90 Growth or Death?

2 Peter 1:8

Regarding these qualities in verse 7. Verse 8 say one thing specifically. NIV says if you posses these in "increasing" measure you will be effective. With our measuring human minds it is easy for us to achieve and think "done, that job is complete". We check it off the list and move on to something else. The qualities measured in verse 7 are not check mark qualities. They are seeds to be grown and continually grown. It is when we stop actively nurturing and growing these qualities that we find ourselves "ineffective or useless".

It goes hand in hand with the way our bodies and biology works. Our bodies are constantly regenerating cells to replace the ones that die or are lost. We are in a continual state of regeneration. The moment we stop growing new cells, is the very moment we begin to die. There is no such thing as simply existing, we are either in a state of growth or an active state of death. The moment we do not actively grow our faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, and mutual affection, is the moment we become purposeless.