On the Increase

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)

What qualities you ask?  Well, the preceding verses (2 Peter 1:5-7) lay them out for us…

Virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with steadfastness, steadfastness with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

What I find interesting in v8 is the statement that in order to keep from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the above list of qualities must be increasing in our lives.

Interesting.  So, does that mean that if they are not increasing, then my relationship with the Lord will be unproductive and barren?

Sounds like it to me.

Any healthy, living thing must be continually growing.  When it stops growing, it withers and dies.  Our relationship with the Lord is no different.  Our spiritual journey must be continually moving us forward.

Having virtue, godly knowledge, self-control, love, etc. are all good qualities and are the outward evidence of a heart surrendered to God, but when those qualities stop increasing in our lives, we become like the Dead Sea.  We become spiritually sterile.  We stop reproducing kingdom life.

Now, in order for some things to increase in our life, other things must decrease.

The qualities listed above come from a healthy heart that is wholly devoted to Jesus.  If there are areas in your life stealing your devotion to Jesus (and we all know what ours are), work to remove them so that your love for Jesus will increase and so will the qualities He cherishes.