Adding to our Faith

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Peter shares with us seven qualities that he believes should be added to our faith.  Our new life as Christians begin by faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, and putting our faith in Him as Lord of our life.  But the Christian life should not stop there.  Sad to say there are many so-called Christians who claim to have that faith, but do not add to it.  In other words there is no fruit in their lives, no spiritual gain, no righteousness seen.

In verse 8 Peter says that we are to possess these qualities in increasing measure!  They are not supposed to stop being added into our lives.  What is so important about goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love?  Why continually add these into our lives?

The preceding verses will help us understand this.  Peter started verse 5 with “for this very reason”.  This means he previously stated a reason.

2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Every Christian needs to take to heart what Peter is saying in verse 3.  EVERYTHING WE NEED for LIFE and GODLINESS has been given to us by God!  A Christian has no reason not to live as God wants us to live, because His power that works in us has provided everything we need.  Why?

2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Two things that a Christian must desire always – participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world.  To participate in the divine nature is to have the life of Christ working in us and seen in our lives and actions.  It is the desire of a true Christian to be Christ-like.

We all know of the corruption in the world.  A Christian’s desire is to escape it, live opposite the corrupt practices found in the world.  To be able to live this way, we need to add to our faith the qualities Peter shared with us.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

How important are these qualities?

2 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV)
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Our faith in, our knowledge of, our Lord Jesus Christ should move us to be effective and productive in this world.  Possessing these qualities keep us from being ineffective and unproductive as His witnesses, as His disciples in this world.

Many Christians are like what Peter said in verse 9 – nearsighted and blind, forgetting that we have been cleansed from our past sins, and continuing in them, thus joining in the corruption of the world, and being carnal instead of participating in the divine nature.

This is the mathematics of Christianity – addition.  Adding to our faith.  Through His divine power God has enabled us to have the qualities listed above, and therefore be effective and productive disciples of Christ in this world.

Will you add to your faith?

 

Colossians 1:28“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.