I once had a fellow come into my office and he said, sort of tongue-in-cheek, is, oh, wow, you work more than one day a week. And we laughed about it. But unfortunately, that is kind of the perception sometimes people have of pastors. You know, what a great job. You only have to work one day a week and, you know, maybe some special occasions. But other than that, you may get to go play golf all the time. Now, tragically, there actually are some guys that has the way they work. They download their sermons online, they work a couple of days a week about it, and they've got a really low golf score. I don't. In fact, it's really bad. You don't want to be near me unless you like ditch digging because that's what I do. There's other things to do. Those kinds of guys are really not serving the Lord. They're serving themselves. Schrieffer calls them hirelings. But they bring up a point I want to talk about this morning, because these are folks that have separated the secular from the sacred. They are people I call religious schizophrenics. Now, religious schizophrenics cannot be identified easily. In fact, you cannot identify them by their church attendance. Many of them are very faithful for morning service. A lot of them are also faithful. They'll be there at Sunday school. They'll be at the midweek service. They're there. So that doesn't really help. Some, they actually have a lot of Bible knowledge. Now, many of them aren't that familiar, they're ignorant, but there's a lot of religious schizophrenics that they can quote Bible verses backwards, forwards, sideways, and all sorts of places, but they're still religious schizophrenics, so biblical knowledge isn't necessarily an indicator. You also can't necessarily recognize them by ministry involvement. Most tend to be kind of laid back. They stay out of things. But there's a lot of them that are very aggressive. They're great volunteers in the church. They're involved in what's going on in the church. They're involved in ministries. So that's not a great way to recognize them. So how do you recognize a religious schizophrenic? Webster says to be schizophrenic is to have mutually contradictory or antagonistic parts or qualities. The religious schizophrenic is the person who is claiming to be a true Christian, but their life is not controlled by the Holy Spirit. They live a life that is constantly defeated by sin. Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and being constantly defeated by sin without being controlled by the Holy Spirit are not Compatible, they're contradictory to each other. Galatians 5, 16 and 17 actually is direct to the point. It says, but I say walk by the spirit and you cannot, will not, not iffy, it's pretty hard here. You will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Why? Verse 17, for the flesh sets its desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other. So you may not do the things you please. It's a good definition of schizophrenia. And when I began today's study, I was excited about what it says here in 2 Peter 1, but I started thinking about people I've known over the years that have been this. They have been religious schizophrenics. They claim to be Christians, but their actions end up being in complete contradiction to that claim, some even becoming antagonistic to the gospel. One of the men that I can think of, a very striking example, I was in seminary, and some friends and I were leading a singles Bible study, and one of the young men there, he was named Jeff, he was being discipled by one of the other leaders, and he gave all the parents that, well, he was growing in Christ, he was attending everything, he was involved if we did something, he was there. You know, there's always areas that he had some struggles here and there, but that seems pretty common for most. We all struggle with something. So I didn't think much about it. He went off to law school. Within four months, we got word back from him that he was no longer following Christ. He said, and can almost put a quote to it, is, I am much happier it was too hard to be a Christian. Too hard to be a Christian? Well, you can tell where his trust was. He thought it was something he had to do rather than something he received from God. He actually became an avowed apostate, and he was antagonistic to Christians. Now, over the years, I've run into a lot of people that were like Jeff. They give the impressions of being a Christian, but eventually the truth comes out, they abandon Christ. I've met others that in some ways are actually worse, it's because they have this profession of following Christ, but they never see their own hypocrisy. They can even go through something like church discipline and it doesn't get through to them. Lying and slander is fine as long as it is promoting what they want. And even church discipline doesn't seem to get them corrected. We've had those here. Many of these folks were very consistent in their attendance. They were active in ministries, but they were also spiritual schizophrenics. Their talk and their walk didn't match. It eventually came out. Now, the worst of those with this religious schizophrenia actually occur among those that we sometimes refer to as clergy. Clergy. These are people, supposedly, they have given their lives to the service of Christ, leading and teaching the word of God. But as time goes out, you find out more about them. We find out unethical business practices. They