Bulletins
Add to Your Faith
2 Peter 1:5-7: And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
In the above verses, the Holy Spirit through Peter instructs Christians to be diligent about developing a God-pleasing character. The trait that is shown to be the foundation of the obedient Christian’s life is “faith.” This faith is “assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
Such conviction is not baseless, but is produced when an honest heart is fed the Word of God (Matt. 13:23; Rom. 10:17). To strengthen one’s faith, a Christian must (1) have a good and honest heart and (2) feed his or her soul with the seed that builds faith.
The first trait Peter commands adding to our faith is “virtue.” In a broad sense, virtue can refer to “moral excellence,” as the WEB translates this term.
Sometimes the word for virtue refers more specifically to having the courage to do what is right even when it’s not easy. This too is something that must be added.
2 Peter 1:5 continues by commanding that “knowledge” be added to virtue.
As 2 Peter 3:18 shows, Christians must continuously grow in knowledge of God’s will. This requires fervent study of, and meditation on, His Word.
The Holy Spirit through Peter also commands adding “temperance” (self-control) to our character (2 Pet. 1:6).
Temperance involves having an inner mastery over one’s desires and passions. For instance, controlling one’s anger is needful to avoid being quick-tempered (Eph. 4:26; Jas. 1:19). Controlling one’s sexual desires is needful to avoid fornication, lasciviousness, and lust (cf. Matt. 5:27-28).
After commanding temperance, or self-control, in 2 Peter 1:6, the inspired apostle commands “patience.”
Patience should be directed toward others (1 Cor. 13:4). Generally when Scripture speaks about patience, though, it involves continuance in doing right, especially through trials (cf. Rom. 12:12). It is linked to endurance, perseverance, and steadfastness.
Patience is the opposite of the seed that fell in rocky or stony places in Jesus’ parable of the sower (i.e. shallow, shaky faith that stumbles when trials come) (Matt. 13:20-21).
Though many stumble when trials come, the Bible is filled with examples of people whose faith endured through fiery trials (Heb. 12:1; Jas. 5:10-11).
An additional thing 2 Peter 1:6 teaches we must pursue is “godliness.”
Godliness does not necessarily mean godlikeness, though there are some characteristics of God we must imitate. Godliness, though, involves reverence and godly fear. It leads to recognition and acceptance of God’s authority.
The Holy Spirit through Peter also commands adding “brotherly kindness” to our character (2 Pet. 1:7). This involves a care and brotherly affection for fellow Christians. Such kindness is manifested in good deeds (Gal. 6:10).
The final characteristic commanded in 2 Peter 1:5-7 is agape love (“charity”).
When directed toward God, agape leads to full surrender to Him, putting His will above one’s own (cf. 1 John 5:3).
When directed toward others, agape love involves selflessly seeking others’ highest good (Phil. 2:4; 1 John 3:18).
The word “add” in 2 Peter 1:5 shows that these character traits are not optional or impossible to obey. They do, though, require “giving all diligence.”
May we give diligence to add these things to our lives, and thus “neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:8).
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