2 Peter 1:9 (KJV)

Passage

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Nearby Context

2 Peter 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2 Peter 1:8 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.

2 Peter 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lacketh", "things", "blind", "afar", "hath", "forgotten", "purged", and "sins". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lacketh" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "For if these things be in you..." into verse 10's "Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to...", so "lacketh" and "things" belong inside that flow. In 2 Peter context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lacketh" and "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.