Monthly Archive for April, 1998

2 Peter 1:9c

Published on April 30, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
 
 
even to blindness
 
A blind person is unable to see. A spiritually blind person is unable to see spiritually. There is no spiritual understanding. 
 
Many people are not able to see how God expects us to live. They cannot see truth. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Some Christians are spiritually blind.
 
APPLICATION: Some Christians are saved eternally but they cannot spiritually see.
 
Even entire churches can be blind.
 
Re 3: 17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
 
There is a blind church! Christendom is filled with blind churches that are barren and unfruitful.  These churches rarely experience someone coming to Christ.
 
There are people who live in the Rocky Mountains and never see the colossal scenery around them. People live within sight of majestic peaks and take them for granted and are not impressed with their grandeur. After Christians are saved for a few years, the wonder of the Christian life fades away for some. They are no longer fresh and spiritual things become commonplace to them. 
 
This is why Paul had to exhort a young preacher to remember the person of Christ (2 Ti 2:8). Paul also preached the gospel to Christians (1 Co 15:1-4). We are prone to forget the wonder of our salvation. To see only what is near is a serious spiritual problem. Initial salvation is wonderful but let us move on to more mature things. 
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2 Peter 1:9b

Published on April 29, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
 
 
is shortsighted
 
We get our English word myopic from the Greek for “shortsighted.”   To be “shortsighted” is to be near-sighted. Spiritually this means to be extremely limited in spiritual understanding. There is a problem of spiritual comprehension with this person. He only sees what is in front of his nose; he sees only the temporal. He does not have the capacity to discern spiritual things. 
 
Myopia means that the distant rays of light fall short of the retina of the eye. That light is only a blur. Aristotle used this word for a nearsighted man. He is not stone blind. He has some spiritual sight but he has sin-sick sight. 
 
PRINCIPLE: The spiritually shortsighted person sees only what is miserly.
 
APPLICATION: Some Christians are near-sighted. They cannot see anything but their own world of needs. A mature Christian can see eternal values; he sees beyond temporal values. He does not value the seven items of the chorus of verses 5-7. 
 
They never developed their faith. They never “add to their faith” (1:5) so their faith never increases. They do not move on or up or out. They stayed right where they were. They run on a treadmill spiritually. They do not get anywhere. No underdeveloped Christian wants to share his faith. They find it difficult to walk with God and have a regular devotional life. There is always some reason. It is either too hot or too cold. It is too dry or too slippery. It is always too something.
 
He 12: 1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [those who lived by faith of chapter 11], let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
 
No Christian should be a babe for ten years. He should get out his spiritual diapers as soon as possible. There will be hard times through the turbulent spiritual teenage period, however, if he continues to grow he will be able to apply truth to experience for himself and reproduce himself spiritually. 
 
So many Christians arrest their spiritual growth and end dwarfed as spiritual pigmies.  People must carry them around on spiritual pillows. Everyone must cater to them because their feelings are hurt so easily. Their feelings get hurt so easily and then they gossip. They will even slander others. They would not dare think about adultery but they readily detract from others. People must stroke them gently or they will blow. That will get them through the immediate emergency but then shortly someone will need to nurse them through another crisis. 
 
Mature Christians must descend upon you to nurse you through another problem. You fell down. People rush to your side to pick the cinders out of your flesh. They get you on your feet again, one on either side, to get you going again. That is one thing as a new Christian but it is another if you have been a Christian for ten years. A child on the bottle after ten years is not a pretty sight. 
 
Are you willing to be weaned from your spiritual immaturity? 
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2 Peter 1:9

Published on April 28, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”
 
 
Verse eight sets forth two characteristics of a mature Christian in a positive way: “if these things be in you.” In verse nine he conveys the idea negatively: “he who lacks these things.”
 
For he who lacks these things
 
A Christian who does not manifest the character qualities of verses 5-7 is spiritually blind.
 
The word “lack” means is not present. We can translate this phrase literally, “to whom these things are not present.” Idiomatically this means that the “these things” of verses 5-7 are not “ours.” These character qualities are not present in his life. Are the character qualities of verses 5-7 near your heart?
 
If we possess these things God consequently endows us with spiritual sight. 
 