end up amassing for themselves a fortune. Now, that tragically is not uncommon among a lot of the TV preachers, and in fact, it is the normative among those who are involved with the health, wealth, prosperity gospel movement. There are also those who attain high positions of leadership in some Christian organization. They're held up by even the world as a standard. Here's a model of what it means to be a Christian. And then they crash when their perversions are finally exposed and the whole church is hurt by it. And the name of Christ is put to shame. We've had several of those high-profile people in the last year that have been like that. Religious schizophrenics. Now, those are examples of probably the worst cases. But of greater concern are those that are just sitting in the pews, They're sitting in the chairs, common people all across America, and they're plagued by this. It's less severe in nature, but nevertheless, it is just as destructive. It would include the couple that they come faithfully to church, but their marriage is on the rocks because neither one of them will follow what Scripture says and fulfill their role within marriage. They absolutely refuse to do it. There are men who are addicted to pornography, and it's slowly but surely destroying their moral foundation and their families. There are men and women who are trying to find the solution to their problems by drinking and taking drugs. Escape could be entertainment as well, rather than dealing with the issues before God. There are families that are racked by strife because of the fighting, the severe fighting between the family members. There's Christian single scene, the incident of sexually transmitted diseases among them is only slightly less than the general population. To me, that's just religious schizophrenia. There are people who feel their lives are unimportant. They're insecure. They're not sure if they have really any significance, and they prove their insignificance because they waste their lives in the make-believe world of television, while the world around them is literally going to hell. That's religious schizophrenia. They have a profession of faith, and their actions are in opposition to their claim. These things not ought to be. These things should not be. We are supposed to be people who are like in Acts who turned the world upside down because we're simply living for Christ. That's Acts 17.6. That's what the claim about them. They are turning the world upside down. Why is it that so many Christians are living in defeat with their lives controlled by sin? It bothers me greatly that there's so much advertising in Christian circles for Christian counseling, psychiatric care, and many churches make that a primary aspect of their ministry. They provide psychiatric care for their folks. The greater tragedy there is, most of these psychological services differ only from secular psychology in that they give a prayer at the beginning and the end of their session. That's it. There is no difference in their philosophy and their manner in trying to treat problems. Folks, what is the problem with humanity? It's sin, isn't it? It's my sin, your sin, other people's sin, and Adam's sin, which has led to a curse of a world, so we live in a sin-curse world. That's the problem. And there is a solution for that problem, and it is in the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? He has died for our sins so that we can be redeemed. That is not fire insurance. Tragically, that is often how Christ is presented. He is your fire insurance policy. Believe on Him, you don't have to go to hell. I'm sorry, that is not the gospel. The good news is though you are bound in sin, in bondage, in slavery to it, Christ has broken that bondage. You are free from it. You can now live in righteousness as an adopted child of God. That's why you don't go to hell, because you belong to God, not because you got the policy that you gained however you think you got it. You raised your hand, you bit out your hair when the vandal said to, you walk the aisle, whatever it is, salvation is in Christ and in nothing that you've done. You can't point back to those. Christ is the solution to sin. Why then are Christians defeated by sin so often then? Why are those who say they supposedly recognize that Christ is the answer still defeated this way? Why do so many professing Christians seek their solutions to the problems they face in secular sources and philosophy? Second Peter, chapter one. Let's review first so we can set the context, because Peter addresses these very issues. In this first chapter, he is laying back the foundation And remember, the book is simply a reminder of what they should have already known, of where Christian victory comes from. 2 Peter 1, Simon Peter, a bondservant apostle of Jesus Christ to those who have received the faith of the same kind as 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, 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, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now, just as a quick review, let's remember Peter, the apostle Simon Peter, is writing to those who have the same kind of faith that he has in the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith is a received faith. It's not something he gained for himself. He gained it from Christ, and it came by the righteousness of Christ. And in this verse, it specifically states that Jesus Christ is both God and