Thursday, August 18, 2011

Make Every Effort

Our text came from the epistle of 2 Peter this morning.  While 1 Peter was written to encourage Christians to remain firm in the midst of persecution and suffering knowing that it would draw them closer to Christ; 2 Peter was written to the same audience to warn them about false teachers.

2 Pet 1:5-7 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your 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.  The phrase “add to your faith” implies that it is not automatic but must be purposely done.  To that end, we need to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  Notice that love is in essence the outcome of all of these things.”

Notice “make every effort to add to your faith” in v.5.  This phrase implies that it is not automatic but must be purposely done.  To that end, we need to add to our faith goodness (virtue), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  However, the gist is that we must be purposeful in these things. 

Therefore, there is much truth in the saying that every man is the architect of his own fate. Your choices affect your destiny. Out of a rough block of stone one man may make a beautiful statue and another man may make gravel. Both products are good and useful under certain conditions, but a statue can be immoral in conception and gravel can be the grudging and punitive work of a criminal condemned to a rock pile. The point is, whether you are a gifted artist or a competent gravel maker, you can choose whether to use your abilities worthily or unworthily. In building a Christian life you have the same choice.

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