| |
Peter was a bond-servant and apostle. This is a unique combination, being subject to all others in service and humility as well as being called by Jesus to follow and see firsthand the account of God in the flesh. He makes it clear he was a bond-servant first, and an apostle second, though most would consider his apostleship the greater of the two. In verses 5-8, Peter outlines character.
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8 HCSB
He goes as far as to say that you will not be fruitless if these qualities are increasing. “In your faith” implies a starting point and a gift. It’s a work by God that can only come from him. In that faith, the foundation, we diligently strive for moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. But notice, these come out of the faith God has provided, not from within ourselves.
Many people want to grow in knowledge but have not truly received or humbled themselves to the gift of faith. They open books, read blogs, listen to sermons, and wonder why they don’t experience change. In this scenario, the end goal does not center around a growing faith, but rather, a growing intellect. It’s not about what we know, but who we know since all the riches of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ.
On the other hand, as James says, “Faith without works is dead.” So, we simply cannot wait and receive these character traits passively. They are active words that required “all diligence” as Peter suggests. We do not work for them, but they pour out from our overflow. They come from our foundation of faith through Jesus Christ. Our faith in the cross, remembering our former life, understanding the dead nature of our flesh, realizing the lengths Christ went to in order to save us, and reflecting on the victory he achieved over sin and death upon resurrecting is what drives these traits!
If you look over this list, (like I do) and think, I have some work to do, then go back and reflect on the basis of your faith. Go back to the Gospel. Use your imagination put yourself back at Golgotha during the crucifixion. Go back and linger in the awe of the empty tomb alongside the disciples. Consider the cost and what it must have been like for the Father to send His only Son.
Let His sacrifice saturate your heart and mind as you meditate on His Word. Rejoice in celebration for your victory which is shared through Christ and Christ alone. Out of this faith is where we will experience the kind of character traits that Peter is writing about. We must strive with all diligence to live out of the abundance of faith found only in Jesus.