PRINCIPLE: God expects that the seven character qualities of verses 5-7 be present in our lives.
 
APPLICATION: Each character quality that we add we acquire greater growth spiritually. This is like a telescope where lens after lens extends so that it extends its range to see further into space. When a believer “adds” to his faith these character qualities he adds capacity to see further and further spiritually. 
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2 Peter 1:8e

Published on April 27, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
 
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
 
 “In” means into.   If we develop upon the substructure of our faith the seven building blocks for the Christian life (vv. 5-7), we will know the Lord better. 
 
“Knowledge” is full knowledge and carries the idea of discernment. “Knowledge” occurs seven times in 2 Peter and is a key word of the epistle. This is knowledge of the person of Christ (Jn 17:3; Ph 3:10; Ho 6:3). Through the set backs of life such as the valley of deep sorrow we get to know the Lord better. 2 Peter closes on this same note (3:18). 
 
PRINCIPLE: Knowledge of the Lord is one thing, insight-knowledge of Him is something beyond; it is intimate knowledge of Him.
 
APPLICATION: When people get married they think that they know one another. After all they courted for six months! They face quite a shock a few weeks into their marriage. Few people fully reveal themselves before marriage. He is a bit more mean than he showed before marriage. He was always so polite and nice before marriage. She never showed her selfishness and pride during the courting period. She always put her best foot forward. They discover that they are married to alligators. “Mama never told me that marriage can be difficult.” 
 
The longer we live with each other the better we know each other. If you have any wit at all, you learn what pleases her and do those things to enhance the marriage. You also know what bugs her, what irks her, what irritates her and what exasperates her. You try to refrain from those things. Everyone has marriage problems. It is only normal that we get to know each other better after marriage. 
 
When we come to Christ as Savior, we are only introduced to the Lord. We do not fully know Him until we get to know Him better. None of us ever knew a person like the Lord Jesus. There is no dark side to His character. He is not proud or selfish. He is always true to His character. 
 
He 13: 8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
 
The more we read the Word the more we will know the wonder of His character. He becomes more and more precious to us (1 Pe 1:8; 2:7). Eternity is too short for us to plumb the depths of His magnificent person.   He is the incomparable Son of God. The longer we fellowship with Him the more we love Him. We will meet Him face to face one day. What a glorious day that will be! In the mean time we get to know Him better and better.
 
2 Co 3: 18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make the child of God like the Son of God. 
 
The carnal Christian does not know the Lord very well. They are “unfruitful” in the knowledge of the Lord. They bear marks of spiritual birth defects. They are Christians but they are handicapped in the extent that they know the Lord. Jesus can change that retardation. He can salvage your Christian life so that you can bear fruit. 
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2 Peter 1:8d

Published on April 26, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
 
nor unfruitful
 
“Unfruitful” is a metaphor that comes from trees and fields. Metaphorically, “unfruitful” means works or deeds that produce no fruit (Mt 13:22; Mk 4:19; 1 Co 14:14; Ep 5:11; Ti 3:14; Ju 12). 
 
Figuratively, “unfruitful” means useless, unproductive. 
 
Ep 5: 11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
 
“Unfruitful” pertains to being useless in the sense of being unproductive.  This person has no harvest, no fruit. 
 
Ju 12 “… serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.” 
 
PRINCIPLE: We need to recognize the moment of the harvest and seize its opportunity. 
 
APPLICATION: Some of us do not seize the season. At the time the fruit is ripe and the harvest is ready, we sleep. People in need of Christ walk in our presence and we do not recognize that need in them. Spiritually minded people are in tune to that need. As Jude says, we are so busy “serving only” ourselves that we cannot see the need of sharing Christ with someone else. 
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2 Peter 1:8c

Published on April 25, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
 
you will be neither barren
 
The New King James Version does not translate an important word in this verse – the word “appoint.” God will “appoint” you so that you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ.
 
The word “appoint” means to set down, set in order or to constitute (Ac 7:10,27,35; He 7:28; Ro 5:19).   God sets up an order for us to bear fruit. God is the cause of whether we bear fruit or not. In this sense we can translate “appoint” as “make.” If we follow the prescribed condition we will not be made useless and unfruitful. It is God’s grace that makes growth possible. God will constitute in us a change produced by living out the seven qualities of verses 5-7. 
 
