LEARNING ABOUT JESUS
2 PETER 1:5-8
2 PETER 1:5-8 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.
OBSERVATION:
I realize it's not good to make assumptions. So forgive me if I make two right off.
The first assumption is that if you are reading or listening to this devotional, you are a believer.
My second assumption is that as a believer, you want to know more about Jesus.
So, with those two assumptions established, I have some great news for you. Today's passage is a direct way to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ. However, this is not knowing about the historical Jesus but rather who He is, His person.
The list that the Holy Spirit gives us is a list of character qualities. These qualities are the ways that Jesus walked when He was on the earth. And as we begin to walk the same way, we gain an experiential knowledge of who He is.
Jesus walked this way, and as we follow Him as His disciples, we learn of Him.
So exercising faith, we add these qualities to our lives. It requires a level of faith to even believe we can walk as Jesus walked. But the scriptures are not unfair.
Virtue is moral excellence. It's doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Knowledge would include a knowledge of God's will and plan. Big topic, but rest assured, we can grow in knowledge.
Perseverance is enduring and not giving up when times are tough.
Self-control is the ability to be self-disciplined. Saying no to our fleshly urges, living with a sense of restraint.
Godliness is a consciousness of God and His ways. Living to please Him, not the world.
Brotherly kindness is the opposite of what we see on social media posts. We could certainly use a dose of this in our country and in our churches.
Love is the God kind of unconditional love we are commanded by Jesus to walk in.
These qualities can be in us and overflowing. That's a great goal. We'll learn about Jesus and represent Him well in our world.
PRAYER:
Lord help me learn of you as I purpose to walk as You walked.