8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
The seven spiritual character traits as outlined here in Scripture (verses 5–7) contrast with the so-called seven deadly sins, which theologians have pointed out for centuries:
Pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth.
Moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
Sin destroys, but the Spirit builds up. When we make living for Christ our top priority, we will see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, and our behavior will contribute to God’s purposes. The knowledge we continue to obtain does not stagnate into Pharisaical intellectualism and legalism. No, the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is dynamic and life-changing. If the evidence of spiritual vitality (that is, the seven spiritual qualities) is missing, we are blind, no matter how we frame our short-term appearances of spirituality.
Notice a few particulars in this passage. First, the pursuit of these seven qualities must be ongoing. We cannot stagnate in thinking we have arrived at full spiritual maturity. Idling in our spiritual life will lead to festering. Second, factual knowledge of Jesus is not the same as knowing Him. Peter refers to “our Lord Jesus Christ,” which some call His full and appropriate title. He is ours, indicating a personal relationship. He is Lord, our authority. He is Jesus, the one who relates to us in our humanity. And He is Christ, the promised Messiah, the God-in-the-flesh individual, God’s solution to our sin problem and all of our spiritual needs.
Third, we must never take for granted our cleansing from sin. The event of our salvation happening carries forward into an ongoing event. Our conversion was not a static event that exists in the past only. It is an ongoing experience; we were saved, we now are saved, we continue to be saved (1 Cor. 1:18), and we will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:15). Our purification from sins took place once for all and is in the past. But that portends the fullness of our salvation, and therefore, we must keep the conscious memory of it ever present before us. Our forgiveness has ever-present benefits. Therefore, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the forgiveness we received at the cross.
Lord, again, thank You for forgiving me and cleansing me from sin.
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