4/20/26

2 Peter 1:8 NASB95 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter lists qualities of, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Then he says our verse text today. "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

However, people in pride who attempt these qualities in their own power will fail and be rendered useless and unfruitful because they have no true knowledge nor relationship with Jesus the Christ!

For us to have this true knowledge found in a true relationship, we must go back to 2 Peter 1:2-4 NASB95. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

We see the knowledge comes through Jesus as our Lord!

In His Lordship, we have a relationship. In the relationship of Jesus as our Lord, we gain true knowledge of the Godhead. In this knowledge, we realize, His Divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. In this, we are promised and God who can not lie gives us His divine nature in the indwelling Holy Spirit allowing us to escape by mercy the sinful lust of this world and by grace receive true eternal life which is found in His presence through the way of His Son who is the truth we just read that a relationship with Him provides this life!

Wow!

You can attempt all of this on your own and fail or you can rely on the knowledge that is given to you through the relationship of Jesus as Lord!

2 Peter 1:8 NASB95 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On your own = useless and unfruitful.

In the power of Jesus as your Lord = usefulness and fruitfulness.

Then all the qualities Peter mentions, (moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love,) will flow not from you but through you from Jesus.

Stop trying to be your own lord and allow the Lord Jesus to take care of that!

Love Bro. Scott