“Barren” comes from two words no and work. “Barren” means unemployed, idle, nothing to do, useless, unproductive.   Faith multiplied will produce fruit. 
 
Matthew uses “barren” for men standing around in the market place.
 
Mt 20: 3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 “and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’”
 
PRINCIPLE: Every carnal Christian is a barren Christian. 
 
APPLICATION: A carnal Christian is an idle Christian. 
 
Mt 12: 36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
 
A “barren” or “idle” Christian is an unemployed Christian. He does not realize that God called him into full-time service, 24 hours a day. 
 
Idle people have too much time on their hands so they become tattlers and busybodies. Troublemakers in church are often those who are idle. 
 
1 Ti 5: 13 “And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.”
 
Are you a “slow belly?” A retarded Christian is a problem Christian. Many Christians have a case of arrested spiritual development. They never grew beyond a certain point. They do not go on with the Lord. 
 
Ti 1: 12 “One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons [King James translation translates this as a “slow belly”].’”
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2 Peter 1:8b

Published on April 24, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
 
and abound
 
It is one thing to have the “these things” of verses 5-7 as ours but it is another to super-abound in them. 
 
The root of the word “abound” is “more.”   More means greater in quantity. Sometimes this word means super-abound (Ro 5:20; 6:1; 2 Co 4:15; Ph 4:17; 2 Th 1:3; and in this verse).  “Abound” carries the idea to cause an increase in the degree of some experience or state.  The increase comes with such considerable extent that the result is abundance
 
 Ro 5: 20 “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
 
Where sin came more and more, grace super-abounded more than people could sin. God’s grace extends to more and more people in abundance.
 
2 Co 4: 15 “For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”
 
God provides more than enough to meet our material needs. 
 
2 Co 8: 14 “But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.’”
 
PRINCIPLE:   God expects an abounding life, not a life void of the riches of His grace.
 
APPLICATION: The Spirit-filled life overflows to others (Ep 5:18-25). It is like an artesian well whose source is higher than the place of its emergence. The outflow is natural. The source of power for the Christian life is God the Holy Spirit. The Christian life that does not flow over, never blesses others. You cannot overflow until you are full. 
 
Ep 5: 18 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
 
Others get that overflow. 
 
Do you have a strong spiritual heartbeat? Are you thrown sideways if someone criticizes you? Are you limping toward heaven? Are you marching your way to heaven? 
1 Co 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, ‘I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?’”
1 Th 3: 12 “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you.”
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2 Peter 1:8

Published on April 23, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
 
For if these things
 
 “These things” are the chorus of seven character qualities of the previous verses. Every time the words “these things” occur they refer to the seven building blocks of Christian character. 
 
When a Christian develops the seven sub-structures of his faith, he will be effective and productive. The necessary consequence of adding one characteristic to another is fruit and productivity. 
 
These seven qualities will cause five effects in verses eight and nine. 
 
are yours
 
The words “are yours” implies possession and makes the point that the seven characteristics of the previous verses “belong” to Christians who grow. As these qualities increase in measure so does effectiveness. 
 
The word “are” is not the normal word for “are.” The word in this verse is a strong word for “are.” This word “are” means to be identical with, to be in a state, normally with the implication of a particular set of circumstances. It carries the idea to exist, particularly in relation to ownership. This always involves a pre–existent state, prior to the fact referred to, and a continuance of the state after the fact. Thus in Philippians 2:6 the phrase “who being in the form of God” implies Christ’s pre–existent deity, previous to His Birth, and His continued deity afterwards.
 
The word “are” means that which is from the beginning. Something attaches itself to a person and thus belongs to him. The character qualities of verses five through seven are not spasmodic, here one day and gone tomorrow. All these qualities lie resident in every child of God. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Character belongs to those who grow.
 
APPLICATION: Any Christian can draw upon these resources whenever he chooses to do so. It is one thing to have these qualities “exist” in us and it is another for them to “super-abound” in us. 
 
