Guaranties

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.

Am I unique? The simple answer is yes. Just like every snowflake is unique. Each made differently, bearing a different crystalline form. Yet, they all kind of look the same and tend to melt at the same temperature. I ask though because often I look at life and wonder am I the only one that has this problem? Am I the only one who sees this absurdity? Why am I the only one laughing? Am I musing because they are unique or rather because I know that all of us are dealing with these issues?

Monday’s are hard. All though I might be unique in this assessment I would be willing to wager ( gasp ) a reasonable amount, this observation is not a particularly unique one. Yet, I do find it odd that it is also true for Pastors, even when the majority of those I talk with take Monday off! Every week the Pastor scatters seed. Then like a small child we go out the next day and go to the garden to look and see if anything “has happened” only to be disappointed that nothing sprouted overnight. As silly as it is, it tends to be the case, at least in my life, and I believe I am not unique. Walking the worn path of the Christian “way”. Doing all we can to till ground, scatter seed, and water, all done with the hope of seeing a righteous harvest. That childlike faith has the added frustration of hoping that the things we sow will be reaped shortly and the sin we sow will never be reaped at all. All Christians have the temptation to be disheartened after “going out on a limb” and seeing no change. Worse than anything else is the temptation to believe that all the work and stress are “ineffective and unfruitful” acts. That all the Christian’s (Your) labor is inconsequential. Even a bad reaction at least means we said something of consequence!

As Peter works through this second letter, he tells us the secret to never having an ineffective or unfruitful walk. By growing in personal holiness. Specifically: virtue, knowledge, self-control steadfastness, godliness, brother affection, and love. In this verse he does qualify the mere possession of these things by saying they need to be “increasing” for this assurance to be reasonable. In verse ten he makes the point even more plain by telling us to be “all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities…” Noting it is ours to MAKE and to PRACTICE these things.

He then tells them he is going to “continue to remind them” of these qualities even though they have them and know they need them. He is going to continue to beat that drum, until he goes home in glory (v11-4). The continued focus on Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, second coming AND our soul’s appropriate response to it (growth in the aforementioned virtues) keeps us from giving way to the Monday morning ritual. Keeps us from giving way to the temptation to sin against God and man by loosing heart in this battle for the souls of men.

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO