For some of my readers the passages missing chapter and verse were known to be from 2nd Peter. If the ESV is not their favorite version it might have been vaguely familiar. I left the chapter and verses out intentionally.

We do not live in a time when the bible existed without chapter and verse and was written in three ancient languages we do not speak and cannot read. We appreciate the hard work of others. Those theologians that worked so tirelessly to do the work had to be linguists as well as believers.

Add to that the ease of having apps on our phones and computers where we can type in or speak, a few lines quoted and modern technology shows us where those words came from.

There is no app to read what is written on the heart.

2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

Jeremiah 34:18-19 English Standard Version

18 And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf.

Man makes a covenant with God they cannot keep because man by nature is a sinner and prone to failure. History has proven that over and over again. The covenant that God has made with man has never been broken because they were forged in the fires of righteousness.

Psalm 119:69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

I am not saying that when we swear to keep our word that we know we are lying. 

James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Doing the will of the Father is impossible if His Word is not written on our hearts. Our words will fail us if they do not come from the heart.

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These are not my words. I agree with them and I would like to share them but I am not in a position to claim them for myself.

I send out greetings to a list of believers I hope are of equal standing as stated in the opening sentence. I hope but I do not know. These words were sent to a people the author knew and ended up in a bible that anyone can buy and read.

The author knew those who received his message and could make claims about those he knew. This bible is shared with anyone and everyone who can read for a reason which no one but the reader can understand.

The comment;  having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire, may not apply to every reader. I hope that it does, but that is not for me to know. Some words bless and those same words can convict depending on the reader.

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So often we copy and paste scriptures because we wish to extend brotherly love to the lost and then I remember these words were sent to believers, not the lost. As I read all these characteristics I find brotherly love as the last attribute listed.

Did the author forget that Jesus told him personally Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Little did this author know his fine words would reach out to people he did not know and who had no knowledge of those precious and very great promises. Perhaps someone reading this would like to know about those promises. I can only hope. That is in God’s control, not mine.