But Also For This Very Reason

2 Peter 1:5 begins with a phrase that deserves our careful attention: “But also for this very reason.” These words do not stand alone. They reach backward, connecting what Peter is about to say with what he has already established. To understand the call to diligence that follows, we must first appreciate the reason that makes such diligence necessary.

Our study continues from our last article (Grace and Peace), focused on 2 Peter 1:2–3, where Peter reminds his readers of the abundant provision God has already made. He opens with a blessing: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Grace and peace are not merely granted; they are multiplied through knowledge — knowledge rooted in God’s revelation of Himself through His Word.

Peter goes on to affirm that God’s divine power has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Nothing essential is lacking. Our physical needs and our spiritual needs are fully supplied, and they are supplied through knowing Him who called us by glory and virtue. This knowledge is not abstract or theoretical; it is transformational.

We should take note of verse 4, where Peter speaks of the “exceedingly great and precious promises” given to us. Through these promises, we become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God’s promises are not empty words; they accomplish something real in the life of the believer. They rescue us from corruption and draw us into fellowship with God Himself.

Throughout Scripture, God’s promises are central to His redemptive work.  In Galatians 3, Paul points to the promises made to Abraham, showing that they ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ. Peter echoes this truth when he addresses believers as those who have obtained a “like precious faith” through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. John reinforces it simply and beautifully: “This is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

Because our sins have been forgiven, fellowship with God is now possible. Yet this fellowship requires that we have truly escaped the corruption of sin. As John explains, walking in the light is inseparable from fellowship with God, and it is the blood of Jesus that continually cleanses us. Redemption is not merely a past event; it is the foundation of an ongoing, transformed life. This transformation begins when we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection; as Paul explains in Romans 6:3-6, we are buried with Him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised, we too might walk in newness of life.

It is at this point that Peter says, “But also for this very reason.” The phrase demands that we pause. It invites us to look back before we press forward. As students of Scripture, phrases like this should awaken our curiosity. They remind us that God’s Word is carefully constructed, with each thought building upon the last.

Peter then exhorts believers to give all diligence — to add virtue to faith, knowledge to virtue, self-control to knowledge, perseverance to self-control, godliness to perseverance, brotherly kindness to godliness, and love to brotherly kindness. These qualities do not emerge in a vacuum. They grow out of a redeemed life, one that has been cleansed from sin and called into fellowship with God. To overlook that foundation is to misunderstand the command entirely.

Scripture often teaches this way, building truth layer upon layer. Paul’s letter to the Romans is a clear example. Questions, phrases, and transitions continually point backward, urging the reader to consider what has already been said. The meaning of each section depends upon the whole. Peter writes with the same care and intention.

Therefore, it would be irresponsible to study 2 Peter 1:5–11 without asking why diligence is required in the first place. The answer is simple and profound: we have been redeemed. We have been freed from sin. We have been bought at a price. Because of this, our lives are no longer our own.

As we prepare to study these verses more deeply in coming articles, let us remember that our growth in faith is a response to grace, not an attempt to earn it. We add to our faith because God has already given us everything we need. May we approach this study with prayerful hearts, eager minds, and a sincere desire to glorify the God who loved us and gave His Son for us.