Neither Barren nor Unfruitful 2 Peter 1:8

In this second letter to the church from Peter, he has outlined a path for growing in the Christian walk. He told us we are to add to our faith – virtue, and to virtue – knowledge, and to knowledge - temperance, and to temperance – patience, and to patience – godliness, and to godliness – brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness – charity. In chapter one and verse eight he tells us why these attributes are important. We read:

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The verse begins, “For if these things be in you, and abound,” Peter employs the word “for” which means because, or as a result of, or when, and he notes that they are to be within the Christian. Not only are they to be within us, but they are to “abound” which means “to superabound, exist in abundance, increase, and be augmented”. In other words not only are these characteristics to be within us, they are to be growing exponentially within our lives.

The verse goes on to say, “ they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful” The result of these superabounding traits is that we will not be “barren” which means “free from labor, at leisure, or shunning labor one ought to perform”, nor “unfruitful” which means “not yielding what it ought to yield”. When the attributes Peter listed are overflowing within us, we will not be lazy nor without fruit in our Christian experience.

Finally the verse concludes, “in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter said that if we grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, and do so abundantly, we will not be lethargic nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus. John the apostle wrote in the gospel of John in chapter seventeen and verse three:

And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

If we really desire to know God and Jesus Christ the Lord in a closer and more intimate way, the apostle Peter has given us the outline for doing so. As we ponder the implications of this verse, may the Lord Jesus bless us with His divine power and exceeding great and precious promises to know Him as He desires to be known.

Next time we will see what happens if we lack in these things, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

 

Until tomorrow...there is more...

 

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