2 Peter 1: Righteousness Leads to Christ’s Love Manifested in You
In 2 Peter 1 - From righteousness to righteousness: Re-created in God’s Image I wrote,
When accused of wrong-doing, Christ said nothing to His accusers. Having established for the scriptures that the judgements of evil-doers has no weight, He refused to take a defensive stand against them. Though making it appear like He was legitimizing their judgement, it is defending Himself in their court that would have legitimized their right to make such judgement over Him. He simply yielded to show the extent to which He would go for the love of His sheep, letting sinners follow through on their sin so that He could follow through on His obedience.
And through His righteousness, we are righteous… re-created in Christ’s image… born again.
As Peter puts it:
 3His 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. 4Through 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.
–> Turning from evil to good: righteousness! God’s justice.
 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, first comes the righteousness of belief, then comes our obedience, a living breathing righteousness, accounted to us by God, and manifested in us because of Christ. And what of those James would warn us of? Those elect with a dying or dead faith?
 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
–> Turning from good to evil can result from lack of obedience. You remain cleansed from past sins, but you risk death. You can in fact choose evil again at this point… your choice. Mere sin does not consititute such choice, but some do make it, and they will be condemned in my opinion. Their choice –> God’s justice.
 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Â
At this point, I must say that you cannot “lose” your salvation, but I personally believe you can give it up. I know no one personally who backslid and then gave up their salvation… but they sure stretched Christ’s a arms a long distance through their actions! In my life, I have seen God respond by taking them home, but usually after revealing to them their inability to live any other way on their own. I don’t know if that is what God does in general, but it is what I have seen. Those people I have read of on the internet who did appear to give up on their salvation, were not giving up salvation per se, not in their mind anyway. They were giving up belief. And that always make me wonder if they were ever saved to begin with… meaning did they actually believe? Were they accounted righteousness for actual belief? Or were they simply fulfilling people’s expectations? I will never know and do not have to. And neither do you. Be assured of your place with God. You believe Him; He has accounted you rightesousness… but do not risk becoming cold and callous toward Him. Make your election sure. Take the next step. Obey. Re-read verses 5 to 8. These should be your heart, your desire. For those who are sure, but have grown too comfortable, renew yourself in verse 5 to 8. Love God and love your neighbor. “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”