Tag: What the Bible says about growing in God

2 Peter 1:8-9 (NKJV) 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Over the last few days, we have discussed several attributes that Peter listed that followers of Christ should walk out in their lives.

Today, let’s get into why those attributes are so important.

“If these things are yours and abound”.

There is an emphasis here indicating that these attributes don’t just happen. We need to make them ours. We need to put forth the effort that is required to make them a part of our lives, in our actions, not just in words.

They should not just be present, but they need to abound! That is, they should be plentiful and flourishing in our lives. This can only happen as we let the Holy Spirit lead us on a daily basis, being mindful to heed His promptings.

And what does the Word say will happen if we do this?

It says that “you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Being barren is never a good thing. Being barren means that there is no life within. Various other places in the Bible use the word “barren” to literally mean inactive, lazy and useless.

Being unfruitful is also mentioned. Picture a tree that produces no fruit. That tree is unproductive, and literally not good for anything when compared to the energy it consumes in order to exist.

So, if these qualities aren’t present in our lives, what sets us apart from the unbeliever and makes us distinguishable as a child of God? This is a question we need to ponder seriously.

Verse 9 goes on to tell us that anyone who lacks these things “is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins”.

That’s a pretty bold statement that should grab our full attention pretty quickly!

Shortsighted even to blindness makes us pretty ineffective, don’t you think? In essence it is telling us that we can’t see anything unless it is immediately in front of us.

God wants us to be able to see and discern things long before they are directly in our faces because by the time we recognize them, they will literally be upon us, leaving us no chance to prepare for them and act accordingly.

Peter then wraps this all up by saying that anyone in this condition has forgotten that they were cleansed from their old sins.

That’s a pretty sad state to be in, wouldn’t you agree?

We should never live our lives looking backwards, but we absolutely should never forget what Jesus has cleansed us from, lest we fall right back into it.

John 8:36 (NKJV) 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

2 Peter 1:7 (NKJV) 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

We hope you’re enjoying this latest series of devotionals!

Today, let’s move on to verse 7 of 2 Peter, chapter 1.

The next attribute we will look at is brotherly kindness.

This one isn’t deep, in and of itself. But our carrying it out will depend on us putting others before ourselves many times.

Brotherly kindness is more than just simple goodwill toward others. It stems from a genuine love for others that only God can place in us.

In its most basic form, it is brotherly (or sisterly) affection.

But in the Biblical sense, it goes beyond the basics and leads us to mutually sacrifice for each other. It’s a type of giving of ourselves that shows a sincere concern for another’s wellbeing, with no string attached.

And finally, let’s talk about the last attribute; love.

Love is the driving force behind the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is God’s love for us that caused Him to allow Jesus to be crucified in our place on the cross. And it is His love for us that cause Him to offer us His mercy and grace throughout our lives.

The Biblical expression of love goes far beyond anything that man can come up with or accurately express.

It is a deep, holy love that defies human understanding. But God asks this of us over and over again as we are told to love our neighbors as ourselves, love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us.

This kind of love can only come in our lives as we press in to God and learn of Him in His fullness. His love for us will cause us to allow Him to break us down, and then rebuild us one little piece at a time, in the way that only He can do.

This kind of love will change who we are and the way we walk out our lives here on earth. And it will allow us to see others through the eyes of God, instead of our natural, flawed, selfish vision.

Without Him, it is impossible for us to walk in this kind of love.

Tomorrow we will wrap this up as we discuss verses 8 & 9.

Until then, let’s reflect on these things and ask God to bring understanding in these areas of our lives.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

2 Peter 1:6 (NKJV) 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

As we work our way through the various attributes that God has said we should have, let’s start today with self-control.

There are many sides to being self-controlled, but the biggest factor here is self-discipline.

Without discipline, there is no self-control, plain and simple. It doesn’t matter what area of our lives we talk about, if we have no discipline, self-control will be non-existent.

This is a really big deal, especially when it comes to the fleshly desires that come against us. The flesh is strong and can be very hard for some of us to overcome.

Without the Holy Spirit leading us, the flesh will win almost every time. So, it’s imperative that we not try to conquer the flesh by our own strength, because we will fail badly if we do so.

