2 Peter 1:9-10 “Not Forgetting God’s Grace”
A Sermon on 2 Peter 1:9–10 Not Forgetting God’s Grace
The Danger of Forgetting God’s Grace
We have already seen that making our calling and election sure involves practicing godly qualities—qualities that are empowered by the Spirit and bear witness that we belong to Christ. However, another way we confirm our calling is by not forgetting the grace of God.
Look with me at verse 9:
“For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”
The first question we must ask is: Who is Peter talking about here? He describes these people as blind, lacking the qualities of faith, virtue, knowledge, and godliness. Yet, he also says that they have forgotten they were cleansed from their former sins. How can both be true?
The Self-Deceived: Professing but Not Possessing
This passage makes sense when we consider that Peter is speaking not of true believers, but of those who profess to be cleansed yet lack true faith. They claim to know Jesus, to have been saved by Him, yet their lives show no transformation. Their faith is merely intellectual, not experiential.
Scripture teaches that the natural man is blind (1 Corinthians 2:14), unable to discern spiritual realities. At the same time, only those who truly believe in Christ are cleansed from their sins (John 3:16). The blindness Peter describes is the blindness of a false professor—one who claims salvation but remains unchanged. If they were truly cleansed, they would not forget. If they were truly redeemed, they would abound in good works rather than return to unrighteousness.
This is the tragedy of empty faith—a faith that does not change the heart or life, a faith devoid of power, holiness, and righteousness. These people may profess Christ, but they inevitably return to the filth of sin, like a dog returning to its vomit. Their nature remains unchanged because they were never truly born again.
True Grace Produces Thankfulness
Those who are truly cleansed by Christ’s blood walk in thankfulness and zeal for good works. Recognizing the wretched condition from which we were saved and the glorious heights to which Christ has brought us should ignite a desire to glorify God.
When we see the magnitude of the cross, it should never lead to neglect, but to obedience and devotion. We were undeserving, yet Christ bore our sins. This grace must never be forgotten.
Peter’s words serve as a continual alarm in our ears, urging us to run to Christ daily—entreating Him for greater thankfulness, crying out for a deeper sense of gratitude, and allowing that gratitude to shape the way we live.
Sharpening Spiritual Senses
As we meditate on God’s grace, something remarkable happens: our spiritual senses are sharpened. We stop living merely to satisfy the carnal senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—and instead focus on eternal realities.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:16 that God is the One “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” Likewise, we do not see Jesus now, yet we fix our hearts on Him in glory. Though heavenly things are currently unseen, meditating on them strengthens our faith and confirms our calling.
This is why we must actively remind ourselves of God’s grace. The more we dwell on it, the more it fuels our gratitude and strengthens our resolve to live in obedience.
The Danger of Forgetfulness
Think about a child who receives a long-awaited gift. In the moment, he is overflowing with gratitude. He eagerly shows his thankfulness, happily helping with chores, speaking words of appreciation, and expressing joy.
But what happens after a few days? A week? A month? The excitement fades. He forgets what was given, and his sense of thankfulness diminishes.
So it is with us. When we forget God’s grace, we become preoccupied with worldly concerns. We fill our days with carnal distractions, losing sight of the spiritual blessings we have received. But when we constantly remember His grace, we will live daily in thankfulness and obedience.
Be Diligent to Confirm Your Calling
This is why Peter urges us in verse 10:
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”
He is calling us to actively engage in the grace we have received—never forgetting that Christ has cleansed us from sin, but responding in action:
- Supplementing faith with virtue.
- Growing in knowledge and godliness.
- Living a life of obedience.
And what assurance do we have? Peter tells us: “If you practice these qualities, you will never fall.”
Kept by Grace, Preserved by God
This does not mean believers will never stumble. We will face failures, moments of weakness, and spiritual struggles. But Peter is not speaking of momentary stumbles—he is speaking of falling away entirely.
True believers will not be lost because God, by His grace, preserves them. He provides means of perseverance, and these qualities—faith, virtue, knowledge, and steadfastness—are the very tools by which He keeps us from falling.
Peter reaffirms this in 1 Peter 1:5:
“Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Faith itself is an instrument of preservation, ensuring that we remain in Christ until the final day.
The Comfort of God’s Sovereign Grace
What a weight is lifted off our shoulders when we understand this!
Our salvation does not depend on us—not even on our fruitfulness. Instead, it depends entirely on God. Before the foundation of the world, He wrote our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. If He has chosen us, He will never let us go.
But how do we see evidence of this reality? How do we confirm that we truly belong to Him?
By its effects.
A tree is known by its fruit. A redeemed heart proves itself in thankfulness, obedience, and a life devoted to Christ. One of the clearest evidences of election is a life that never forgets the grace of God—a life that values, cherishes, and rejoices in the price paid for salvation.
Conclusion
Let us, then, be diligent in remembering God’s grace. Let us fill our hearts with gratitude for the cleansing blood of Christ, and let that gratitude move us to live lives worthy of our calling.
This, too, is how we make our calling and election sure—by living as those who have been truly cleansed by Jesus’ blood.
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