Savior. You've got to have the right Jesus to have the right faith. Second, we find that Peter's desire for them is that they will grow in the grace and peace that comes through a close, personal, intimate relationship with our creator. That's his desire for them. Third, this divine power that we need for everything pertaining to life and godliness has already been given to those who have this faith that Peter has. And it is available through a close experiential personal knowledge of God who has called us by his own glory and excellence. And fourth, by God's glory and excellence, he has already given those who have this faith precious and magnificent promises ranging everything from salvation, insurance of heaven, to peace and supply for our daily needs. It covers everything. And all these promises are for the purpose that we might share in God's moral nature by becoming like Jesus Christ in character, which enables us to escape the sinful corruption that's in the world. That's what we covered last week. Now, if we summarize all that, we'd say this. God has given every Christian everything needed to live the Christian life in victory over sin. He has already done all he needs to do. He has done his part. Because of what he's done, we can live in victory over sin. A Christian who lives in defeat does so because they fail to do their part. God has done his. The question is, have we done our part? The life of faith is active, not passive. It is lived by stepping out in trust of God's promises to do what he wants us to do. It is the opposite of the let go, let God philosophy, which eliminates Christian obedience to God's commands. What then is our part? That's what he's going to talk about now in verses five through seven. Now, Peter begins this particular section saying, now for this very reason also, that points us back to the previous verses, which we just discussed and summarized. And again, God has already done everything he needs in granting us his divine power and giving us his precious and magnificent promises that come through the personal knowledge of him so that we can live in godliness. He's already done his part. This is the transition. We now need to do our part. What is that? Well, Peter gives us seven qualities here, which we are to be applying with all diligence or making every effort to supply alongside our faith. What are they? Look at verse five. Now, for this very reason also, applying all diligence in your faith, supply moral excellence. And in your moral excellence, knowledge. And in your knowledge, self-control. And in your self-control, perseverance. And in your perseverance, godliness. And in your godliness, brotherly kindness. And in your brotherly kindness, love. And the first thing to note here is that these are not optional. These steps are commanded, we are to make them They are our part to play in living out the Christian life in victory. We need to uphold our end, our responsibilities, as best we can. Now, the Greek words here are interesting, and they bring out the nature of what Peter is talking about and how it's supposed to happen. The first, he says, is applying. Applying means to bring in beside. And so the idea here is that alongside our faith, we are bringing next to it, alongside it, our diligence, our earnest effort, and supplying that faith with each of all these other qualities that really end up having a Christlike character. They're marks of maturity. So I have faith. I bring alongside my faith each of these qualities. In fact, these qualities are applied by faith. The word for supply here was used to refer to the training and staging of a grand chorus of some high civic celebration, the entire expense of which was paid by some wealthy patron. And the result is that this word came to mean to supply in a sense of furnish in a very complete or lavish sense. Nothing's lacking here. Everything possible has been done. So the full sense here is this, bring alongside your faith a determined effort to fully and completely supply, to equip, to provide that faith with and then each of these next seven qualities. That's what he's talking about. So God has supplied us everything we need. We now simply have to do our part. And it does mean there's diligence, there's work on our part. Now, what is it then that we bring alongside this faith? Seven different qualities that need to be brought alongside it. Now, these qualities both strengthen our faith and are strengthened themselves by our faith. They work back and forth with each other. They're synergistic. These seven qualities are given in an order of progression, but it's not in the sense that you have to complete one level before you get to the next one. It is more as you get a framework as you're building, and each part strengthens everything above it and below it. So they work together. They tie in with each other, but they do progress upward. Now, we're going to look at each one individually. We're going to go back and see how they're related to each other. Now, the first quality he has here is the moral excellence. In fact, all the way through this, you're gonna see him put the in front of it, because in the Greek, that article is there. He's not talking about something general. There is something specific he has in mind. So this first word is the moral excellence. We've actually seen this word before. It's back in chapter, or verse three, that God himself, by his own glory and excellence, it's