Apostle Peter reveals a powerful truth about the relationship between the character of a believer and his understanding about the eternal forgiveness [knowledge of Jesus]. Peter is talking about the things that we lack because of the lack of knowledge of eternal forgiveness. Let us look at the things that we lack if we forget the truth that we are forgiven forever, by reading the preceding verses.
2 Peter 1:5-9
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8For 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. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
The things that we lack because of our forgetfulness or lack of knowledge about eternal forgiveness are diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. The barrenness or unfruitfulness of Christianity is due to the lack of knowledge of HIM [JESUS]. When we talk about the knowledge of HIM, believers tend to wonder what is this knowledge we are talking about. I am not talking about the all the informations about Jesus from the Gospels.
I am talking about a knowledge that surpasses human intellect, which comes to us only through revelation from the Word of God and through fellowship with Jesus. Most believers think that they know all about Jesus and as a result they do not dig deeper. What I am referring to here is not about Jesus’ physical identity, but his spiritual identity. I would like to write down some of the foundational knowledge that we need to live to fruitful Christian life.
1. Jesus living in us; let Him live through us
2. Jesus’ perfect work on the cross
3. Jesus as the son of God and son of man
4. Jesus fulfilled the law for us
5. Jesus as the prototype of Adam
6. Jesus as the Last Adam
If we read further up, we see this chapter is talking about our benefits of having the knowledge of HIM [JESUS].
2 Peter 1:2-5
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The Grace, peace, divine power and everything that pertains to life and godliness are available to the whole world after the crucifixion of Jesus, but we will receive it only to the extent to which we have the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The key to Christian life is the knowledge of HIM. If you lack fruit of the spirit in your Christian life, focus on HIM instead of focusing on the thing you lack. Let us have the same hunger to know Jesus like Apostle Paul, who revealed the mystery in Jesus to the world; he was still trying to know HIM more. I believe it takes the whole eternity to know about the mystery in Jesus.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him [Jesus] and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made comfortable unto his death'.