“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

‭(2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬)

The message version words verse 8 like this: 

“With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus…”

As we mature in our experience of Jesus.  

Experience is defined by Merriam-Webster as;

“direct observation of, or participation in events as a basis of knowledge.”  

Participation requires action.  

When we are actively participating, we are doing, we are in motion.  

We are actively participating in the knowledge of Jesus.   

What Would Jesus Do?  

He was, is and ever will be a living, breathing, walking, talking, complete, without blemish, a perfect demonstration of love.  

He taught well, and the more we participate in the Word of God, drinking in the living water found right here, in His Word.  We are filled with the knowledge of God’s perfect love for each and every one of us.  

It’s that simple. 

It doesn’t seem possible, does it?  

Do you know who complicated this truth?  

Who complicated this knowledge?  Man.  

I can remember sitting in church, thinking how was I ever going to please this perfect, all-knowing, God.  How, in all my sin and shame, could He ever possibly love me?  

And the lie worked… for years this lie of the enemy worked to keep me locked up in the chains of my sin along with the shame it carried.  I was completely stalled out.  For years.  But God….amen?

The shame of our past failures is crippling and if the enemy can convince us that we are disqualified to receive the love of God, it chains us.  Locks us tight in our dungeons of guilt and shame too heavy to carry into all the goodness Father God has for us.  

Let me tell you right now, today.  If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, that He died on the cross for your sins, and was raised to life on that third day, victorious over the grave, then you are set free, amen? 

You are washed clean, amen? 

You are made righteous, amen? 

Jesus said, “It is finished.” 

Jesus said you are forgiven.

Jesus said your guilt and shame are stripped off and by His stripes, you are healed! Amen?  

Hebrews 8:12 says “They’re sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

As far as the East is from the West. Gone. 

That's a Father who loves us.  

God is love! 

That Love never fails! Amen?

Here’s another point of defeat we can get trapped in:  

Do you believe God loves you or do you think He’s mad at you?  

Our imaginations can easily convince us He is and it causes us to walk through life offended.  

Church, we are believers and we have to stop walking around through this life like angry Christians.  

Where’s our tolerance? 

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 2-3 says,

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in LOVE….being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Our anger is giving Christians a bad rap.  

I’m attacked on a daily basis in my online ministry.  

Story after story of others being ridiculed, labeled and judged for their wrong beliefs by those claiming to be Christians.  

We were called to be the light of the world.  Yet, here we are lumped together in this despised category of angry Christians because we choose to succumb to irritations, frustrations and ignorance found in our daily interactions with people.  

I’m the worst! When I stand here and tell you these things, believe me, I am preaching to myself!  

We are bringing them to the surface so the light of Jesus can shine on them.  

God loves us too much to leave us there.  

Let us look at Luke 15:1-7; 

“Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

He is running after us.  

Our self-centered agendas can not outweigh the love of God.  

It can not outrun the love of God. 

It can not triumph over the love of God.

It will always come back to God loving us.  

1 John 4:10 says,

“God FIRST loved us.”  

Such a gift.  

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‬‬says; 

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Church, that gift is love.  

Love sweet Love. 

The perfect gift from our Father in heaven.  

Jesus.