And, referring back to the knowledge that was discussed in yesterday’s devotional, it’s that knowledge that helps us better understand what it takes and what it means to be disciplined and self-controlled.

Now, let’s move on to perseverance!

Some may think of perseverance simply as patience. But there is a much deeper meaning than what we see on the surface.

Perseverance might also be called tenacity, determination, resolve, commitment or staying power.

You see, it means much more than just being patient.

It indicates a willingness to fight vehemently to do what is right and true. It means taking whatever stand is necessary to do the right thing, even if it means enduring pain, anguish, even to the point of denying one’s self in order to make the “righteous decision”.

This requires a decisive desire to follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings, and His leading, and not deviate from it, no matter how badly our flesh fights us.

And as we wrap up today’s devotional, let’s talk about godliness.

Most people have at least a rudimentary understanding of godliness, in that it means displaying traits inspired by, or shaped by God. Godliness in its most basic form is an outward display of piety or behavior that could be construed as righteous by others.

True godliness goes much deeper, and is impossible without an understanding of God, and the willingness to be disciplined and self-controlled.

It means to live reverently, loyally and obediently toward God. He has equipped us more than sufficiently to be able to live godly lives, even so as to be able to overcome whatever temptations come our way to entice us.

Tomorrow, we will continue with verse 7 and more.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

2 Peter 1:5-6 (NKJV) 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

The verses in 2 Peter 1:5-9 are a massive directive for the life of a believer. Yesterday we looked at the first part of verse 5. Today we will finish verse 5 and begin to dig into verse 6 as well.

“Add to your faith” is a seemingly innocuous phrase that doesn’t appear to carry much weight. But let’s look more closely.

The very first implication of this phrase is that, in addition to our faith, we need to add something. So, just having faith alone isn’t enough for us to be effective as a follower of Christ if we wish to bring glory and honor to God.

Bringing glory and honor to God is, after all, why we are here!

It’s also important to note that the Greek word used for “add” was meant to indicate giving lavishly and generously, not simply out of obligation.

Peter listed several different attributes indicative of moral excellence.

So, what is it specifically that we need to add to our faith?

First off, virtue. Let’s check this out more closely.

Virtue, in its most basic form means goodness, righteousness, morality, uprightness, holding a high ethical standard, etc.

But what did its Greek text mean? It literally meant the God-given ability to perform heroic deeds!

Over time, it also came to refer to a high quality of life that makes someone stand out in a way that represents excellence. This is not a haughtiness of attitude, but virtue demonstrated in the way a person carries out their life.

The next addition to our faith is knowledge.

Knowledge is something that God’s word urges us to get more of over and over again.

This is pretty straight forward, referring simply to getting understanding, truth, correct insight, and the proper comprehension and application of God’s word in our lives.

This is why it’s so important that we study and learn His word regularly, not sporadically or haphazardly.

It is nourishment for our spirits, making us strong and potent for the kingdom of God.

Join us tomorrow as we move into verse 6 and examine more of the attributes that Peter tells us about.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV) 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge…

Because of the many things that God has blessed us with (grace, mercy, His many promises, and so much more), Peter urges us to “give all diligence” to various things to walk out our faith in Christ.

What does he mean by “giving all diligence”?

It means that we need to make it a priority, putting forth every possible effort to make it happen.

The walking out of our faith in our daily lives can’t be indifferent or halfhearted. It needs to be deliberate, done on purpose, with a heart longing to please God.

Think about it.

If what we do isn’t done in complete sincerity, why do we bother? Why do we even make the effort if it isn’t in our heart to do so?

Some may say, “because we know it’s what we’re supposed to do”.

But if that’s the case, and we know it’s what we’re supposed to do, why do we only do it “just because”?

It’s so very important that we get our hearts right with God and align them with His will and purpose for our lives. Anything less is only lip service, and does nothing to bring honor and glory to the One who breathed life into our lungs and put the very beat in our hearts.

Some may say that this is harsh and legalistic. But what does God’s word say?

Revelation 3:16 (NKJV) 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

That’s some pretty serious stuff right there! And knowing that God says what He means, it can be a wake-up call for us to start getting serious with Him.

Tomorrow we will take a look at the rest of verse 5, and then move on to verse 6 and 7.

More to come…

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!