“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).
2 Peter 1:5-7 presents us with a catalog of Godly virtues that serve to produce the results given to us here in verse eight. Those virtues consist of moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and unselfish love. A follower of Jesus who possesses these qualities and prayerfully seeks to cultivate them is someone who is sure to lead a meaningful and purposeful life.
You see, these attributes will prohibit us from living the kind of life that is useless (AMP), complacent (Phillips), ineffective (NET), or unfruitful (CEB) according to the passage quoted above. This Biblical reference to fruitfulness also illustrates a cause-and-effect relationship. When used in this context, the words “fruit” and “result” are virtually synonymous.
Just as we can identify a tree by the type of fruit it bears, we can learn much about the character of others by observing the outcomes that arise from their choices and behaviors. Those who prayerfully seek to develop these qualities will surely demonstrate these characteristics to an increasing degree. Such is the fruit that grows from a life that reflects these God-honoring traits.
One version of this passage renders this idea in a positive fashion: “If you have these qualities and they are increasing, it demonstrates that your knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ is living and productive” (GW). However, these qualities are not only good; they’re also necessary. If we do not move forward and grow in these characteristics, we will effectively fall behind.
Here’s why: Each new day offers a fresh opportunity to learn, develop, and allow ourselves to be used by God. With this in mind, let’s consider the following question: who is likely to have a greater opportunity to be productive in God’s service? Is it likely to be the person who is steadily growing in these God-honoring qualities, or someone who is lacking in these virtues? The obvious answer is the person in our first example.
If we are diligently working to add these characteristics to our faith, God may present us with greater avenues of service, thus preventing us from living wasted, unproductive lives. Jesus’ explanation regarding His use of parables as a teaching method is also relevant to this discussion: “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 13:12 NIV).
We’ll consider this concept at greater length in our next study.