I encourage you to live visible faith that’s productive for Christ
It’s far too easy to arrive at the end of a day only to realise that you’ve not achieved anything productive as you intended. Likewise, it’s easy to live a decade only to wake up one morning realising that you’ve achieved very little for the Lord Jesus Christ. While there are many possible reasons for this common dilemma, only God has given us the spiritual resources that guarantee productivity for Christ that leaves no regrets.
In the final months of his life on earth, the apostle Peter spells out God’s many provisions for believers in Christ.
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). The Lord has left nothing to chance, no earthly priority can over-rule His purpose for His people, and no earthly excuse is good enough to deny Him.
A Divine Explanation
Peter explains that all divine resources are to be channelled by us so that we “…make every effort to supplement faith with virtue, …knowledge, …self-control, …steadfastness, …godliness, …brotherly affection, and …love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Peter understood from his life of walking with Christ, that “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).
What an amazing promise; a life that’s productive for Christ. The implications are that you will be kept, and preserved without being dragged back to the old life of self and sin. This is a positive promise for preventing the negative being true in your life as both ineffective and unfruitful character are removed from your spiritual lives.
First Steps
Now, it’s the prerequisite that we need to understand and apply in our lives so that the promise can be fulfilled; “if these qualities are yours and are increasing” (2 Peter 1:8). First, you must possess these qualities in some measure in Christ. Second, they need to be alive, not stagnant, not dormant, not in the back ground, but active. Third, they need to be growing, advancing, and increasing. These qualities are not intended to be theoretical information only. They are not simply a good topic for discussion at Home Group. These are the actual connections between belief and reality in your Christian walk. These qualities are what synchronise your security in Christ with your assurance in Christ.
The Warning
Peter continues, warning; “whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (2 Peter 1:9). Sadly, if these character qualities are not true in our lives, there becomes a spiritual disconnect. Consequently, our near-sightedness gives us smoky vision which leads us to shut our eyes so that we cannot see the Lord’s wonderful provisions.
I encourage you to daily, thoughtfully and prayerfully, seek the Lord to energise you to “make every effort to supplement faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.” This is how you “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). The Lord will be glorified and you will experience avenues of productive service for the Saviour you never imagined.