Do you want to always be fruitful and effective? Do this:

Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 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 1:5-8

Peter says if you do these things it will keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful.

I think we’d all agree these are good qualities that every Jesus follower should have in their lives. So what does it mean if you do not have these qualities, what should you do? Does it mean you need to work harder to be a better Christian? Let’s see…

For 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

Peter’s solution is this - remember that you’re forgiven and your sins have been cleansed.

In other words, affirm the finished work of Christ and your identity in Him and godly character will be the fruit.

Because you are already forgiven and cleansed from all your sin, you should seek to live out the character of God. In fact, you cannot live out the character of God in your life without being cleansed, forgiven and in-dwelt by his spirit. This doesn’t mean you should continue in sin, God forbid, we’re under grace, not sin.

You Were Already Cleansed

Peter says if you are not living out these character attributes it’s because you have forgotten that you were already cleansed. Because God has cleansed you, the qualities and character traits are a byproduct, not something you strive to add to your behavior.

Peter says if you’re not displaying this fruit, it’s not because you aren’t truly saved, it’s because you have forgotten that you have already been sanctified and made holy.

Why do I equate Peter’s phrase “sins were cleansed” with sanctification and holiness? Because they’re the SAME THING. The process by which God cleanses you of sin is sanctification. Once something is properly sanctified it is holy.

Sanctification is a one-time event in your spirit that then has lasting effects in the rest of your being.

How Do You “Add To Your Faith?”

You can’t add to your salvation, but you can add to your faith.

First of all, the definition of faith is “to be confidently persuaded.”

Adding to your faith means you do things that reinforce your confidence in God so you’re more persuaded of who he is.

Living uprightly causes your heart to be confident before God. When you’re confident before God, you will not limit his actions in your life. John actually says you’ll have everything you ask when your heart is confident before God.

Here’s my paraphrase of what Peter is saying, “It’s hard out there guys, make sure you’re not drawing back in your faith. I have seen Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, I know what it’s like to deny him and turn your back on him. I don’t want you to lose faith and do what I did. Live well so your life testifies of God and his righteousness. Strive to display godly character. And if you become ineffective and unfruitful, remind yourself of the FINISHED WORK of Christ in your heart. Remember all that he has done for you. In remembering, you bring glory and honor to God because remembering manifests in strong faith.”

So if you’re not living in a way that “good Christians” should live, it’s because you aren’t presently experiencing the power of the Gospel, you’re not inspired by Christ’s actions for you, you’re not living from your new-covenant, new-creation identity - you’ve forgotten you’re already forgiven.

Why Is This Important?

Too many Christians think they have to become better as if they’re not already complete in him and they need to become something more than they already are. More righteous, more sanctified, more holy, etc… Peter affirms that you’re already cleansed, you’re already all those things, so if you aren’t living that way, go back and affirm who you are and what he’s done.

Too many Christians don’t understand the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ for salvation and a blessed, godly life. I want you to be confident in your salvation and know that you can’t improve on what God has done. You can only deepen your appreciation and understanding for what he’s already done, and as you do so it bears godly fruit in your life.

Homework

Let me give you some homework, go through these attributes and look up each word in a Greek lexicon. (click for lexicon links)

2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Take some time to think about what each one of them looks like in your life. Get a vision for what each attribute looks like in your life. Affirm who you are in Christ and make decisions that are in alignment with these character traits.

Keeping in mind that you are not trying to become these things, you are just getting a vision for what they look like as the fruit of a person that is already forgiven and right with God.

Rest in him, be confident of your new-creation identity in Christ and never forget you’re forgiven.

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