Daily Devotional

-March 14, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Being Fruitful In Our Faith-

“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.”

(2 Peter 1:5-8).

Growth in the Lord is absolutely essential in the Christian life. Peter, the writer of this epistle, wrote at the end of this second epistle, “But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

Growing in faith is so important to our spiritual lives. Peter is beseeching us to add to our faith seven essential characteristics that will encourage and energize us in our walk with Christ. We need to grow in each of these characteristics and never stop growing. We can never say we have made it or arrived spiritually. We must strive for greater and stronger faith.

These seven characteristics are like building blocks in our lives. It reminds me of when, as a very young child, I played with blocks. I would build something with them, then when the game was over, I would knock them down. In our Christian life we build a strong faith to last until the Lord calls us home to glory. Until then we keep growing, adding, and getting stronger in the Lord. Peter says, “But for this very reason, giving all diligence…” In our lesson yesterday we discovered four great blessings we have in Christ: all things that pertain to life and godliness, exceedingly great and precious promises, partaking of the divine nature, and escaping from the corruption in this world through lust. He referring to these things.

Let us add to our faith virtue, the holy character of Jesus Christ; knowledge of the Lord and His Word; self-control in our dealings with people and circumstances, especially difficult ones; perseverance in patiently living under stress, hardship, or pain; godliness in how we behave before God, those who are saved and those who are unsaved; brotherly kindness in showing gentleness and respect to all; and love without which nothing will work.

If we grow in and practice these things, we will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Savior. In the account of the fig tree, He looked for fruit on the fig tree, but found one. The next day Peter brought up the fig tree had shriveled up and died. The lesson was the fruitlessness of Israel. We must avoid the same results.

A healthy Christian is a growing Christian. If we are not growing, even slowly, we are going backwards and there is even doubt of our salvation. When we read the Word and study it, pray, witness for the Lord, and serve Him, we will grow and bear much fruit. May we measure our progress and growth not by man’s standards but God’s standards as found in His Word.

Have a blessed day growing in our faith. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean