AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED LIST
2 PETER 1:5-9
2 PETER 1:5-9 NKJ
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
With my love of lists, you know I am going to enjoy these verses here.
What is a bit unusual is that I rarely hear this list referred to. We list the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians. And the to-do list in 1 Thessalonians, but this is a powerful list in its own right.
This list is made up of the character traits that have the potential to be in our lives in abundance. And when these traits are in us and plentiful, that would mean a lot. They produce impressive results. They cause us to be effective and productive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. They keep us from being short-sighted and dull spiritually. And they are an outward indicator that we have been cleansed from our old way of life.
Peter is not playing here. This is a list with some big benefits. But I am not certain that this list makes many refrigerators. Too long maybe? Or do we believe that it's too much?
Giving diligence add to your faith. We can stop right there. Diligence and faith. Two very important character traits that pack a big punch.
Add virtue. Other versions read moral excellence.
Add knowledge. Because these are spiritual traits this is spiritual knowledge. Verse two says that the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord, add grace and peace to us.
Add in self-control. In a world that is becoming increasingly lawless self-control will be a stand-out trait.
Perseverance. Not giving up under pressure. Staying in there. Enduring.
Godliness. Living for God and with Him in our minds and motivation. Paul said this one trait alone is profitable for this life and the one to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)
Brotherly kindness. We could use a big heaping dose of this in the Body of Christ. Being mean-spirited and angry has not done us any favors.
Love. The unselfish God kind of love that Jesus said was a commandment, not an option.
APPLICATION:
The first step toward application of this passage is to believe it's possible for these traits to be in us and abound. The second way to apply would be to think about, or meditate on, this passage. The more we know the more we grow.
PRAYER:
Help me Lord. Prompt me as to how to put these godly character traits into practice in my life.