A young woman was on vacation in the depths of Louisiana. She wanted a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking. After becoming very frustrated with the "no haggle" attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the blonde shouted, "Maybe I’ll just go out and catch my own alligator so I can get a pair of shoes at a reasonable price!" The shopkeeper said, "By all means, be my guest. Maybe you’ll luck out and catch yourself a big one!" Determined, the blonde turned and headed for the swamps, set on catching herself an alligator. Later in the day, the shopkeeper was driving home, when he spotted the young woman standing waist deep in the water, shotgun in hand. Just then, he saw a huge 9-foot alligator swimming quickly toward her. She took aim, killed the creature, and with a great deal of effort hauled it on to the swamp bank. Lying nearby were several more of the dead creatures. The shopkeeper watched in amazement. Just then the blonde flipped the alligator on its back, and frustrated, shouts out, "Oh, for crying out loud, this one isn’t wearing any shoes either!"
We’ve started a series on abundant living. We started with the thought that Christ came to give us life. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
And as we’ve looked at how to achieve abundant life, we’ve discovered some words. The first word is sufficiency. Christ’s death was sufficient; sufficient not only for eternal life, but for life! Remember when we looked at verse 3—3His 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. We have a sufficiency in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection that gives us everything we need, not only for eternal life, but for life!
We then looked at the word certainty. Having a sure thing—there aren’t that many guarantees in life. In fact, the best guarantee this world can give you is that you will face death, taxes, and problems. But we have a guarantee that will not fade or fail. Verse 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.
Remember why was it important to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ? Because in verse 3, that is where our divine power comes from—through our knowledge of him who called up by his own glory and goodness. We can be certain that we can experience Christ’s divine power in our lives.
Well, this is the third week, and now, we come to the third word. The first word was sufficient, the second was certainty, and the third is this—effort.
Wednesday, my wife put forth a lot of effort. Wednesday night, little Matthew Robert Buchanan was born into this world at 8:49 pm. Now let me ask you a question; would he have come that night if Lynelle didn’t put forth that effort? Most likely not. Let me ask a follow-up question. One of the things that nurse would do was to instruct Lynelle where to push. If Lynelle wouldn’t have pushed there, do you think that baby would have come then? Probably not.
Let me tell you another story.
Lipstick at School
According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington recently was faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night, the maintenance man would remove them and the next day, the girls would put them back. Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.
You see, not only are we going to talk about effort, but also focused effort. It’s not enough to wear yourself out, expending all kinds of energy and effort, because if you aren’t focusing it on the right thing, all you’ll end up doing is spinning round on an exercise wheel like a hamster. You’ll be moving pretty fast, working really hard, getting really tired, but remain stuck in the same place you started in.
Let me tell you, this world is going to give you all kinds of advice about how to better yourself. If you do this, you’ll feel better about yourself. If you only would spend more time doing this, then you can be more successful. If you do this, then you’ll have this special result as the outcome. There’s a problem with this—there’s no guarantee. There’s no assurance of anything. There’s only one source that has all the power we need. Christ told his disciples right before he ascended into heaven that, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Only Christ can claim that; this world can offer nothing like this.
My wife’s mother and sister are here, and with them come brand new idioms that I have to learn. One of them I’ve heard before, and I really like it, because this is what the world will tell you when their advice doesn’t work—sorry about your bad luck.
That’s what it comes down to—sorry about your bad luck. They can’t give you a guarantee. They can’t even come close to the abundant life that Christ has to offer us. And you know what is sad? Sometimes Christians don’t give us everything we need, either.
Some of you do a lot of reading. You read the daily bread, you read your bible, you read Christian books, written by the latest, most successful Christian authors. I tell you, there are some books written by certain authors that I will pick up right away, I love their work that much. But if all we are doing is just reading, then we are falling short of the abundant life that Christ came to give us.
You see, it takes effort—focused effort. Last week, we skipped this list; I mentioned it in passing so that you can know there is a guarantee for those who put them into practice. If you remember, there is one for those who don’t put them into practice as well. But we never really got to this list; so with that in mind, let’s look at it this morning. Verses 5-7 of 2 Peter 1.
5For this very reason (In other words—so that you can partake of Christ’s divine power), make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
There’s that word—effort. Make every effort. Put your back into it.
Many people adhere to this statement—let go and let God. In some cases, this is a good thing. We should let go of worry; let God handle it. 1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
But that doesn’t mean that we play a passive part in this at all. I want you to catch this verse, because it accurately portrays how this process works in our lives. Or at least how it should work. Colossians 1: 28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
We can add to our faith, because it is Christ’s energy at work in us. BUT, we have to put forth the effort, we have to labor, we have to struggle—WE HAVE TO DO IT.