All these qualities lie resident in the child of God. Most of us have the potential to walk but we will not walk until we take the first few steps. The crawling infant may fear loss of balance and falling. He may fall at first but later when he gains confidence in balancing himself, he finds the joy of the powers of walking and later running. First we have the beginning state (“are”), then we move to “super-abounding.” 
 
God makes us fit for heaven. We were fit for hell; now we are fit for heaven. Are you fit for heaven?  The only One who can rearrange your life is the One who can save your soul. He does it in this order: first He saves your soul then He rearranges your life. 
 
Co 1: 12 “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
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2 Peter 1:7d

Published on April 22, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
 
 
and to brotherly kindness love
 
We come now to the seventh and final characteristic the believer should add to his faith. “Love” is the apex of the pyramid of the seven. 
 
 “Brotherly kindness” is love of friendship. The second word for “love” is divine, self-sacrificing, one-way love that is free to relate. We take his definition from a summary of use of this term in the New Testament. We can see God’s unconditional love for those who did not love Him in John 3:16. His love was both unconditional and based on His character, not on whether man loved Him back. 
 
Jn 11: 5 “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
 
Jn 13: 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
 
Ro 5: 5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us….
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
 
Ga 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
 
Ep 2: 4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” 
 
When we walk in love we do not hate anyone. We do not allow bitterness, vindictiveness or jealousy to control our thoughts and actions.  Thus, we are free to relate to others. We love them on the basis of our own character, not their character.
 
PRINCIPLE: God wants us to make progress in our Christian life. 
 
APPLICATION: Now that we have come to the end of the seven characteristics we are to add to our faith, how do you measure up? Grade yourself. Can you go through these seven items and conclude that you pass the test of all seven? Or, would you have to say, “I am deficient in this category. I flunked that course. I have not done so well in a couple other areas as well. I am a spiritual drop out in these categories.” The remedy to this is “add to your faith….” 
 
God expects us to make progress in the faith, not to remain static in our Christian life. God has not graduated us yet. We need to continue to take courses in God’s school of the Christian life. God will give us our final grade at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We cannot wait till we get there to start moving. If we do, we will make a poor showing. We might have flunked the mid-term but there is still time before the final comes. Some of us may not have much time.
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2 Peter 1:7c

Published on April 21, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
 
 
to godliness brotherly kindness
 
In this verse we have two different Greek words for love. “Brotherly kindness” is closer to the idea of rapport love such as the love between husband and wife. This is the love of man for man, hence it carries the idea of kindness. The New Testament uses both words for the love of the Father for the Son (Jn 3:35; 5:20). 
 
In this verse, there is an obvious distinction between the two Greek words for love. We can see this distinction in John 21. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him because He wants to commission him for His service.
 
Jn 21: 15 “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agapao] Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ 16He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [agapao] Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You. He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ 17He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love [Jesus changes his term to phileo] Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love [phileo] Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”
 
Jesus’ question:                                        Peter’s answer:     
 
Agapao                                                       Phileo
Agapao                                                       Phileo
Phileo                                                         Phileo
 
Many scholars see no distinction between these two words for love in John 21. However, it seems to me capricious that Jesus would change terms in this kind of context so flippantly. Jesus asked Peter the first two times if he loved Him with a love that goes beyond rapport love. “Do you love Me with a love that goes beyond our friendship? Do you love Me unselfishly? Are you willing to serve Me no matter the cost?” 
 
Peter’s answer with rapport love to the Lord’s third question conveys the idea of cherishing His relationship to the Lord. However, Jesus asks Peter that his love for Him transcend friendship and the problems of human relationships. Jesus wants a love that manifests itself in a love characterized by constancy. Peter needs to recognize that this special three-fold commission given to him by the Lord is an issue of a love that transcends human rapport.
 
PRINCIPLE: Jesus expects us to love with a love that goes beyond rapport love.
 
APPLICATION: If we desire to serve the Lord, love for the Lord is the major issue we must face. Do you love the Lord sacrificially? Do you serve the Lord out of convenience? 
 
Many of us feel that if it is convenient we will serve the Lord. “If I have enough time from my other priorities, I will serve the Lord. If I can find some spare time on the outer edge of the periphery of my life, I will serve Him.” No, if we truly love the Lord, we give the highest priority to serving Him. Everything else falls into a distant second place.
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