“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:6-8
Peter now comes to the natural result of spiritual maturity.
Interestingly it is the same result the Lord describes in John 15
when He talks of believers abiding in Him. For if these things are yours Peter speaks to our personal habits to diligently seek spiritual growth. It is good to read Scripture, it is better to study the passage but the full value of God’s word is not realized until we begin to practice it in our lives. The Greek word for “these things” is only used one other time in the New Testament. Mark 16:17 says “And these signs will accompany those who believe.” Spiritual maturity accompanies those who practice these disciplines. This is God’ s plan for all of us. The word are can also be translated possess – one will own these things in their life. They are not just nice ideas to ponder, they are to be tangible reality in the way we live.
And abound The Greek word means to increase, to spread to grow. These characteristics are not stagnant, each continues to grow in their knowledge and imitation of Christ. Each day they aid us in becoming like Christ more completely and separate us from the sin that would hinder our growth.
You will be neither barren This is one of those “if…then” statements of scripture. If we are diligent in pursuing the activities Peter has
described then something is certain to happen. First Peter states it in then negative. Spend your time becoming like Christ and you will not be barren. The word means “idle, lazy, thoughtless or unprofitable”. Many try to bear fruit by working harder for Christ. Peter says we do it by becoming like Him. The word barren is used in Mathew 20 of servants standing in the market-place idle. Our labor is first spent on becoming like Christ and then something important in the Christian life occurs.
Nor unfruitful Peter continues to emphasize why we want to pursue Christlikeness. The word is used in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:22. “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” This is a terrifying statement for it implies there will be believers at the Bema Seat who have almost as little fruit in their lives as do unbelievers – nothing – saved but unprofitable.
In the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ This is what we are to pursue – this is the goal of the Christian life – to know Christ. It was the cry of the Apostle Paul’s heart “that I may know Him”.
What can we learn? There are two great motivating events in our life. The Lord tells us about them so we will want to live a pure life before Him. The first event is the rapture (or our death) when we meet the Lord face to face. The second is the Bema Seat where our lives as servant of Christ are examined and rewards are given based on the fruit we have produced for Him. There will be varying returns on the time and talent the Lord gives each of us but the return is really produced by the Holy Spirit based on how close to Christ we live. The 8 characteristics Peter describes the treasure the Lord told us to store up in heaven. Thus in this passage we see the partnership that exists between God and His children. God alone provides the power to produce fruit. A believer cannot do that in their strength. At the same time God will not produce fruit in our lives if we are not willing and available to Him and if we do not abide in His word. As a pastor, Peter yearns for his congregation to bear great fruit for the Lord for he knows this is the treasure that does not corrupt or rust away. May each believer bear much fruit for the Lord for that will bring great joy in heaven. Imagine the Lord saying to you “Well done.”