2 Peter 1:5-7

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.

Considering the amazing resources of God’s power and promises that believers are to appropriate, it could be easy for us to think we can just coast.  Dependence on the Lord and His Spirit is essential to our walk of faith.  However, diligence and discipline are fundamental aspects of our spiritual growth.  Dependence without diligence is hypocritical.  Diligence with out dependence is futile.  Lists in scripture are always great sources of information and wisdom.  This recipe for spiritual maturity no exception.  It gives us goals for which we must diligently strive in full dependence on the Holy Spirit.

BE FIRM IN YOUR VALUES: Our relationship with God should mean that we value the things that He values. We can classify the first three qualities in Peter’s list as values or that which is important to God and therefore should be important to us.  Faith, in essence is trusting God and having confidence in His promises and person.  It is the foundation on which all of our life in Christ should be built and the only means through which we can be saved from our sin.  Once we place our faith in Christ, His virtue or moral excellence should inform our lives as well as transform our lives.  Those who truly trust Christ will diligently seek to be like Christ as their greatest goal and highest treasure.  Conformation to Christ can only be attained through a genuine knowledge of Christ.  John equates seeing Christ to being like Christ (1 John 3:2).  Knowledge of Christ is far more than information about Him; it is also intimacy in our relationship with Him.  We study the Scriptures to grow in our knowledge of Him, and we live in communion with the Spirit to grow in our knowledge of Him.  Both are essential and transformational.  Conformity to Christ will always be proportionate to our genuine knowledge of Christ.  

BE FORTIFIED IN YOUR CHARACTER: If our values are truly aligned with God’s, it will have a radical impact on our character.  Self-control is a vital character quality every believer should pursue.  There are many influences on us in this fallen world.  Satan, society, and self are all fallen and clamor for our attention and affections.  We must learn to say “no” to these influences and bring our bodies under the control of the Holy Spirit.  Circumstances and the whims of our desires must never be allowed to direct our lives.  Perseverance is also a quality for which we must strive.  We must be prepared to endure hardship and persecution with the understanding that we are in it for the “long haul.”  Character is not produced by an event; it is a process.  We must learn to face the hardships and pressures of this life with a conviction to stand firm.  Staying faithful while under the difficulties we face on a daily basis is what perseverance is all about.  This will lead to a life of godliness or God likeness.  This is a reverent recognition of God in every aspect of our lives.  We are called to acknowledge His presence in our lives and the only acceptable response to God’s presence is worship.  Every aspect of our lives should be consciously offered to Christ as an act of worship.

BE FAITHFUL IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS: If we value what God values and our character is consistently controlled by the presence of God in our lives; it will have profound impact on all our relationships.  Those who follow Christ will treat the people around them with kindness.  There is a familial loyalty and identification with one another that should mark all our relationships.  We are called to be gentle, loving, and kind to friends, neighbors, strangers, even enemies.  Believers should never be characterized as bitter, cantankerous, vengeful, and selfish.  Our relationships should be marked by an unconditional and sacrificial love because that is how God loves us.  Our desire should be for the highest and eternal good of others and we should be willing to give of ourselves for that to happen.  A true life of faith in Christ will always result in us demonstrating to love of Christ.

APPLICATION: Be intentional about developing a growing faith that is marked by these qualities.  Remember that both dependence and diligence are fundamental to the process.  Understand that this is a long process that requires time.  Foster deep relationships with other believers and seek to draw unbelievers into relationship with us and mostly with Christ.