Matthew is just 4 days old today. And he’s strong! I was setting him up on my lap, and he can push up with his legs so that he stands up! He’s got a firm grip, and when he’s got you, either by the necklace or hair, he doesn’t let go!
But if he stopped moving, if he didn’t put forth any effort, will he continue to develop and grow? Not the way he should. His muscles will relax and not flex. He needs to continue to use them.
Such is the way it should be in our lives. We have so many things at our disposal, but unless we use them, they become useless. If you want to have an abundant life, it takes effort.
So, what are we to do? Add—remember verse 8. 8For 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. We have to possess them in increasing measure—we have to add them. Continually.
Add these to your faith. Now let me pause for a moment. The secular world will never give you this advice. They will never be able to be effective in giving you the abundant life that Christ has to offer, because in order to add to your faith you first you have to have faith. Faith is the foundation; it is the basis for building and adding on top of. Without it, nothing else will stand and last. Faith is essential for this process; Dr. Phil won’t be able to help you with this. Only God and His Word are sufficient.
Speaking of Dr. Phil, I got to watch a lot of television on Wednesday. So I got to watch him try and convince a mother that she needs to build her self-esteem not from her outward appearance, but rather from the inside. And you know what, that sounds good. In fact, it’s sounds so good because it’s so close to the truth. But yet, he has missed the boat, because whenever you try to build up yourself with self-love and self-worth, where’s the room for Christ? Where’s the room for God? Where’s the room for others?
Remember what Christ said the three greatest commands of the Old Testament were? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. And love yourself. Right? No, Jesus said this—“" ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[2] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’[3] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
There’s 2, because the third is assumed. It is assumed that we love ourselves. In fact, sometimes we love ourselves so much. But when we focus our attention on God (who is the one who gives us worth), that’s how we can accomplish all of this for Him. Dr. Phil and this world might tell us to focus on our inward part, but in reality, the more we focus on God, that’s when we discover who we really are in Christ.
But anyway, the world’s wisdom will not get you abundant life, because it is not based upon faith.
Add to your faith goodness. What is goodness? Literally, the word means moral excellence, or virtue. This same word is used in 1 Peter 2:9— 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
In classical Greek, the word meant the God-given ability to perform heroic deeds. It also came to mean that quality of life which made someone stand out as excellent. It never meant or virtue of attitude, but virtue which is demonstrated in life. Peter is here writing of moral energy, the power that performs deeds of excellence.
Someone wrote, “A Christian is supposed to glorify God because he has God’s nature within; so, when he does this, he shows “excellence (or goodness)” because he is fulfilling his purpose in life. True virtue in the Christian life is not “polishing” human qualities, no matter how fine they may be, but producing divine qualities that make the person more like Jesus Christ.”
How do we add to our faith goodness? By fulfilling our purpose in life, the purposes that God has designed for us to accomplish. As we do that, we will develop in our lives excellence.
Now you may be wondering, “How do I know what God’s purpose is in my life?”
Well, we do this as we add to goodness knowledge. This word is used several times in this letter, in verses 2 and 3 of this same chapter and in 2 Peter 3:18. This is referring to several kinds of knowledge. Knowledge through the spirit, knowledge through the Word, knowledge through experience.
Paul would write this in 1 Corinthians 2:11The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
We have the Spirit. In fact, Paul would write that we have the mind of Christ, because of the Holy Spirit. But it’s not enough to have that. We need to work on it. He would write in the verse that follow— 1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly.
We need to continually use it, and we use it as we study. 2 Timothy 2:15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Do your best—the KJV puts it this way— Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I’ve challenged you to read your Bible through in a year. Are you doing it? Are you studying, are you showing yourself as a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed?
But we also add knowledge through our experience. This doesn’t mean we look for divine revelations or a visit from God. This means that the more we walk with Him, the more we learn about Him and His faithfulness.
Remember Lamentations 3: 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
How did He know that God’s compassions never fail, and that they are new every morning? He experienced them! We experience them all the time, and as we do, we grow in the knowledge of our God.
Listen to what Paul would write about knowledge in Ephesians 4—speaking of the church. “11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Goodness and knowledge. We are to add these to our faith. This isn’t the end of the list. There’s more, so much more. But as we continue to grow and add these things, we will have access to Christ’s divine power. We will have everything we need for life and godliness. We will experience the abundant life—the life Christ came to give.
