5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 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. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. - 2 Peter 1:5-9
How can you be ineffective and unfruitful as a witness to Christ? Do not add anything to your faith. Don't grow. Believe in Christ, get your fire insurance, then be satisfied. Everyone preaches that you are either growing or dying, but I wonder if you can't stagnate. Perhaps some get saved but refuse the Sanctifying Grace of God.
The bigger lesson is that we are provided a step-by-step functional ladder diagram to use to not be ineffective or unfruitful. Where am I in the flow chart? I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal this to me as I reflect upon my actions. Do I have virtue and knowledge? Am I practicing self-control with perseverance? I thing this aspect of this list is the most important as a turning point towards those character qualities that demonstrate God in us to others. If we learn to persevere in self-control godliness, brotherly affection and love are added.
I think of these across the traits of my character. Considering my patience, am I knowledgeable of it, is it in self-control, has it lead to loving others? How about my anger? Or my joy?
If we lack these qualities we are as being blind having forgotten our sins have been forgiven. I understand this as if we are lacking these qualities, we have forgotten how significant our salvation is and how much it transforms us. we have forgot our first love. Or, we have allowed our guilt and shame for our sins to overwhelm us and to render us as ungrowable, since we have forgotten these sins have been removed through the work of Christ.
We should desire to be effective and fruitful. So, we should work on these aspects of growth in all aspects of our lives.
How can you be ineffective and unfruitful as a witness to Christ? Do not add anything to your faith. Don't grow. Believe in Christ, get your fire insurance, then be satisfied. Everyone preaches that you are either growing or dying, but I wonder if you can't stagnate. Perhaps some get saved but refuse the Sanctifying Grace of God.
The bigger lesson is that we are provided a step-by-step functional ladder diagram to use to not be ineffective or unfruitful. Where am I in the flow chart? I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal this to me as I reflect upon my actions. Do I have virtue and knowledge? Am I practicing self-control with perseverance? I thing this aspect of this list is the most important as a turning point towards those character qualities that demonstrate God in us to others. If we learn to persevere in self-control godliness, brotherly affection and love are added.
I think of these across the traits of my character. Considering my patience, am I knowledgeable of it, is it in self-control, has it lead to loving others? How about my anger? Or my joy?
If we lack these qualities we are as being blind having forgotten our sins have been forgiven. I understand this as if we are lacking these qualities, we have forgotten how significant our salvation is and how much it transforms us. we have forgot our first love. Or, we have allowed our guilt and shame for our sins to overwhelm us and to render us as ungrowable, since we have forgotten these sins have been removed through the work of Christ.
We should desire to be effective and fruitful. So, we should work on these aspects of growth in all aspects of our lives.
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