“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 a characteristic of the mature Christian in a positive way: “you will neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 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, resulting in an abounding insight-knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, 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.” The seven character qualities are not present in this life. If we possess these things, God consequently endows us with spiritual sight about our Lord Jesus.
PRINCIPLE:
God expects the seven character qualities of verses 5-7 to be present in our lives.
APPLICATION:
Do the character qualities of verses 5-7 possess your heart? With each character quality we add, we acquire greater spiritual growth in our knowledge of the Lord. When a believer “adds” to his faith these character qualities, he develops the capacity to see his Lord more fully; he grows further and further in his fellowship with the Lord. This outcome is like a telescope where lens after lens extends to expand its range to see further into space.
