Last Words - almost Part 3

Last Words – almost  Part 3  Uhhhhhh – Ouch~!

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. 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. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.   (2Pe 1:5-14)  ESV

1.     Lacks:  μη παρεστιν  (mḗ parestin)

a.    Μή, mḗ; neg. particle. Not.

b.    Πάρειμι, pareimi: 

                                          i.    1) to be by, be at hand, to have arrived, to be present

                                         ii.    2) to be ready, in store, at command

 (2Pe1:9, meaning the person who has not these things).

This is a little tricky.  The main force is the idea that these things (qualities) are readily available for use.  They are there but of little use or effect.

This indicates a lack of – well – practice.  Again, practice does not make perfect but it does produce improvement, endurance, strength, etc.  The implication is that, at least to some degree, these qualities are present or at least available to the believer.  What he or she does about or with them (or does not) is the individual’s prerogative.

But harking back to the relationship of belief and obedience – we can see the problem.

Now I want to briefly  (Yeah, fat chance of briefly.) address the “lack” of these qualities in the life of the believer – or rather the condition where these qualities are not readily at hand or possibly not even apparent.

Too many of us were chosen and called in an environment where there was nothing after we walked the aisle.  We surrendered our lives to Christ’s call and were patted on the back and told, “Go live for Jesus.”  But no one ever told us what that looked like.  Somebody dropped the ball on the “teaching them to obey,” part of the Great Commission.  

So we were left to our own devices.  We read all the “popular” books about the faith and the Bible.  We went to all the popular conferences.  We went to revivals and missions and we did a lot of good things.  In the interval we suffered.  In temptation we struggled and fell.  In trials we were overwhelmed with doubts and fears.

Why?  Somebody dropped the ball!!!!  

Now, some will say that the individual should have disciple themselves – but ya know, that’s not really – well – biblical.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,   (Eph 4:11-12)  ESV

That is biblical!!!

None of us answered His call in a vacuum devoid of any access to a mature believer.  Most of us answered His call right in the middle of the Body of Christ whether that was at church, camp, a revival, a conference or even a movie.  That was the “make disciples” part.  Where was the “teaching them to obey,” part????

Well, most of us ended up (some may still be there) in this condition, we were,

. . . children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.   (Eph 4:14)  ESV

Unfortunately, over time, we became elders or deacons or Sunday School teacher, even Pastors.  As we did, we brought the waves and winds with us.  And so we have a “church” today that bears little if any resemblance to that for which Christ died.  We have brought adultery into the body of Christ:

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jas 4:4) ESV

         For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we 

         proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you 

         received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, 

         you put up with it readily enough. (2Co 11:4) ESV

        Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, 

        so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.     

        They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, 

        they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become 

        plain that they all are not of us.  (1Jn 2:18-19) ESV

This is where the “lack” of these things has gotten us.