vv 8-9 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
Sadly, we have to note that some areas of blindness continue on into our Christian experience. You may well at some point in life have kept a plant in a dark place. It should have been on the windowsill, in the sunshine, but it has missed out on light and it grew weak, the leaves went yellow, and it failed to produce any flowers. Our Christian lives too can become unproductive – vv 5-7 highlight the qualities that God wants us to work on ‘Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. ‘
Don’t forget, writes Peter, you have been cleansed from your old way of life. Now let the light of God go on shining into your heart, building a productive life that will honour God. You began your Christian experience when God’s light started to shine into your heart; let the light go on shining!
—