the same word. Anything in nature that fulfills its purpose is excellent, it has a virtue. If a land produces a good crop, the land is excellent land. It fulfills its purpose. A tool that works correctly is excellent for it fulfills its purpose. A Christian that glorifies God fulfills their purpose. They are therefore excellent. They're virtuous. Our purpose in existence is to bring glory to our creator by becoming like Christ. and following him. And the more we do that, the more we're fulfilling our very purpose of existence. And because we do that, then there's excellence. All that's accomplished by faith. The next quality he mentions here is the knowledge. Now, again, it's a specific knowledge he's talking about, just not general knowledge. And the particular word for knowledge here is no sin. And it's not the word for intellectual knowledge. I know something about, sort of like what we get in school. We know a lot about things. We don't necessarily know them because we never experienced them. This is an experience knowledge. It's a practical knowledge of understanding and application that comes with experience. The commentator Linsky described this as this, quote, a wise demeanor with a ready perception of what is useful or harmful, of what is to be done and what is to be avoided. That's very practical. That's proper knowledge. Now, what's specific knowledge being referred to? Well, it's the specific knowledge of what God has revealed about himself and how he wants us to live. Now, creation itself does give us some knowledge of God. In Romans 1 20, we're told that the eternal attributes of God, certain aspects of his divine power, are seen in creation to such an extent that everybody is without excuse. If they are not worshiping the creator, they're without excuse because enough evidence is just around us. It should cause us to fall on our knees and worship the one who created it all. But probably more of the point here is what David wrote in Psalm 19. He said, God's word is perfect, it is sure, it is right, it is pure, it is clean, it is true in its effect on the individuals to restore the soul, to make wise the simple, to rejoice the heart, to enlighten the eyes, to endure forever, to be righteous altogether. That's the quality of God's word and its effect. And so it's no wonder that he would say that it's more valuable than gold, it's sweeter than honey to him. He understood the importance of both its warnings and its bringing him the blessings that God would like to give him. So that's Psalm 19. Now, within that, then, would all the precious and magnificent promises of God be included? As I get to know God, I understand what these are. Now I can apply them. So that is something we need to add. We need to know something about it. And as that becomes a quality of my life, I avoid the corruption that's in this world. The next quality, he says, is self-control. It's one of the fruits of the Spirit. It's an abstinence from the lust of the world. It controls all which includes reason and emotion and will through the knowledge of the word and will of God. This is the person who can control their stomach and stay on a diet when that's what God wants them to do, okay? This is the person who can be single in a very sexually promiscuous society and remain a virgin until marriage. That's self-control. This is the spouse that continues to love and respect and obedience to God's command even when disappointed and hurt by that spouse. This is the person who controls his anger and frustration, remains calm even when very provoked, like in a traffic jam and you're already late. You can remain calm. This is the person who steps in the direction of their fear and does what God says to do because they trust God. It's self-control. The next word, perseverance, hupomenai, literally means to abide or dwell under, and so the idea of perseverance and endurance come from it. We're not to turn aside from our faith just because it's tested by trials. In fact, James 1 verse 2, I know you're familiar with it, count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter the various trials, knowing that testing your faith produces endurance. The word endurance there is the same word as perseverance here. Life happens, and that's how James presented it. You're just going on a life, and pow, there it is. You've got stuff to deal with. But that stuff produces perseverance, endurance. Now, this is slightly different, though, than the patience that's mentioned in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.22. Only from this reason, the patience in the Fruit of the Spirit is related more to people. This is related to things and circumstances and your situation. That's why it's there in James 1.2. We have to preserve, persevere in a fallen world. We have to endure when we live in a world that doesn't work the way that God had designed it originally. We have to deal with things when things break, and we don't want them to break, but they're broken anyways. Anybody want a broken computer? We've got four of them right now. We're amassing them, John. You haven't even been over to our house. Okay? You have to persevere. We battle things breaking down, including our bodies, don't we? We don't like it. Things ache. They don't work right. You go to jump and you find you can't jump anymore. It's what happened. You used to be able to do those things. You run and people walking are going faster than you're