Peter wrote of promises and fruitfulness and their relationship. God’s promises come through Jesus, who gives us everything for a Godly life. But we must respond to these promises, which will enable us to grow in the virtues of faith. Then Peter wrote how responding to these promises will make us fruitful.
2 Peter 1:8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. [1] Peter also warned that we will be shortsighted if we forget what Jesus did for us.
Jesus Enables Our Fruitfulness
Peter watched Jesus’ earthly ministry. He must have remembered Jesus’ sermon on being fruitful. John 15: 5 Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.[2] When Jesus used the image of a vine, He showed that faith must live and grow. We can’t rest on last year’s crop but continue to produce. If our faith is not growing, it is dying.
We, as the branches, can’t produce fruit on our own. We must be connected to Jesus, who provides the nutrition and energy to produce fruit. Just as a branch responds to what the vine provides, we, too, must respond to the promises of what Jesus provides. As our knowledge of Jesus grows, our ability to produce fruit in His Kingdom grows, and we are useful.
But Peter also gives a harsh warning. If we forget what Jesus has done for us, we become shortsighted. What would this mean? I think it means we are blind to the big picture. We can only see our earthly possessions and life here on earth. We lose the big picture of God’s eternal Kingdom, which begins as we believe and continues from this life into the next.
Jesus’ Design for Fruitfulness
Jesus concluded His sermon on the vine and the branches with this: John 15: 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.[3] The idea of being fruitful is God’s desire for us and does not have a human origin. Jesus has appointed us to be fruitful in His Kingdom and provided what we need to do so. He ended with the command to love one another.
Peter knew that Jesus wants all believers to be fruitful and love enables all the virtues to work together. May you be mindful of what Jesus has done for you and know He has a purpose for your life. Be assured that He will supply your needs as you stay attached to Him.
To learn more about promises and fruitfulness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/jesus-promises
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.