The Productive Life
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins 2 Peter 1:8,9
A true knowledge of Christ produces these moral and spiritual qualities in the believer (1:5-7: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love). But to be effective and productive we have to do more than just ‘possess these qualities.’ We have to see them grow ‘in increasing measure.’ If we don’t, we finish up being ‘ineffective and unproductive’ like the wheat choked by the weeds (the cares, riches and pleasures of life) in Jesus parable of the four soils.
Peter sees the ‘knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’ as on-going. A full knowledge of Christ belongs to the future (1 Peter 1:8). Paul too saw the knowledge of Christ (not about Christ) as the foundation and goal of the Christian life (Philippians 3:10).
Christians who don’t have these qualities are ‘nearsighted and blind.’ They are blind to heavenly things and are far too caught up in earthly things. They can’t see what seems to them ‘far off’ and are totally caught up in what’s near.
Another meaning for the word here translated ‘nearsighted’ is ‘to blink, to shut the eyes.’ In this sense the word could describe someone intentionally shutting their eyes to the light. Spiritual blindness soon takes over the Christian who does this. We can’t close our eyes to the loveliness of Christ without ramification.
Anyone who does this ‘has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.’ Because no one could literally forget their conversion, Peter is thinking of someone intentionally putting out of their thinking Christ’s intervention in their lives. When we close our eyes to Christ we find ourselves living like those who have never known Him.
Where are you with Christ today?
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus’ by H. H. Lemmel
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