Fruitful Growth in the Faith

One of my attempts this month is reading through the second epistle of Peter which has been such an amazing learning experience thus far. Peter sent this letter after he became increasingly concerned with the false teachers who were filtering into the churches throughout Asia Minor. He wrote this epistle to warn the beloved believers of Christ in the church about the dangerous heretical doctrinal teachings they were facing. He wrote this to expose these false teachers as well. Yet on a side note he motivates his readers to continue developing Christian character as John MacArthur writes and the ability the Christian believer has to be assured of his or her salvation.

2 Peter 1:1-11
"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Making One's Calling and Election Sure
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."




Peter humbles himself as he defines his standing before the Lord and men as a "bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ". He reminds the believers of the equal gift of salvation that they all have in common because of God's righteousness imputed to them. Verse three brings in one of the most quoted verses in all of Scripture. As we are reminded and taught that HIS, Jesus Christ's, power is the source of the believer's sufficiency and that the genuine or real Christian can be secure in their salvation as they continue to grow in the faith. Not only this but we have all that we need for life in God and in His Word. We also have all we need for godliness or to live holy and reverent lives that obey and honor the Lord. And our knowledge of Him is not facts that we can recite, but rather a learned personal relationship with the Maker. He closes verse three with the reminder that salvation is based on nothing more than the grace of God through the work on the cross and that the sinner was utterly depraved and played no role in this what so ever. Immediately after Peter reminds us that those who are in Christ have been granted a precious promise in being born again.

For this reason Peter writes that because of all that God has given us we cannot be indifferent but must diligently with much effort live lives that honor God. The Christian life is not an easy one. Although it yields precious fruit there is pruning and tough work involved. Fruitful growth in the faith requires deepening your knowledge and relationship of and with the Lord. This faith will produce moral excellence (excellence produced in life, performing all deeds to the best of our God-given ability), knowledge (insight and truth understood), self control (the ability to restrain oneself from sin), perseverance (patience and endurance in doing what is right), godliness (live obediently toward God), and brotherly kindness (mutual sacrifice for one another). What a fruitful life the Christian has been called to live. This should motivate and spur us on to be growing in the faith that we might produce an abundance of fruit in our lives.

What happens if there is a lack of these things in ones life? This "Christian" is unable to be sure of his or her salvation. Fruit proves faith. In verse 10 Peter encourages the believers assurance of salvation can be found in the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And that the Christian who pursues these things he spoke about earlier is not guaranteed to enjoy this present life but can hope in the enjoyment of eternity and the rich reward in that life.

What amazing truths Peter teaches the believers in Asia Minor as well as the Christians today, and the great reminder that he gives of being fruitful in our faith!