To the "Endth" Degree

He [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1st John 2:2 ESV

I know the true expression is actually 'to the nth degree'... meaning to the absolute most. Limitless. Immeasurable. Unfathomable. 

According to www.dictionary.com, the expression 'to the nth degree' comes from mathematics, where to the nth means “to any required power” (n standing for any number). 

When I read our Promise for Today, it hit me on a new level about how wide, how deep Christ's love for us was/IS to be the payment for us - to forgive ALL the sins of the whole world. Think about that. Seriously... the whole world - everyone - for how many years?  And according to Matthew 28:20, ASV, Jesus promised, ...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  

To any required power - that's love to the "endth" degree...

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, For this reason I bow my knees to You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that You would grant us, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of You, O God.
            Now to You who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to You be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

Serious Business

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2nd Peter 1:5-11 NKJV

Do we truly know what it means to be diligent? Scripture has much to say about it, so it's best if we do our due diligence in finding out. Pun intended.

Google defines diligent as 'having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties'.

Merriam-Webster currently defines diligent as 'characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort: painstaking'. 

We all know that definitions tend to change somewhat over the years. The actual oldest dictionary I could put my hands on tonight was Webster's dictionary published by G.&C. Merriam & Co. in 1884. It defined diligent as 'interestedly and perseveringly attentive; steady in application to business; prosecuted with care and constant effort'. 

In 1927, Merriam-Webster defined diligent as 'constant in effort to accomplish something, pursued with persevering attention, painstaking'.

In 1949, Merriam-Webster again defined diligent as 'perseveringly attentive; prosecuted with careful attention; painstaking'.

I have a republished, facsimile edition of Noah Webster's First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language, In this 1828 edition, I find it interesting to note that Mr. Webster often used Scripture references to illustrate the use of a word. For instance, for diligence, he used Proverbs 4:23 and 2nd Peter 1:10. The application of diligent to people was 'not idle or negligent', and the Scripture reference was Proverbs 22:29 KJV reads, Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings... No matter the translation, it's either diligent or skillful or some form of excellence in execution; and painstaking - defined as 'done with or employing great care and thoroughness'.

In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the Greek for both diligent and diligence have to do with the speed of which it is done, 'by implication eagerness, earnestness'. 

I think it's safe to say to be diligent is to eagerly and with great interest employ great care and thoroughness with excellence to the task at hand. 

So in our Promise for Today, we are to [be even more eager to and with great interest employ great care and thoroughness with excellence to] add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

Serious business being diligent.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your written Word. Thank You for providing the instruction we need to walk out Your purpose for our lives. According to Your Word, help us to be even more diligent in our quest of You. Whatever our hands find to do, grant us Your grace to do it with all our might as unto You and not to men. We want to remain steadfast under trial so that we will receive the crown of life that You have promised to those who love You. Father, let us not grow weary of doing good, knowing that in due season we will reap if we don't give up. We want to be diligent to be found by You without spot or blemish, and at peace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen