How to Be an Effective and Fruitful Christian

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.

2 Peter 1:8

If you pursue virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, you will be fruitful—whatever you try, wherever God calls you.

Peter wants to encourage us to pursue these things, and he tells us what will happen as we do so:

Your confidence in Christ will grow. Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election (1:10). This cannot mean that pursuing these virtues will somehow contribute to your calling and election. By definition, someone else must “call” you, someone else must “elect” you. People do not call themselves to dinner or elect themselves to office. Your calling and election are from God. Nothing you do can add to or take away from His work. As you pursue the life Peter describes here, you will enjoy a growing confidence and assurance in Jesus Christ.

You will receive a rich welcome. There will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1:11). The Bible makes it clear that we will all stand before the Father and give an account of our lives. When Jesus presents you to the Father on the last day, you don’t want to hear Him say: “Here’s [put your name here], who was trusted with much, but was largely ineffective and unproductive.” You want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

What do you find most encouraging here?