christian-virtues
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And Finally, Add Love
Growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord involves the development of Christ-like character. This growth process requires diligence. It involves adding various graces to our faith. We come to the last in the series of graces listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7—love. Our spiritual growth is simply not complete without it. It stands here… Continue reading
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Brotherly Kindness
Have you ever been the recipient of a special act of kindness? Someone went out of their way to help you when you needed a hand. Someone did something nice that lifted your spirits. Someone offered a word of encouragement when you were down. Someone was kind to you even when you had failed to… Continue reading
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Godliness: Walking With God
The word godliness, or piety, occurs relatively few times in the Bible, but the idea is found throughout Scripture. The Bible says that Enoch and Noah “walked with God,” a statement that well expresses the idea of godliness. Godliness has both an inward and an outward dimension. Outwardly, godliness manifests itself in our conduct. Informed… Continue reading
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Perseverance
God’s word teaches us how to add spiritual qualities to our character that will enable us to become more mature, more useful, more fruitful, less likely to stumble, and more confident of our calling and of our entrance into the eternal kingdom (2 Pet. 1:3-11). One of those qualities is perseverance. Perseverance means patience or… Continue reading
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The Development of Self-Control
Self-control follows moral excellence and knowledge in Peter’s list of qualities in 2 Peter 1:6 that we need to add to our faith. This means that through the strength of moral virtue and the light of the knowledge of God’s word, the Christian is enabled to govern the appetites and passions and keep them under… Continue reading
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Empowering Knowledge
Francis Bacon once said that “Knowledge is power.” It is all-important in every area of life. Ignorance is weakness. The statement, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you” is of course not always true. It often does. Ignorance can get you into real trouble. “If only I had known…” is repeated all too often. Knowledge… Continue reading
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The Pursuit of Moral Excellence
The apostle Peter exhorts believers to “supplement your faith with virtue” (2 Pet. 1:5). Virtue translates the Greek aretē, which is found in three other passages in the New Testament (Phil. 4:8; 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:3). It may also be defined by terms such as goodness, moral courage, or moral excellence. Virtue means… Continue reading
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Add to Your Faith
In 2 Peter 1:5-8, Peter exhorts believers to add or “supply” certain graces or qualities to their faith. This means that faith is the beginning—not the end—of what it means to be a Christian. The things that we add to faith result in growth and development of character. This text reminds us that what we… Continue reading
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