Grow in Christian Character

You and I, as as followers of Jesus, we need to lavishly supply, lavishly add to our Christian faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Lavishly supply these things to our faith. That same word translated add in verse five is translated supplied in verse 11. Do you get the connection? You in your Christian life, listen, be diligent about lavishly supplying these elements of Christian character and you will be lavishly supplied with a warm welcome home into the kingdom of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. [01:23:32] (52 seconds)  #LavishFaithAndVirtue

The Christian life is a lifelong process of growing in Christian character that then produces fruit. As you grow in your Christian life, as you grow in Christian character, notice in verse eight that this enables you to be useful in the service for Christ. If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren. Barren, useless is that word, but you will be fruitful. You'll be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ. Growing in Christian character fosters this fruitfulness in your knowledge of Christ. [01:16:00] (42 seconds)  #FruitfulChristianLife

Here's what here's the here's an interesting dynamic in the Christian life. Diligently pursuing Christian growth in character, in our Christian character. Diligently pursuing growth in Christian character yields fruitfulness. Watch. Get this connection. Don't miss this. Okay? I know it's it's it's been a lot. It's been like a fire hose this morning. I get that. I understand that. But it but this all is connected. Diligently pursuing growth in Christian character yields fruitfulness that testifies to your abiding in the vine. [01:20:46] (47 seconds)  #PursueCharacterFruitfulness

Now lest lest we make the mistake of thinking that I just need to let go and let God make me grow. You notice Peter disabuses that right away in verse five. He says, also for this very reason, like, on account of this grace of which you are a recipient, for this very reason, giving all diligence add to your faith. [00:53:12] (33 seconds)  #GiveAllDiligence

Now Peter's emphasizing the same kind of thing here. You have been the recipient of God's grace in verses one through four, and now the reasonable response to that grace is for you to pursue Christian growth and to do so earnestly, diligently. It says giving all diligence. That word giving all diligent diligence means literally to bring every effort to bear upon, to do one's very best. [00:55:11] (34 seconds)  #DiligentResponseToGrace

If you are a believer in Christ, if you are a Christian, if you are following Jesus, you are the recipient of God's grace. Peter makes this clear in verse one where he says that by grace you have received faith. He says, to those who have obtained like precious faith, you have received like precious faith. This word like precious that's translated like precious faith could be could be put this way. Those of you who have received a faith of equal standing with ours, [00:41:13] (37 seconds)  #RecipientsOfGrace

And the basis of that gift of grace is not your merit. It's not anything in you. So how do you know that? Because of what it says right here in this verse. To those who have received this like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus Christ. You have you have been given this gift of this gracious gift of faith on the basis of the righteousness of Christ. [00:42:45] (34 seconds)  #RighteousnessOfChrist

Divine power enables growth. And then this is a growth for this is a power for life and godliness, for an eternal abundant life, the eternal life that Jesus came came to give to us, that God sent his son into this world to give to us who would believe on him. Eternal life, yes, but also the abundant life that Jesus came to give. I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly, Jesus says. [00:45:47] (30 seconds)  #DivinePowerForLife