running. You roll over. I mean, here's one that's bothering me right now, this bone spur. I will have a surgery on it. I already talked to the doctor about it. He said, I can have it whenever I want it. He says, when you can't endure it any longer, you can have it. Well, maybe sooner or later, because every time I roll over at night, I wake up like, oh, I don't like that. Guess what? I have to endure. I have to persevere. There's no reason to get mad about it. You live with it. You learn to live with it. That's endurance. That's perseverance. And all of you got something going on, right? We endure, we persevere. That's what he's talking about here. Did you know that Romans 8 and 19 even tells us the world itself, creation itself, is longing for redemption just like we are? It also is enduring and persevering. The next characteristic he says here is the godliness. Peter Lang in his commentary described it this way, the disposition in which the consideration of God controls the whole life, in which he is held in supreme honor, whereby his approval is sought and the doing of which constitutes its own happiness. In other words, godliness means to live completely for God and be joyful about it. We've met the people who think they're living for God and they're sourpusses. Always frowning, that's not living for God. Then they go to the King James, but the scripture says we're to be grave. Well, it doesn't have to look like you're living in the grave. We're to be joyful because we're living for God and our glory is found in serving him and seeking to please him. That's godliness. Now, we could use the words pious or reverent to describe this. And we all understand that when we strive to do that, Our non-Christian friends, in fact, even some of our nominal Christian friends, will accuse us of being fanatics. But that's what we're supposed to be. That should be normal for us as believers. Lord, give us a lot more Christian fanatics. I've heard a pastor once say that he was called a fool for Christ, and his wits were pretty sharp that morning. He said, well, I guess I am. We're all fools for somebody. Whose fool are you? It's a good question. We are. The next one is brotherly kindness. This one we're familiar with because the Greek word here is Philadelphia. We say it's the city of brotherly love. I've only been through it twice, so I don't know. I will let those who've been there say whether it is or not, but that's what the word means. Now, admittedly, a lot of parents wonder about this word. What does it mean, brotherly love? I have two brothers, an older one and a younger one, and the younger one and I, I'm sure we cause our parents to doubt that such a thing actually existed. We were more noted for fighting than anything else, especially in our early ages. And yet at the same time, no matter how much we were picking at each other, don't anybody else dare pick on my brother. Either way, because then you've got both of us to contend with. So there still was this affinity. Why? Because we're part of the same family. And that's what he's referring to here. Because we have something in common, there's an affinity for each other. There is something that's still going to continue on. There is something that isn't going to be broken. We have told our kids every time they get in a conflict is you go work it out because that's your best friend. You're stuck with them. You will always be with them all your life. You can choose other friends. This one you're just stuck with. And they had to learn to work things out. As Christians, we have a brotherly love for each other because we have this mutual relationship to Christ. And in fulfillment of God's command, we extend ourselves to love each other. It actually should even be closer than a blood tie. And it can be. He says, add this to it, brotherly kindness or brotherly love. The last word he has is the love. And the word here is agape. This is love that goes way beyond something that you would extend to someone you share something in common. This is a love that exists and is given in spite of the differences. This is the love that God has for us, the love that committed itself in the world, yet sinners, Christ died for us. It is self-sacrificial for the best interest of the other person. This is agape love. This is the type of love we're actually commanded to have for other believers. And that in showing this kind of love, the world will know that we are followers of Jesus Christ. Now, how does all these different characteristics work together? The idea with this passage that each of these qualities is added by faith to the previous quality, and so they build up on each other. So the whole thing becomes stronger. It's not that each step, again, must be perfected to get to the next step, but as each one is added to this framework, it builds to the next step, and then it strengthens, in turn, what's below it. Hebrews 1, 11-1 defines faith as faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence or the conviction of things not seen. That's important for us. That's faith. Faith is not a leap in the dark. It is a reasoned conclusion to follow based on who is giving the directions. All right? A reasoned conclusion to step forward into the unknown based on who is giving the directions. Let me give you an illustration of this. When I was in junior high school, the school I went to was the regional school for blind students. I had the responsibility, and I