2 Peter / Question
Peter says the person who lacks these qualities is “so nearsighted that he is blind.” He adds that such a person has “forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” The language describes spiritual dullness and memory loss about past cleansing. See 2 Peter 1:9.
In 2 Peter 1:8–11 the writer explains what happens when the earlier-listed qualities are present and growing versus missing. If they are “yours” and increasing, they keep a person active and productive in knowing Jesus. If they are absent, the person’s perception shrinks and they forget past cleansing. This paragraph continues the argument that God has provided what is needed for a changed life, and therefore believers should actively add specific qualities to their lives (1:3–7). Verses 8–11 then give reasons: what those qualities produce when they grow, and what is revealed when they are missing.
These verses present a cause-and-effect picture of Christian growth. When “these things” (the qualities listed in 1:5–7) are truly present and increasing, they prevent a life that is spiritually inactive and unproductive (explicit in verse 8).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with 2 Peter 1:9, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.