Well this morning when I got up and after letting the dogs out and feeding them and then making my coffee - I got to sit down for some quiet time with Father. Yesterday, I was in 2 Peter 1:1-11 but really was focusing on vs 6 about godliness. This morning Father had me read and write out vs 5-11 which read like this ... (out of the NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to you faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Their is so much in these verses that it will take me several Blogs to get through it all - so while yesterday I thought I was going to blog about godliness, Father led me to start at the beginning ...
What does it mean to make every effort? It means making a serious attempt, work hard at, to do whatever you have to do to get it. What are we making every effort for? To add to our faith. We already have faith in God, in Christ, in His word, His works - But here we are being told to make every effort to add to our faith - these character building qualities of:
Goodness;Knowledge; Self-Control; Perseverance; Godliness; Brotherly Kindness and Love
(Kind of reminds me of Galatians 5:22-23 - But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Against such things their is no law.)
So lets look at each one individually ...
What is Goodness? It is a favorable character or tendency - kind, profitable; excellent; lifting or appropriate; morally right -
We know what good is - we not only need to do good and bring out the goodness in ourselves, but we need to bring out the goodness in others also. This is where we often quote, "Do unto others"...and Matthew 7:12 says it best, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you ...". Jesus tells us how to live a good life and if we follow His guidance how much simpler and easier life would be even through the most difficult trials of our lives - John 15:5 explains it out, "5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." What kind of fruit will we bear if we remain in Christ - GOOD Fruit!
Following Christ is not a chore that some who don't believe make it out to be. Being good is not a bad thing, its not a hard thing - It's a God thing - its a choice. Being good is putting your best foot forward, being good is being kind - helping others who can't help themselves. Being good is seeing the good in others and bringing goodness out in them. So we need to make every effort every day to add to our faith goodness - Let people see the goodness in you - Let Jesus shine through you to the point when people see you or hang out with you they experience the Jesus in you!! Less off me, more of Jesus - None of me, all of Jesus!
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to you faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Their is so much in these verses that it will take me several Blogs to get through it all - so while yesterday I thought I was going to blog about godliness, Father led me to start at the beginning ...
What does it mean to make every effort? It means making a serious attempt, work hard at, to do whatever you have to do to get it. What are we making every effort for? To add to our faith. We already have faith in God, in Christ, in His word, His works - But here we are being told to make every effort to add to our faith - these character building qualities of:
Goodness;Knowledge; Self-Control; Perseverance; Godliness; Brotherly Kindness and Love
(Kind of reminds me of Galatians 5:22-23 - But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Against such things their is no law.)
So lets look at each one individually ...
What is Goodness? It is a favorable character or tendency - kind, profitable; excellent; lifting or appropriate; morally right -
We know what good is - we not only need to do good and bring out the goodness in ourselves, but we need to bring out the goodness in others also. This is where we often quote, "Do unto others"...and Matthew 7:12 says it best, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you ...". Jesus tells us how to live a good life and if we follow His guidance how much simpler and easier life would be even through the most difficult trials of our lives - John 15:5 explains it out, "5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." What kind of fruit will we bear if we remain in Christ - GOOD Fruit!
Following Christ is not a chore that some who don't believe make it out to be. Being good is not a bad thing, its not a hard thing - It's a God thing - its a choice. Being good is putting your best foot forward, being good is being kind - helping others who can't help themselves. Being good is seeing the good in others and bringing goodness out in them. So we need to make every effort every day to add to our faith goodness - Let people see the goodness in you - Let Jesus shine through you to the point when people see you or hang out with you they experience the Jesus in you!! Less off me, more of Jesus - None of me, all of Jesus!
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