"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."

The qualities referred to in the above scripture are listed in verses 5-7 of 2 Peter. There are eight qualities of the Christian character listed in the passage they are:

As I read this passage and the characteristics I saw a similarity to Galatians 5:22-23, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; against such things there is no law."; these are the characteristics of a Spirit-led Christian.

The Lord led me to Acts 19, and there I noticed how the lives of the early church displayed the above mentioned characteristics. These believers at Ephesus took their Christian walk very seriously (confessing and disclosing their ungodly practices, and burning books that had no place in their possession - Acts 19:17-20), and their holy lives spoke loudly to all the people, "so the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing" Acts 19:20.

"Many people seem to think they can make others accept Christianity best by bringing it down to their standard. As if the nearer you bring Christianity to the world, the more likely the world will be to embrace it. And they think they are displaying wonderful wisdom by taking so many pains not to scare people with the mighty holiness of the gospel. This seems plausible at first. But it is not true. Let them live in this lax and easy way, and sinners say: 'Why, it is not possible that God should condemn me only for the difference between me and those who call themselves Christians.' No, the true way is to exhibit righteousness and the world in strong contrast, or you can never make sinners feel the necessity of a change."

The churches that allow compromise today (they water down the gospel and look like the world, to draw men in) are missing the point. God's Word needs no help. What we, as the body, must do is focus on our own individual walks making sure that the above mentioned qualities are evident in our lives; a strong contrast to the world around us. Let the Holy Spirit move upon the hearts of men as we present the Truth, in it's all, without compromise.

There is a promise found in verse eleven of 2 Peter, "and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Wonderful!

Have a joyous day in our Lord!
April
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