based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w5d2
THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)
Scripture: 2 Peter 1: 5-11 and SOAP: verse 8
For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.
2 Peter 1:8 NLT
This verse summarizes the result of the previous verses in this chapter. Remember, we have been given everything we need to live and love like Jesus. We have been called to follow after His own glory and goodness, through which we have received not only the gift of God’s great and precious promises but also of participating in His divine nature. In other words, we are able – this side of Heaven – to begin living out the moral excellence we see in Jesus. On top of this, according to Peter, we have been granted an escape from the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. It should be noted that this does not mean we will no longer be tempted to sin or even fall prey to sin but it means – when we are – we have been given what we need to overcome the sin. Because of this, Peter writes of six particular things we are to add to our faith to protect us from becoming ineffective and unproductive in our pursuit of knowing Jesus more intimately.
God equips us but it is up to us to make the effort to pursue a deeper, fuller, personal relationship with Jesus.
Me – from the inside out 🦋
LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)
Peter presents a two-choice scenario for believers:
- Make every effort to grow in your faith (or)
- Waste the opportunity of being fully equipped for life and godliness and remain ineffective and unproductive.
If we choose to pursue Christ and grow in our faith and relationship with Him we must heed Peter’s counsel and make every effort to add to our faith these six traits or qualities – (descriptions for each were found in part or in whole at bibleref.com
- First, since we have been equipped to live like Jesus, we must work to add goodness, or “moral excellence,” to our faith. This means that we will work to do good, by God’s power, in the world now, as Jesus would in our place. This goodness becomes the foundation for the rest of these qualities.
- We are also to add knowledge. This is a deeper understanding of our God through His Word, prayer, and so forth, which informs our goodness. Merely wanting to do good is not enough; we must know what good is by knowing God.
- To knowledge, we must add self–control. Without the ability to control ourselves, our knowledge of good and our desire to do it are both worthless. Self-control is the moment-by-moment restraint of our urges. It is the ability to make the right choice when temptation strikes.
- Perseverance is our next additive, as it is the ability to practice self–control over time. Our sprints of doing good turn into marathons. Our moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day choices eventually turn into lifestyles. Perseverance is the ability to maintain self-control, even when the pressure of temptation continues to attack us.
- Next is Godliness, which keeps our goodness from being merely human goodness. This is godly goodness. It is moral excellence that reflects the nature of God Himself instead of the temporary, earth-bound “goodness” of men.
- Brotherly affection (or kindness) should come alongside godliness. The idea is that we become motivated to do good for each other. This is supposed to come from a sense of connectedness. This is the type of connection experienced in the closest of families. And, truly, our brothers and sisters in Christ are our family. Peter calls us to “make every effort” to develop a familial affection for each other. Hard as it may be at times, we should strive to really “like” each other, so that we want to do good for one another.
- Finally, we are to add unselfish love, which is the pinnacle of all the other qualities: love. God is love, and the goodness of Jesus was motivated both by His love for the Father and His love for us. Peter’s term for “love” here comes from the Greek root word agape, which refers to a selfless, sacrificial concern for the good of others. It makes sense, then, that our ultimate reason to do good is the same self–sacrificing love that Christ showed for us.
To stop here is dangerous. It is important, even crucial, to understand that to lack these virtues is to be blind spiritually, which would be to waste our gift of life and godliness or the potential of moral excellence, i.e., Christlike living (9). So, again, Peter writes: “Make every effort” to demonstrate the reality of their calling (10).
Peter is speaking most clearly to those who seem to avoid commitment to Christlike living, while still claiming their place in God’s family. This is unproductive at best, and dangerous at worst. Instead, Peter tells the reader to be diligent to demonstrate spiritually mature qualities, as confidence-boosters and evidence of their security in Christ.
Bibleref.com/in reference to verse 10
Question FOR THE JOURNEY
Are there specific virtues you feel led to cultivate in this season of your life? How can you faithfully nurture them in your everyday life?
PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY
Father, there is so much to learn from Your Word. Thank You for today’s reminder from Peter’s letter that while we are saved by grace alone through faith alone we are also charged with the pursuit of knowing Jesus more intimately if we want our faith to be effective and productive. Help us to not just claim faith in Jesus but to actively look to add to our faith moral excellence that mirrors Christ. Help us to pursue knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brother affection, and unselfish love. – for to lack these things is to be spiritually blind and wasteful of all You have given us for life and godliness. Father, help all who belong to You begin living out the moral excellence You have equipped us for – the glory and goodness we see in the divine nature of Jesus, remembering that through Him, we have escaped the corruption in this world caused by evil desires. When I read these words of Peter, I can’t help but think of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth – “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall – God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” We may not be sinless on this side of Heaven, but we would be wise to take advantage of the promises that You have given us, through our faith in Christ, and sin less. – In the glorious name and power of Jesus my Lord – Amen and Amen!
Music for the Journey
What a blessed assurance we have – even on this side of Heaven – when we know that Jesus is ours!
Me From the Inside Out 