Up and to the Right

“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” (v8).

So just how do you really get to know Jesus? How in the wide world of sports do you have a so-called “personal relationship” with Christ? Can I be blunt? This amazing Rabbi/Carpenter walked the earth more than 2,000 years ago. After His blooding crucifixion, He headed back home to heaven. If to know, know, know Him is to love, love, love Him, how do I do that? Well, our pal Peter has the key. He should know. Pete was a member of Jesus’ inner circle, the leader of the Twelve as well as the first preacher in the church. I can’t think of anyone better to let me know how to know my Savior.

First, the apostle wonders if we have “these qualities” in our hot little hands. He’s talking about the list in verses 5-7. These are the ingredients to a delicious Gospel Stew. Faith. Virtue. Knowledge. Self-control. Steadfastness. Godliness. Brotherly affection. Love. It doesn’t matter how much you have of each component. Simply chuck what you have into the pot. This is the stuff that enables us to unlock a real relationship with our risen Savior. So you might want to take a moment to look over that recipe one more time. 

Pete tells us that these ingredients should be “yours and are increasing” (v8). The first word in the original language is huparcho. It means to be at one’s disposal, have as a resource, be at hand or belong to someone. Check the list. Do you have them? He doesn’t ask how much you have. He simply wants to know IF you have them. If you’re a follower of Jesus, these qualities are certainly part of who you are. OK, they might be small. Shoot, they may even be microscopic. But you’ve got’em. 

He wants to know if these personal characteristics are growing. Are they “increasing” (v8)? This is Greek verb pleonazo, which means to be more than enough, greatly abound and grow to the point of abundance. It describes something that is increasing and superabounding. If you put these qualities on a chart, are they going up and to the right? Earlier, Peter pleaded with his readers to work their tails off to add to each item on the earlier list. “Make every effort to supplement” them (1:5). He’s talking max effort. Or in the words of Scottie on Star Trek, “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, captain! She can’t take anymore!!” You might not have much of the items, but work your heiny off to increase what you have. It won’t be long until they “increasing.” Growing. Even superabounding!

The apostle then lets us know what happens if we fail to increase in these Christ following characteristics. We will be “ineffective or unfruitful” (v8). That’s actually a rather sanitized version of what’s in the original letter. The former hardworking fisherman uses the Greek word argos. It actually means no work. In one of His parables, Jesus talked about how the boss “saw others standing idle (Gr. argos) in the workplace” (Mt 20:3). Paul warned his buddy Titus about the work ethic among the people he was serving. “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy (Gr. argos) gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Do I seriously want to be inactive, not working, idle and unemployed? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want THAT to be on my resume!!

If that’s not bad enough, Pete warns that we run the danger of becoming “unfruitful” (Gr. akarpos). This literally means without fruit. Barren. Unproductive. Unprofitable. Paul gave the Ephesians a heads up when it came to what not to do. “Take no part in the unfruitful (Gr. akarpos) works of darkness” (Eph 5:11). It’s the exact opposite of the relationship Jesus taught His posse about. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in Him, he it is that bears, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Connected to Christ=lots of fruit. Unconnected to the vine=no fruit.

The apostle says that the fruit he’s talking about is “the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v8). He’s NOT talking about filling your head with a bunch of facts about this first century Jewish Messiah. While that’s certainly a good idea, Pete’s talking about a relationship. 

Doing nothing. Producing nothing.

If I’m not maxing out to increase the qualities in the previous verses then I’ll be lazy and useless. I’m refusing to work. If I don’t have the qualities Pete lists in verses 5-7, I’ll look just like any other nonbeliever. So I need to get off my blessed assurance and use what God has so graciously given me to know Him more personally. This “knowledge” is epignosko, a deep understanding through personal experience. He’s given us everything we need “that pertain life and godliness” (1:3). And in doing so, He’s invited us to get to know Him. Personally. Relationally. Intimately. Jesus has given us everything. Now, get to work. That’s the surest way to get to know Him more deeply and intimately. A relationship that grows. A relationship that increases.

Up and to the right.