2 Peter 1:5-8–Supplement Your Faith

2 Peter 1:5-8–"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is a beautiful passage, full of practical theology applicable to every Christian.  While every Christian understands the reality of salvation (confession, repentance, belief), not every Christian understands that this does not end at conversion.  But salvation is a process of development, that we would grow in godliness.  That is what this passage is about: the maturation of our Christianity, from faith to brotherly affection.  The purpose of this process of growth is so that we would not be brandished ineffective or unfruitful because of immaturity, but that our faith would be supported by our life.  This is the very task for the Christian.  Let us make it our path and our intent to do so with eagerness and joy.

2 Peter 1:3-4; The Tools to Live Life

Living life as the Word demands can seem a difficult endeavor due to the pervasiveness of sin and how the natural man and the law of sin prevents us from adhering to God's commands.  Fortunately, God has given us His Spirit to comfort, encourage, empower, and help us to live life in the manner that He calls us to and that His Word demands.

Although many passages of Scripture deal with this very thing, 2 Peter 1:3-4 covers it directly.  Peter's exhortation deserves some pondering as we strive to live lives firmly attached to the vine of God.  We need only remember that God has given the believer every tool needed for the job.  One needs only to recognize that truth and wield the tools accordingly.

2 Peter 1:3-4: "His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, bu which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires."