Motivated to Grow
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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.
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
I’ve work as an industrial electrician for a few decades.
There is a way to program automated machinery to do certain things. Classic what if doing this is to create a conditional statement called an IF/THEN statement.
IF - these conditions are true
Then - this will be the out come (or avoid it)
IF these safety doors are closed THEN the machine will run
IF - the switch is on THEN you will have light.
Verse 8 sets up an If/Then Statement:
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.
IF theses qualities are yours and increasing
(THEN) they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What was the purpose of the IF/THEN statement?
What was the purpose of the IF/THEN statement?
Purpose and condition is set on previous text.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
“make every effort to supplement you faith...”
followed with a challenging list of qualities that we are encouraged to obtain.
Now in verse 8 Peter is explaining why it is important to seek after these qualities.
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 Conditions to make make the conclusion true.)
Condition 1: If these qualities are yours
How do you know that these qualities are “yours”.
The word “IF” lets us know that you may be a christian and these qualities NOT be yours.
But what we want to know is when can we count them as being YOURS!
We need to understand their Biblical Definition.
Yourself and others should RECOGNIZE these qualities in you.
Justin is a self-controlled person.
It’s important what others see in you.
If at all possible ask a child.
But are they TRULY in your possession?
They need to be individually tested.
virtuous - in times where you are tempted to not be.
Steadfast - do you stand firm in your faith regardless of where you are or who is with you?
Love - Agape
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Proper test for your ability to love
Gauged by you looking at the one you love the least.
Condition 2: (if these qualities) are increasing.
These qualities should continue to develop throughout your life.
Not only should you seek to obtain them
But they also must continue to grow.
Important to ask:
How do these qualities increase?
Have you ever heard someone warn you about asking God for patience.
Evan Almighty: Pray for family to be closer.
Hollywood theology is notoriously wrong.
But they occasionally say something I appreciate.
Scene in Evan Almighty: His wife (Lauren Graham)is at he end of her rope and she is at a diner talking to the waiter (Morgan Freeman) who is playing the role of God.
She bewildered about to interpret her life at that moment. She had prayed for her family to be closer but now it seems like it’s all falling apart.
Patience
Courage
Family to be Close
Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength?
Are you drawn in by the unimaginable love of Jesus to die on the cross for you?
Is this love strong enough that you are not willing to know Christ from a distance but rather seek an ever deepening relationship with Him and through Him.
Then you must seek to obtain these qualities and continually develop them....why?
because
2 Peter 1:8 (ESV)
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.
Obtaining these qualities and exercising them to growth (under Holy Sprit’s guidance) has a side effect.
“...They Keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You want to know Christ
Seek after these qualities and exercise them
You effective and fruitful for the Kingdom?
Seek after theses qualities and exercise them.
As sure as I am sharing this with you, there will be some who say,
I don’t need to grow, I don’t need to be the MVP in the kingdom, I’m just glad I’m going to be there.”
Peter wasn’t the first to warn about being unfruitful.
Jesus once told a parable about it.
He is the VINE, we are the BRANCHES and God the Father is the VINE DRESSER.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Could have deep theological discussions on what it means to “taken away”
Main point here is:
If you are the type who just wants to exist with the title Christian, disengaged and no strings attached.
Scripture DOES NOT OFFER SUPPRT for your type of SELF ENTITLED version of Christianity.
In fact what it says is the opposite: it tells us:
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
You have forgotten who you were because of sin.
You have forgotten where you were headed because of sin.
You have forgotten what has been done for you by Jesus Christ.
You have been cleansed from your former sins.
Is that you this morning?
Have you been cleansed from your former sins through the life changing sacrifice of Jesus?
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
Confirm your calling and election.
Want to be sure in your faith?
Practice these qualities and you will NEVER fall.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer