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Growth in Christian Virtue

^1 (F1)Simon Peter, a ^(C1)bond-servant and ^(C2)apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received ^(C3)a faith of the same ^(F2)kind as ours, ^(F3)by ^(C4)the righteousness of ^(C5)our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:^2 (C1)Grace and peace be multiplied to you in ^(C2)the knowledge of God and of Jesus ^(F1)our Lord,³ for His ^(C1)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true ^(C2)knowledge of Him who ^(C3)called us ^(F1)by His own glory and ^(F2)excellence.⁴ Through ^(F1)these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent ^(C1)promises, so that by them you may become ^(C2)partakers of the divine nature, having ^(C3)escaped the ^(C4)corruption that is in ^(C5)the world on account of lust.⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith ^(C1)supply ^(C2)moral ^(F1)excellence, and in your moral excellence, ^(C3)knowledge,⁶ and in your knowledge, ^(C1)self-control, and in your self-control, ^(C2)perseverance, and in your perseverance, ^(C3)godliness,⁷ and in your godliness, ^(C1)brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor ^(C1)unproductive in the true ^(C2)knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is ^(C1)blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his ^(C2)purification from his former sins.¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His ^(C1)calling and ^(C2)choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never ^(C3)stumble;¹¹ for in this way the entrance into ^(C1)the eternal kingdom of our ^(C2)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be ^(C3)abundantly ^(C4)supplied to you.

¹² Therefore, ^(C1)I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in ^(C2)the truth which is present with you.¹³ I consider it ^(C1)right, as long as I am in ^(C2)this earthly ^(F1)dwelling, to ^(C3)stir you up by way of reminder,¹⁴ knowing that ^(C1)the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, ^(C2)as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.¹⁵ And I will also be diligent that at any time after my ^(C1)departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised ^(C1)tales when we made known to you the ^(C2)power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were ^(C3)eyewitnesses of His majesty.¹⁷ For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such a ^(F1)(C1)declaration as this was made to Him by the ^(C2)Majestic Glory: "This is ^(F2)My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased"—¹⁸ and we ourselves heard this ^(F1)declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on the ^(C1)holy mountain.

¹⁹ And so we have ^(C1)the prophetic word made more ^(C2)sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to ^(C3)a lamp shining in a dark place, until the ^(C4)day dawns and the ^(C5)morning star arises ^(C6)in your hearts.²⁰ But ^(C1)know this first of all, that ^(C2)no prophecy of Scripture ^(F1)becomes a matter of ^(F2)someone's own interpretation,²¹ for ^(C1)no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men ^(C2)moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.