ADD TO YOUR FAITH -- VIRTUE
2 Peter 1:5-11
Expounds upon the importance of adding to your faith certain attributes that we should develop in order to
become overcoming Christians. The Bible says, the purpose of adding these attributes is so that we will not be
useless, unfruitful, blind, short-sighted, and fall back into former sins. We need these virtues added to our faith
in order to make our calling and election sure, never stumbling.
We are going to study these attributes in detail so that we may know that we have them operating in our own
lives. We are told to diligently add these (meaning = steady, constant in effort or exertion to accomplish what
has been undertaken. Not stopping but keep on persevering. We must do this attentively, industriously, not idly
or negligently.
So it says, “ADD to your faith VIRTUE. In this place in the Bible in the Greek, it does NOT mean bravery,
strength or courage. Its meaning relates to “goodness”.
Virtue then is: a general moral goodness. For example, honesty, integrity, pity, justice, fairness, kindness,
generosity, chastity.
Chastity means abstinence from unlawful sexual activity. Freedom from obscenity in language or conversation.
Decency, modesty, lack of excess or lack of ornateness (in adornment, getting a balance between nice looking
and self consciousness).
Virtue is right action or thinking, and doing what is right because you know you should. Perhaps we have made
a commitment to do something for someone, and later we wished we hadn’t made that commitment. You wish
you could back out of it, but you don’t, because you have virtue and want to do what is right because you know
you should, more than you want to yield to your own personal desires. Keeping your word, because you gave it,
so you follow through. Choosing right over wrong. Any good quality in a person is a virtue. The Bible says in
Proverbs 31, “She has many virtues” which means she has many good qualities.
Virtues stem from an attitude of the heart and work its way out into an outward action. We can in no way attain
to virtue in ourselves. With all our efforts, New Years resolutions, white knuckling or gritting our teeth we still fall
flat.
We must see what virtue truly is. Look within ourselves then cry out, “Oh God!!! Help me! This poor wretched
sinner who can do nothing good apart from Thy grace, oh come, empower me to do Thy will! Enable me to be
virtuous and to show forth Thy mighty workings in my life. That I might be seen to YOUR praise, and honor and
glory! That people might see my good works and glorify YOU who art my life and my portion”!
But remember He has promised in His Word, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his
good pleasure” Phil 2:13.
All our goodness, all our good deeds and all our righteousness comes solely from God’s grace and power
working in and through us. He begins the work and we cooperate with that grace and power to carry out His
will! He then gets the glory and we can take no credit in ourselves. For the Bible says, “our own righteousness
is as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), but we have been given the “righteousness of Christ”! (Phil 1:11). When His
grace and power comes into us and we cooperate with this grace, we are transformed into new creatures
empowered by the living God inside of our beings, “Christ in you the hope of glory” with new natures to become
more and more conformed into the image of His Dear Son!
So seek to be virtuous in all areas of your life, examine your-selves that you are not found wanting (or lacking).
Pray over the areas that you miss the mark in diligently!
You HAVE THE POWER if you have Christ, He has “already given us the power to become the sons of God”
(John 1:12), and now it is up to us! So we must PRESS towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus in
these areas, 1 Peter 1:15 says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written:
"Be holy, because I am holy." and Scripture also says, “and God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to
enter into the eternal kingdom of our lord and savior Christ Jesus.” II Peter 1:11
Views: 0
You need to be a member of I Am A Ruby Network! to add comments!
Replies