2 Peter 1: 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 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. --ESVwhammo!!! killer ammo against feelings of uselessness!!!
usefulness - effectiveness and fruitfulness - are in Him, not in me. His very nature in me is the source of it.
1 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may......."be effective and fruitful"...?
NO!
...[that you may] become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. --ESVpartaking of the divine nature - Him in us and us in Him - is what produces the qualities in us that keep us from being ineffective and unfruitful.
the focus is not being effective and fruitful.
the focus is not trying to be effective and fruitful.
the focus is not trying to not be ineffective and unfruitful.
the focus is partaking of the divine nature!! all else flows from that.
ie, don't focus on the fruit, focus on the tree that grows the fruit.
the fruit without the tree that grows it is.... nothing. dead. non-existent. imaginary. 'mustered up' from nothing. impossible.
escape from corruption comes not from effort, but from partaking of the divine nature.
look to the Source.
food for much further thought...
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