The Effective Christian Life

2 Peter 1:8 ~ "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."

When you consider the means of being effective as a believer in Christ, what are the elements you look for in yourself?

Before we get to that, ask yourself a question: what does an effective Christian look like? For in our text today, Peter tells us that we are to be kept from being ineffective and unfruitful. These two conditions are the result of a passive Christian life. For, to be "ineffective" is, in essence, to be lazy, unproductive and without effort. And to be "unfruitful" is to be barren or profitless. And, if there is anything about following Christ that is needed, it is the desire and the drive. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13, "...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." We are to "will" and to "work." And that willingness to strive in obedience to Christ is the work of the Father through the Spirit who empowers us to a life of faithfulness.

To avoid the unfruitful and ineffective Christian life, there are qualities that must be present and they are to be growing. We plant an apple tree and rejoice when, in its infancy, it produces fruit that are small and few. However, in the years to come the expectation is that the tree has grown and increased its harvest of fruit, becoming strong and stable so that much fruit can be upon it. So it is with the Christian life. In our infancy with Christ there is little expectation for much fruit. But let the believer grow and mature and there should be, even in our own hearts, the expectation that much fruit will be produced to the glory of God (see John 15:8). 

What qualities does the Apostle Peter refer to? They are found in 2 Peter 1:5-7. "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." It starts with faith. And then added to that faith are the various qualities of Christlikeness. And these are the qualities that, as we add them, keep us from becoming ineffective and unfruitful. And, these qualities are added to each one, stacked upon each other to grow a towering structure of Christian living that reaches its greatest expression when true, sacrificial love is added. 

However, there are those who seek to add to their Christian faith elements of a more worldly design. Instead of virtue, it is willfulness. Instead of knowledge, it is philosophies. Instead of self-control, it is self-indulgence. Instead of steadfastness, it is vacillation. Instead of godliness it is tolerance. Instead of brotherly affection it is isolation. Instead of love it is bitterness. Let it not be said of us who love the LORD. Rather, let it be seen in our lives that those qualities of Christlikeness are not only being added, but increasing in potency as we walk in faithfulness to Him.

As we consider what it takes to be both effective and fruitful, let us also understand that our effective fruitfulness must be founded upon the knowledge of Christ. These qualities are of greatest worth when grown on the vine of Jesus. In fact, our LORD told us that apart from Him we can do nothing (see John 15:5). Our Christian lives should be so set to make Christ known, that these qualities, growing in our lives, give increasing evidence of our LORD. 

So, beloved, if you have faith in the LORD Jesus, then let your pursuit lead you to adding these qualities in increasing measure--growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Savior--becoming effective and fruitful for Him.

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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