BE FRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST BY LIVING A GODLY LIFE
BE FRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST BY LIVING A GODLY LIFE
Bible reference: 2 Peter 1:5-8. ” For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 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”.
Good morning everyone
Blessed be the name of our God and our saviour Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing even before the foundation of the earth and has chosen us through Christ.
May His Holy name be praised now and forever.
Believers, today in our search for scriptures we will be looking at how we can be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ and why we need to be fruitful.
To begin with todays discussion, I will begin by asking the question, Do we have all it takes to live godly life as believers?. Take some moment and think about it.
In my point of view, I think we have all what it takes to live a godly life as it can be seen from 2 Peter 2:3.The divine power God granted to us in the person of the Holy Spirit is all what a believer needs to live a godly life.
I will say it was this same divine power that Christ had when he was on earth that enabled him to overcome the temptations of the evil.
Yes it is true that Christ is God, but like we saw in one of our discussions, the bible makes it clear to us that HAE STRIPPED OFF ALL HIS GODLINESS.( Philippians 2:6-8).
Therefore Apostle Peter is right to say we have all what it takes to live a godly life.
“The divine power has granted to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence”( 2 Peter 1:3).
How sweet is it to know that not just has the divine power granted to us all things that pertain life and godliness, but also we are granted the precious and VERY GREAT promise which is through the knowledge of Christ and the divine power, we may escape from the evil and corrupted things of this world.( 2 Peter 2:4)
The promise did not just end there, but also we will become partakers of his divine nature.How great is this God we serve.( 2 Peter 2:4)
Now that we have established the point that it is possible for us to live a godly life, let us now look at what it means by been fruitful in the knowledge of Christ.
In the first four chapters of this book, Apostle Peter just as all the Apostles does in their letters, established the foundation and gave the reasons why we have to make every effort to respond to this great promise.
Now He goes ahead to tell us as christians and followers of Christ how we ought to live our life as people who the the divine power of God has granted us all we need to live a godly life.
Through the faith we had in God and the hope we have in Christ, we were saved but we have to continually demonstrate a lifestyle to really reflect the image of God, and Apostle Peter list some of these things us a guide for us in our Christian walk.
1.Supplementing our faith with generous provision of moral excellence. Other translation say supplement your faith with Virtue.( 2 Peter 1:5)
2.Knowledge
3.Self Control
4. Steadfastness
5. Godliness
6. Brotherly Affection
7. Love.
What are the benefit we get if we have these things and not just having them, but also they abound?
The answer if found in verse 8 of our bible reference, ” 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”.
What then are we if we lack these things as christians?
Interesting Peter gave an answer to this question and this answer should provoke you the more and should help you to arise from your sleep if you are a victim of this.
This is the answer Apostle Peter gave to us “But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.( 2 Peter 1:9).
Its my prayer the good God will continue to work in us and continue to grant us the grace for us to live a godly life.
God bless you.