A HIGH VALUE LIST
2 Peter 1:5-9 NKJV
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.
I must admit I am a fan of lists. I make them pretty much every day. Lists help me clarify and focus on the things that I need to accomplish. In our verses for today is a list that, when kept, produces some amazing things in our lives.
These verses are worthy of a series because of what they reveal to us. Peter had already mentioned that we have a precious faith because of what God has done for us through Jesus. So now Peter tells us what to add to our faith. Some translations lend the idea that with our faith, we add the following character traits.
Virtue is excellence, particularly moral excellence. Moral excellence would include the things that are right in God's sight. Peter spoke of being holy or separated to God in his first letter.
Knowledge will include insight and understanding. Peter does not clarify what we are to gain insight into, but we can safely assume he is speaking of the knowledge of God and His ways. The knowledge we are to gain cannot be worldly wisdom simply because worldly wisdom does not produce the knowledge of God. The Scriptures are the first thing that comes to mind when pursuing this knowledge.
And to knowledge, add self-control. Peter is a big proponent of self-control. He realizes the value of being able to control desires and pull of the flesh. And being able to walk with self-control is a big step toward maturing in Christ.
And to self-control, perseverance. The ability to hold up under pressure without quitting. The ability to just hang in there. To me, this is a big part of staying with the Lord and fulfilling His plan for us. The refusal to quit is a great character trait. The writer of Hebrews wrote to not throw away our confidence in the Lord. Perseverance is that quality that holds on.
To perseverance add godliness. Living for God and with God in mind is profitable. Paul said to exercise ourselves in godliness would help us in this life and the one to come.
To godliness, add brotherly kindness. The kindness that you would expect from loving family members, not dysfunctional ones. Jesus was kind to the people around Him. He was kind to women and people with bad reputations. He was kind to lepers and beggars. He was kind to kids. Kids loved Jesus, and kids don't love mean people. Add kindness.
And add love, the God-kind of divine love, while we are adding. This was Jesus' commandment and one of the key ways we walk in confidence with God.
And here is the kicker. If these godly traits are in us and growing, it makes us effective in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. These traits make us fruitful as believers. And these traits open our spiritual eyes so that we are not shortsighted. These traits are vital to us growing and developing spiritually. Walking this way is a constant reminder that we have been cleansed from our old sins. We are not the people that we used to be. This is a high-value list.