God’s New Year’s Resolution:
v. 8 -- To be effective; make a difference; clear to others that God is at work through you
v.10 -- to be secure, at peace, content -- within
How do we make a difference? Where does security lie?
Key is found in the words, v.8: "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure ...".
What are these qualities?
Faith is the foundation; there is no growth, no LIFE without it. However, we are not to stop with faith, but build on it; move forward; advance.
add to your faith goodness
the quality by which one stands out as being excellent; doing things that stand out and get people’s attention. eg.military, art, athletics; includes integrity, truthfulness, honesty, faithfulness; it could also be translated as courage.
Far more than just attending church, not smoking or drinking or engaging in premarital or extramarital sex; or being "nice" or "a good person"
opposite: underachieving, compromise
and to goodness, knowledge
Knowledge of God and salvation. Spiritual understanding. USEFUL AND APPLIED: The ability to handle life successfully, wisely..
How do you gain knowledge except through study, reading, listening? It doesn’t come passively or just by thinking about things.
6 and to knowledge, self-control
lit. to hold oneself in. Controling your passions, tongue, emotions, appetite, sexual urges, temper, drinking (instead of these things controling you).
Opposite: Self-indulgence; addictive behavior
and to self-control, perseverance
to not give up or quit, even when tired or the odds are against you or when everone else is. No or little results. Don’t give in to temptation. Persevere in marriage, faithfulness, integrity. Not complaining, but pushing ahead, faithfully enduring. Waits.
Opposite: giving up; letting down; breaking promises
and to perseverance, godliness
Outward life. Doing all that we do for the sake of God and his glory.
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness
which would include such things as kind words, generosity, acts of service, being patient and gentle; treating and speaking of people with respect.
and to brotherly kindness, love
Giving, sacrificing; finding joy in the happiness of others. -- spouse, children, parents, family of faith, neighbor, enemy.
EFFECT OF THESE QUALITIES
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing (abounding) measure, they will keep you from being ineffective (inactive, idle) and unproductive (unfruitful) (NKJV: you will be neither barren nor unfruitful) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Effective and productive as parents, church members, witnesses, citizens, neighbors, spouses, leaders, servants, ministers, counselors, writers, musicians, artists, teachers, employees, employers
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
concerned about income, status, feeling good (pre-marital sex), acceptance, what others think, is a short-sighted person. This person has lost perspective; lost sight of the Big Picture. Fails to see how living this way affects those around him. This is also a person who lacks security and satisfaction.
A person without these qualities: insecure, anxious, bored, unreliable, overly sensitive, self-conscious, money conscious, quitter, underachiever, ignorant about the things that really matter, wishy washy in faith, full of doubts, disatisfied, guilt-ridden, ashamed; obese or overweight, addicted, consumed with appearance.
What are the keys?
1. Give your all.
5 For this very reason, make every effort (haste; every ounce of determination we can muster).
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager (to be in a hurry, to give diligence, to exert effort; sense of urgency)
Growth doesn’t happen automatically or passively. There is a cooperation between us and the Spirit.
-"make every effort"; "be all the more eager".
ILL. GLENDA’S LONG SWIM
Glenda’s Long Swim: Glenda and Robert Lennon were four miles off the coast of Florida fishing alone from their yacht. Glenda decided to take a swim and soon found the current had carried her too far out from the boat. Her husband, hearing her cries, without thinking dove in and swam to her, but then realized they were both being carried out.
He was a champion swimmer but not she. They made a plan. He would swim against the tide to keep the boat in view until the tide ceased and he could reach the boat. She should save her strength and just float with the tide and he would come and get her. He fought the tide for six hours and just as the boat was about to disappear on the horizon the tide turned and his strokes carried him to the boat exhausted. The sun had set. His searching was futile-he could not find his wife. The next day on one last effort of search the search party found his wife-twenty miles out and still alive.
John Piper: "What it illustrates is this: Christians who just float never stay in the same place. Christians who disobey 2 Peter 1 verses 5-7 and do not apply themselves with diligence to bear the fruit of faith drift into great peril. We must strive even to stand still, the tide of temptation is so strong."
In the same way you make every effort to do well at a job, an exam, tryout, interview, on a date, presentation
2. Realize what you have.
Also: v.5 "For this very reason ..."? (see v.2-4) -- that God, through Christ, has given us everything we need for life and godliness, and that we participate already in the divine nature -- make every effort to add to your faith goodness, etc.
GOSPEL: Not about religion, nor is it only about faith. It is about coming out of one realm and entering into another. An inner transformation has taken place. A power resides in you.
ILL. HARRY POTTER -- destined to be the greatest of all wizards from infancy, yet lives his life first 11 years as a regular boy, worse, lives as an unwanted child, his room a closet under the steps, despised. He is raised by his aunt and uncle who know what he is, but don’t want him to become a wizard, despise him for it. They want to beat it out of him. They are constantly opposing him and making his life miserable, causing him to believe that he couldn’t possibly be anything special and most certainly would never become anything great or do anything great.
That is how Satan and the world treat us!
But then he comes to realize who he is, and he gives it his all to fulfill his destiny.
Q: How did this happen? v1. "To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours"
-it is because of Jesus’ obedient life and sacrificial death -- His righteousness becomes ours
GOSPEL: This is how Jesus acted for YOU! -- eager, urgent, passionate. Giving all that he had, so that you can have all that he has!
-a "precious" faith indeed!
SEEKER: Do you know Jesus? Have you entered a relationship with him? Do you see him as Savior? Is he precious to you?
3. Remember the future. (11)
-what you have waiting for you. Grabbing hold of the promises to sustain and motivate you -- they are not empty!
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So here’s the application: Are you making every effort towards moral excellence? Are you making every effort to increase your knowledge of God’s character and his will? Are you making every effort to strengthen your power of self-control? Are you making every effort to enlarge your capacity for patience? Are you making every effort to cultivate godliness? Are you making every effort to grow warm in your affection for your fellow believers? And are you making every effort to stir up love in your will for the person you dislike the most?
If not, then what in the world are you doing? You’re wasting your life. Go to the cross and get clean again (Jesus died for our lack of effort as well!)
At the end of the year you should be able to look at yourself and see more evidence not only of these qualities, but of the fruit of these qualities. Something that needs to be measured regularly (every few months).
Parent: Are you making this the aim for your children? Are these qualities their main pursuit? Is it your main priority for them that they possess and continually grow in them? Or is it just about good education and opportunities and friends, being good, Christians?
Elders: Is this our priority for our church and our church members? Or is it merely about getting more people to attend, participate; meet budget; have good programs; better services?
"Successful"/effective church? A church where many display and continually grow in these qualities. "Unsuccessful" -- where few do.
CONCLUSION
Want to make a difference? Want to know security? Remembering what’s been done for you, what’s at work in you, what’s waiting for you, make every effort to live a godly life.
