These Things

Former Pastor Ronnie Wilson visited with the church today. This is his morning message.

We find the church in cold spiritual days. The end is near. Perilous times are here. Scoffers are everywhere; time is running out. We need some things.

II Peter 1:8-15 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

Verse 8 says these things make us fruitful, ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful. Verse 9 states these things give us discernment; he that lacketh these things is blind. We need spiritual discernment to know the spirit of God and the spirit of the devil. Verse 10 tells us with these things we shall never fall. God is with us. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The same God that saved us is the same God that keeps us saved. No one is perfect, but with these things we will not fall.

What are these things that guarantee fruitfulness, spiritual insight, and keep us from falling? Verses 5 through 7 show us that God WILL ADD them to us. And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. Here they are.

Virtue: this is moral uprightness, excellent living; right living; we act right and are holy.

Knowledge: this is an understanding of the Bible. The Word needs to be in us and us in the Word.

Temperance: self-control. We, ourselves, give God the most problem by our own lack of control. God will add to us self-control.

Patience: most of us do not have it, but we all must have it. We need it; God will add it to us if we allow him to do so.

Godliness: without this no man shall see God.

Brotherly kindness: love. In Matthew Jesus said that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul AND the second is as great as the first, to love our neighbor as ourselves– love your brother. We cannot have malice; we must love. God can add it.

Charity: love, agape love– this is love for God. Why would we love God? Because He gave us all these things. We need a love for God.

We need each of these added to our lives. If you do not have them, if you have let them slip away, come to God today and pray. God will add them to you.