Mind the Tenses (2 Peter 1:1-9)

In first chapter of the second Epistle of Peter, the Apostle dealing with the identity of the believer, says that God has given believers everything needed for godly living (2 Peter 1:1-4).

He then proceeds to discuss the traits of the spirit of the born-again man (2 Peter 1:5-7), what Apostle Paul also taught in many places using different nuances such as the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), fruit of light (Ephesians 5:9); fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:11), the reign of God (Romans 14:17) among others.

Then in verse 8, Peter reminds believers that these traits are already present in them and abounding.
2 Peter 1:8 Berean Literal Bible “For these things being in you and abounding, make you neither idle nor unfruitful as to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Furthermore in verse 9, Apostle Peter lets us see why some (or why sometimes we) don’t walk in these traits even though he had already said that believers have these things (verses 3 and 8). He states that anyone who does not present or express these things is for one reason, “they have forgotten that they were once washed from their former sins. They have forgotten that they are a recipient of the grace of God. They have lost sight of their sanctification.”

James says a similar thing: “You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like” (James 1:24 NLT).

So, to help the believer to consistently walk in the Spirit and express the fruit of the Spirit is to consistently keep the picture of their identity in their sight.

Apostle John in his Epistle wrote:
1 John 2:12 NIV “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.”

Paul did the same with the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 6:11 NASB “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

Mind the tenses: we were forgiven, we were washed, we were sanctified, we were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. This is the grace of God. This is the love of God. This is the fellowship of the Spirit.

Say the above to yourself. Retain it in your consciousness, and see yourself effortlessness express the traits of the Spirit already in, and abounding in you. Encourage other believers with the same truth.

Acknowledge every good in you in Christ Jesus.

Amen.