“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.”2 Peter 1:8
“These qualities…”
Virtue
Knowledge
Self-control
Steadfastness
Godliness
Brotherly Kindness
Love (verses 5-6)
“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.”
2 Peter 1:8
I grew up in the church. My dad was always an elder or a Sunday School teacher or a Bible Study leader. And I liked to read and learn and know.
I knew a lot.
A lot about God.
A lot about the Bible.
A lot about Biblical history.
A lot about the church.
But much of that knowledge was what I would call, unfruitful knowledge. It wasn’t knowledge that was causing me to fall more in love with Jesus. It wasn’t knowledge that was helping me become more like Him.
Instead the knowledge just gave me a proud heart and a self-righteous attitude.
But the problem wasn’t what I knew; the problem was how I responded to what I knew.
Because a few years would pass and I would learn a whole lot more about grace. And suddenly that knowledge that had puffed me up instead began to humble and change me.
The knowledge that had once created pride and self-sufficiency in my heart instead brought my heart to awe and worship before God.
And there were lots of factors involved in changing my heart so drastically, but most simply, I had learned to see Jesus. Every fact I’d learned, every theological word I knew suddenly became significant because it taught of Jesus and His great and gracious plan of salvation. Each bit of knowledge I’d acquired became precious because each one taught me more about my precious Savior.
When you fall in love with Jesus, the knowledge you have of God will suddenly become highly effective…effective and bringing you into a place of worship before God.
And when you are worshipping God, “these qualities” will be increasing in your life.
Is your knowledge effective in causing you to fall in love with Jesus?
Be blessed
<3