actually viewed it as a privilege, to take Raymond with me to certain classes and also to meet him at certain classes and take him to where he needed to go. And Raymond and I, we became pretty close because we did that for three years. We had the same homeroom and that became the basis. Then we had a lot of classes together. Raymond could trust my character, and so he had a faith that I would take him to the place he was supposed to go in a safe manner. Raymond did not fear walking to walls or posts or doors or people. He didn't fear stairs. He didn't fear ledges. He didn't fear the crowded hallways. He didn't fear I would take him to a wood shop where they had lots of things he could cut off his hands and other things instead of history class. He was not afraid that I'd play a joke on him and take him to Girls Glee instead of the gym. He had faith that I would take him where I was supposed to and fulfill all my responsibilities. He trusted that my character would match the abilities so it would be fulfilled on his behalf. Raymond had faith in me. Now, there's a caveat here, though. In order for this to happen, Raymond had to do something. He put his hand on my shoulder. He'd stand behind me, he'd put his right hand on my right shoulder, and he would walk directly behind me. Now, if he took his hand off my shoulder, he's in trouble. If he decided to put his hand on my left shoulder and stand to the side, he's in trouble. He now does need to worry about stairs and ledges and people and doors and all those things that can whack him in the face because I'm not in front of him to protect him. I'm not actually leading him. He's kind of on his own. He may be kind of nearby, but he's not following where he needs to follow. He's in danger. That is the same way it is to have faith in God. We believe he is going to keep all of his promises toward us, and we can trust his ability and his character to fulfill those things. Faith is the first step in this process, and it means the means by which every single other characteristic is added to it. Because I believe God is able and I trust his character to do his part, I walk in faith where he leads me. I had to put my hand on his shoulder, as it were, and follow. I can't go off to the side. I can't do it on my own. I follow him. That is faith. I believe what he says. I trust that what he says is best for me. So I step forward in faith and obedience, though I am blind to the future, that he'll take me where I'm supposed to go. My faith is a reasoned conclusion to step forward to do what he wants me to do because I trust him to give me proper directions. That's why that definition I gave for faith. And that is how all these things work together. We step out in the direction that God wants us to go and develop these marks, these characteristics of maturity in life. To faith, we supply moral excellence. Why? We believe God And we move forward to do what he wants to do in glorifying him. That's moral excellence, fulfilling our purpose. As we do that, we do gain an experiential knowledge of God, which in turn strengthens our trust in him, that we should glorify him and fulfill our purpose in life. These, in turn, lead to self-control because moral excellence is the opposite of selfishness. Self-control, in turn, strengthens moral excellence and walking in the knowledge of God. To these, we add perseverance, which arises from faith, excellence, knowledge of God, and self-control. And in turn, that strengthens each of the others as they're applied to the hardships that are just part of living in this world. And all of these produce a character of godliness, which in turn builds up the other qualities. In turn, my life is increasingly marked by living for God's glory joyfully. All of those produce interpersonal relationships. which are then marked by brotherly kindness, brotherly love, which in turn increases all the other qualities. As faith, excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness all work together, they will mark a believer of someone who is going to reflect the sacrificial love of God. That's the agape love. And that, in turn, works back the other way. If I'm living sacrificially for God in His love, that means I'm going to do what's best for other people, brotherly kindness. I will show piety in how I live. That is godliness. I will endure through the troubles of this life. That's perseverance. I will set aside my own selfish desires in submission to God's will. That's self-control. I will increase in my understanding of God because I'm walking with Him. That is the knowledge and the solemn fulfillment of the purpose of my existence, which is the excellence, all based on faith in God. I believe Him. I trust Him. I follow Him. It's not a step in the dark. It's a reasoned conclusion based on who He is. Now, Peter tells us the outcome of all this in verse 8, and it goes along with God's purpose for them. Look at 2 Peter 1, verse 8. He says, for if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So if these seven qualities become marks that characterize your life, you continue to grow in them, then you should be, or at least become, what every Christian should become, someone who is not idle, someone who is not unfruitful, but someone who is serving God and pleasing him and glorifying him because you're fulfilling your very purpose of why you're here. They're marks. In other words, if these marks of Christianity. Of Christian maturity, I