“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.” (2Peter 1:5-7)
Verse 5 of 2 Peter 1 begins oddly with the words “and beside this.” Peter is referring to verse 4. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Peter 1:4) We’ve been given “exceeding great and precious” promises mean the greatest and most valuable kind of promises. It’s by these greatest and most valuable kind of promises that we’re able to share in God’s divine nature. That corruption that comes through lust, no longer has a hold on us so we’re able to take hold of these greatest and valuable promises.
And at the same time, we are to add in every way possible to our faith virtue or excellence and to excellence knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control endurance and constancy, to endurance and constancy the godliness that comes from the Gospel, and to godliness love for the brethren, and to brotherly love unconditional love so that we may bear much fruit and grow in our knowledge of Jesus. This Scripture makes it plain that these characteristics are things we are to add to our faith in Jesus. And by adding these we will grow in our knowledge of Jesus.
In the absence of these characteristics, we’re still in the darkness and spiritually blind. (Verse 9) Without making an effort to add to our faith, we’re living in the flesh. “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (2Peter 1:9) Peter make a case for without these works, our faith is useless. James also made such a claim. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (James 2:14)
God has done the impossible for us, the spiritual which we could not do and could never have done. Now we do what is possible for us and fight the flesh of slothfulness. We get in the Word of God, learn and add knowledge. We cannot be transformed if the Word of God is not in us. It’s the power of the Word of God which is alive and active that does the change in us. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2) We fight the flesh of doing what comes naturally and endure the afflictions and continue in obedience to the Word, living a life consistent with the Gospel, showing kindness and sacrificial love for the brethren. To return to a life in the flesh is denying the miraculous work of the Lord in our deliverance from the kingdom of sin and darkness.
Further Peter adds that by doing these things we won’t fail. “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (2Peter 1:10) The flesh can influence the soul to neglect doing our part. The result which would be a life of sin. Paul warned Timothy about so called Christians. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2Timothy 2:19)
In God’s kingdom there are brethren at all different levels. We don’t judge because we all have to go through that process of transformation through the work of the Word as we study it and the work of the Holy Spirit as we’re obedient to Him. The pull of the flesh is real. Our obligation to sacrificially love the brethren is to pull down those strongholds through the power of prayer and intercession. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1) Paul exhorts the Ephesians that after putting on our suit of armor, we are to pray for the brethren. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18) We don’t know the particulars of a person’s life. But the Holy Spirit does. Paul tells us in Ephesians to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Let’s Allow the Holy Spirit to pray for the brethren through us.
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