◄ What Does 2 Peter 1:9 Mean? ►

Our heavenly Father desires that all His children walk in spirit and truth. He wants each one of us to become firmly established in the faith and produce much fruit in our lives, to His praise and glory. Indeed, it is the desire of most Christians to be fruitful and to live a life that is honouring to God.

Peter points out how blessed we are that we have been given all we need to live a life of godliness, because God in His goodness and grace called us out of darkness into His glorious light, by faith. He chose us from the foundation of the world to be His precious possession, and in His grace He imputed us with Christ's own righteousness.

Peter reminds us of the many precious promises that are ours in Christ, which free us from slavery to sin as we remain in Him and He in us. Peter exhorts us to give all diligence to add moral excellence, godly knowledge, and self-control to our faith, and to strive after patient endurance, brotherly kindness, and godly love. Peter knows that such qualities are the birthright of all who are in Christ Jesus, and that if these godly qualities are evident in our lives, we will become fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

And yet, we read that these spiritual qualities, which are available to all believers, are lacking in the lives of some Christians. Those that are lacking in godly character are described as being spiritually blind and short-sighted, having forgotten all the glories that are ours in Christ Jesus, despite the fact that we have already been purified from our former sins.

How sad when believers who have been saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, forget who they are in Christ. How tragic when our eyes become blinded to our sanctified position in Him. What a travesty when we forget that we have been cleansed from all unrighteousness, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.

But no child of God can ever stray so far away from his heavenly Father that he is not able to be returned into His loving arms. No born-again believer can ever fall so far from grace that they are unable to have sweet fellowship with their Father in heaven re-established, and if any of us do lack the spiritual qualities that God desires of all His children, Peter tells us what to do. We are to turn away from all that has enticed us away from our Saviour. We are to remember all that He has done for us in His sacrificial work at Calvary. We are to recall the blessings which are ours in Jesus Christ, and we are to return into His loving embrace and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. In so doing, we become spiritually fruitful as we add moral excellence, godly knowledge, and self-control to our faith in Christ.

May we all keep in mind who we are in Christ. May we daily remember that we are positioned in Him, and that we have been purified of our former sins. May we all strive after patient endurance, brotherly kindness, and godly love, so that we do not lack those qualities which are pleasing in the sight of God. May we abide in Him and He in us so that we produce good fruit, more fruit, much fruit to His greater glory and praise.

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ, I have all that I need for life and godliness. I pray that You would help me to keep the eyes of my heart looking away from the things of this world and firmly looking to Jesus. May I never become spiritually short-sighted and forget all that Christ has done for me, but become increasingly fruitful in the knowledge of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.