JESUS MAKES ME EFFECTIVE AND FRUITFUL

“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.” 2 Peter 1:5–7

Throughout this series, we have been discovering the wonderful qualities Jesus adds to my faith as I seek Him with my whole heart.

Jesus adds His virtue and changes my outlook. Jesus adds His knowledge and teaches me who I am in Him. Jesus adds self-control and helps me surrender my desires and emotions to Him. Jesus adds perseverance and teaches me to remain faithful. Jesus adds godliness and draws my heart into worship. Jesus adds brotherly kindness and changes the way I see others. Jesus adds His love and teaches me to extend His grace to everyone.

Now Peter shows me what happens when I allow Jesus to develop these qualities within me.

How does Jesus make my life effective and productive for His Kingdom?

Jesus Continues to Build My Faith

2 Peter 1:8 says, “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.”

The words “are increasing” remind me that spiritual growth is a continuing process. Jesus does not add these qualities to my life only once. He continues to develop them as I walk with Him.

Some days, I may recognize His self-control working strongly within me. On other days, I may struggle to control my words, desires, or emotions. Sometimes, I may persevere with confidence. At other times, I may feel tired, discouraged, or ready to give up.

This does not mean that Jesus has stopped working in me. It means that I still need Him. As I keep trusting, surrendering, and following Him, He continues increasing these qualities within me.

Jesus does not expect me to complete myself.  Jesus is continually completing the work He began in me.

Jesus Makes My Life Useful and Fruitful

Peter warns me against becoming ineffective and unfruitful. To be ineffective means that my faith is not accomplishing the purpose for which God has called me. To be unfruitful means that my life is not producing visible evidence that Jesus is working within me.

I do not want merely to know about Jesus. I want His presence to change the way I think, speak, love, forgive, serve, and respond to others.

Jesus did not save me so that my faith would remain hidden and inactive. He saved me so that His life could be revealed through me.

When His virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love are increasing within me, my faith becomes useful and fruitful.

An effective faith puts the truth of Jesus into action. A productive faith bears fruit that points others toward Him.

Remembering Grace Keeps My Eyes on Jesus

2 Peter 1:9 says, “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

When I lose sight of what Jesus has done for me, my spiritual vision becomes clouded. I begin focusing only on myself, my circumstances, and what is directly in front of me.

When I focus on myself, I forget things. I might forget the cross. I might forget His forgiveness. I might forget that He has cleansed me from my former sins. I might even forget that I belong to Him.

When I forget His grace, I may begin trying to live through my own strength. The distance I feel between God and me grows because I have taken my eyes off Jesus.

But when I remember how completely Jesus has forgiven me, my vision becomes clear again. His grace reminds me that my life is not built upon my goodness. It is built upon His goodness.

I Cannot Produce Spiritual Fruit Without Jesus

Jesus said in John 15:5, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

I cannot manufacture spiritual fruit through determination alone. I cannot become effective for God by relying upon my own strength, wisdom, or goodness.

Fruit grows as I remain connected to Jesus. I begin by believing in Him. Through faith, He brings me into a personal relationship with Himself. As I remain close to Him, He changes my heart, renews my mind, and produces His character within me.

Jesus is the source of everything good that comes through my life. Everything good within me begins with Jesus and points back to Jesus.

My Fruitful Life Brings Glory to God

My greatest desire is for Jesus Christ to be effective and fruitful through my life.

I want my words to encourage someone who is discouraged. I want my forgiveness to reveal the grace I received from Jesus. I want my patience to reflect His mercy. I want my kindness to help someone understand His love. I want my life to proclaim that every good thing within me comes from Him.

Jesus makes me effective when I follow His lead. Jesus makes me productive when I allow His Spirit to bear fruit through me. Jesus receives the glory because He is the One who is doing the work.

Faith is the foundation of my abundant life in Christ. These qualities are the evidence that Jesus is changing me.

Spiritual fruit is the result of Jesus living through me.

Reflect

• Which quality has Jesus increased most clearly in my life during this series?

• Where is Jesus asking me to remain close to Him so that my life can become more fruitful?

Pray

Father, thank You for cleansing me from my former sins and giving me new life in Jesus Christ. Help me never forget the grace that You have shown me.

Jesus, continue building my faith. Increase Your virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love within me. Keep me close to You so that my life will be effective and productive for Your Kingdom.

Holy Spirit, produce Your fruit through me. Let my words, choices, relationships, and actions show others that Jesus is alive and working in my life. May every good thing that comes through me point back to Him and bring glory to God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman

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