should say, are yours, then you are going to be used by God. And you're going to produce some kind of fruit to some degree. Something's going to happen. That's why he puts it the way he does. Something's going to be there may not be a whole lot, but something is there. If nothing is there, then these qualities aren't yours. These qualities are yours. Something is going to happen. You will produce fruit. What kind of fruit? What kind of usefulness? Well, the kind that comes from an intimate experiential knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This knowledge here, the word for knowledge here, is the same one we saw back in verses 2 and 3. Grace and peace are increased in us through this knowledge of Christ. Everything needed for life and godliness comes through this knowledge of Jesus Christ. And Peter says now here that if these seven qualities are marking our lives, we can be sure that we are gaining that intimate experiential type of knowledge of Jesus Christ. So all the things that God promises are ours, too. They work hand in hand. The fruit? Christian maturity. The fruit would include, of course, that of the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. All that becomes a mark of your life. But you have your part to do, diligence in adding each one of these characteristics, striving for them. Now, God has done his part then. Are we diligent to do our part? And essentially, it boils down to something very simple. Are you living in obedience, trust that God will fulfill his part? Because that's really all it boils down to. It's not you gritting your teeth. It simply is, I will step forward in faith and be obedient to everything God tells me to do. He's done his part. I'll trust him for it. What if these qualities do not mark your life? Then 2 Peter 1.9 applies, for he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Peter says they're blind. It's a metaphor for having a darkened mind. They are myopic, nearsighted. The word actually refers to what nearsighted people do. And since I am nearsighted, I can show you what they do. The word actually means to squint, like that. And I'm trying. I think that's Doc. That one's a little taller. That must be David. I can't see. Now, Jimmy wants to get taller, too. All right. But near sight, they squint. They can't see. They're trying their best, but they have no perception of what's beyond what's immediately in front of them. And that's what he's talking about. It's metaphorically, it's a darkened mind, a close at hand look. I can only see what's in front of me. And I lost vision of what God is doing. I'm living in my own little world. And there's a big world out there. There's a universe that God has created. Are we living in it? And so I end up, I respond off my fleeting emotions, whatever they are, anger, passion, depression, fear, whatever emotion it is, wow, that's carrying me wherever I don't want to go. Off I go with it because my world is small and God's not really in it. The grammar here indicates that it's an almost deliberate forgetting. They no longer remember what God has done. like the ungrateful servant in Matthew 18, 28, who after receiving great mercy from his his master for a huge, overwhelming debt, willingly forgot what had been extended to him in this mercy and pressed on some guy who owned him a little pittance. No remembrance of what Christ has done for us, and so they're lost in the present with this myopic vision that sees only problems and no longer recognizes the solution. What's lacking is the remembrance of the solution. It's Jesus Christ. It's God incarnate came to be a man. He paid the price for our sins. He offers us forgiveness based on that sacrificial death. He rose the dead. So he gives us hope of eternal life and the power of the bondage and broken the current. The shackles of sin are torn off. Roman six describes that way we are moved from the power, the shackles, the bondage of sin. to be slaves of righteousness. You're slave to something. Is it sin or righteousness? He has freed us from sin to become slaves of righteousness. When these qualities lack in a professing believer, it will either be because their profession is false. Or. They have forgotten the necessity to trust God at his word and obey. They're not following Him. They're not seeking after His will. They want to do their own thing. The result? Blindness, lack of vision, no faith. God has promised to give us everything we need, hasn't He? Everything we need to live a life of godliness. We don't want to be those who have a false profession. We don't want to be those who have forgotten what God has done. We want to press on. And as we will have faith in him, obey him, the Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill God's will. But we've got to step out first. That's our part. By faith, we develop our characters to be marked by moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. I would take Raymond all over the junior high campus, but nothing would happen for him if he didn't step forward when I moved. He had to make a step. You need to be making sure that these are the steps you're taking, because as you do, you'll become everything God wants you to do. You'll find the power of God working through you to live a life not in defeat of sin, but victory over sin. That doesn't mean you're not going to struggle here and there. You will, but your life won't be marked by defeat. It'll be marked by victory.