Remix I: Making Ourselves Fruitful (Part 1 of 2)
Introduction to the Remix Series
We're taking a brief pause from our study in the Gospel of Luke to refresh our minds with other portions of Scripture. This series, titled Remix, draws from 2 Peter 1. A remix is a variant of an original by rearranging or adding to it, or simply mixing again. Spiritually, we want to remix the right things into our lives—godly qualities that aid our sanctification—and remix out hindrances that keep us unfruitful.
There are two goals: first, to apply these truths personally for fruitfulness; second, to maximize fruitfulness in our church, especially among college and youth, producing things of value. How tragic to be known for pointless activities. We must be diligent to avoid laziness, ineffectiveness, or sin.
The Foundation: What God Has Already Provided
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Peter writes to believers—elect people with apostolic faith of equal standing with the apostles', obtained by the righteousness of God and Christ. You already have this in your inventory.
Peter prays for grace and peace to be multiplied through knowledge of God and Jesus. Faith and knowledge go hand in hand; there's no blind faith. Eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17). You exercise faith by realizing truth, like trusting a chair holds you because you know its capability.
Through this knowledge, God's divine power grants all things pertaining to life and godliness, plus precious promises, making us partakers of the divine nature—fellowshipping in God's holiness, escaping worldly corruption.
Make Every Effort to Supplement Your Faith
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. 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.
Having everything through knowledge and faith, don't sit back lazily. For this reason, make every effort—hasten and work hard, breaking a sweat—to supplement your faith. It's not "try harder" or "get to it later." Procrastination like delaying chores or promises leads to deficiency.
Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone. Supplement means adding what prevents deficiency, like vitamins for health. Without these increasing qualities, faith becomes ineffective and unfruitful, leading to ruinous spiritual consequences.
The First Supplement: Virtue
The first addition is virtue—uncommon character worthy of praise. Character is the essential makeup of a person: loving, mean, generous, godly, or sinful. It's what distinguishes you.
Virtue is moral excellence that outdoes the world—unique, praiseworthy character no one questions. Add this to your faith and profession as a Christian. Caring what others think isn't flippant disregard; it's striving for distinction in godliness.
