You don't get much exercise, coasting downhill on a

bike. It doesn't take much effort. And showing up and sitting in a church

queue every Sunday can be like spiritually coasting. Today on Truth For Life we'll

learn how we can actively improve our spiritual health as we strive to

follow Jesus. Alistair Bang is teaching in 2nd Peter chapter 3.

What you have here from 14 through to the end is Peter wrapping up this letter

with some very straightforward and helpful instruction. First of all,

inverse, 14 so-then dear friends, since you're looking forward to this, make

every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. You've

noticed the logic in Peter's exhortations we saw in verse 11, since everything

will be this, then at the end of the verse you ought to be this, since so. And as

he proceeds through that and gives instruction concerning the promise of

Christ's return, the wrapping up of the cosmos as we know it, he then on the basis

of what he has said makes application and the linkage is there in the opening

two words in our English translation at least, so-then dear friends. Now the

verb is not unique to Peter, it's used throughout the New Testament. Paul uses

it frequently himself. For example, just one reference in Ephesians 4, he says,

make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And that

is the same word that is being applied here. Now what it is is straight

forwardly, a reminder of the responsibility of every true believer to exert

himself or to exert herself in developing Christian conduct. Now let us be very

very clear and it's important that we always are, this is not a call to ethical

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