to understand yourself. The more you learn about what is inside them, the more you can understand about the things they put in you that determine how you act.

You need to learn about your heavenly Father, the spiritual Daddy from Whom you were born, and about His Son, Jesus Christ. The more you learn, the more insight you will receive regarding how you see yourself spiritually.

That epignosis will change the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you look at yourself. You will begin saying to yourself, I have power to do whatever my heavenly Father said, because my Daddy is number one! You will realize how all that your Father has is in you!
my genes in them!

Diligently Add to Your Faith
Let's go on to the next verse: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith" (2 Peter 1:5).

This verse is saying, "Besides this - having already received His great and precious promises, being a partaker of His divine nature and escaping the corruption in the world through lust - give all diligence and add to your faith."

Notice it says, Add to your faith.

The word faith in this verse does not mean your religious affiliation - whether Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, or some other denomination. When born again, every believer has been given the measure of the God-kind of faith - the ability to believe His promises and appropriate them in this life.

There has been much teaching in the Body of Christ on the subject of faith. Sermons have been preached on how there is great faith, little faith, strong faith, weak faith.

You may know and understand this subject, but you need to realize that operating in faith alone is not enough. Understanding that you have the faith of God and knowing how to walk in strong faith is not enough.

Faith is important; it is the bedrock, the basis of our walk with God. God's Word says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6.).

But walking by faith alone is not enough. It takes more than just believing God for things. You can operate in faith and still stumble and fall. To be in a position to obtain the goal of never stumbling or falling, you need to add to your faith.

Source: Success Strategies From Heaven by Keith Butler
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers