Virtues with Value
2 Peter • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Introduction:
A New product has hit the market. It contains some amazing properties and characteristics. You need this in your life! Redemption, Grace, Peace, Hope, Life, Mercy, Truth… Its our Savior!
It seems as though Peter is writing his final epistle to cover faithful living in difficult days. 2 Peter 3:11-12 captures the central theme of this book.
It is interesting to note how Peter opens up here. He begins by making mention that he is first a servant of Christ before His apostle.
Peter is challenging believers to take full advantage of the divine power of God which made it possible to participate in the divine nature and thus overcome the corruption caused by evil desires. Peter further challenges Christians to practice the characteristics of the divine nature so that they would experience the assurance of eternal rewards (vs. 5-11).
Only through the Knowledge of Him can one attain Spiritual vitality and Godly living. An intimate “full knowledge (I would add a growing knowledge of Him) is the source of spiritual power and growth.
It becomes clear in this passage that Christ called us to this life of godliness by His own Glory and goodness (1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 1:5, and 2:19).
Divine Promise:
Through Christ’s Glory and Goodness He has given believers His very great and precious promises. The Greek word for this (Promise) describes a bestowment, or to endow. This is not the usual word for “give”. It has some weight to the word to describe its worth. Likewise the word used for “precious” is only used in Peter’s writings (1 Peter 2:7 and 1 Peter 1:19 where he writes about a Christian’s faith, Christ’s Blood, and here, Christ’s promises.
Divine Participation:
“Participate”- is quite literally to become partners in something. Peter also used this term in 1 Peter 4:13 and 1 Peter 5:1 where Peter is expressing the fact that he is a partaker on Christ’s sufferings and a partaker of the glory which will be revealed. As partakers of God’s nature believers can share in His moral victory over sin in this life and share in His glorious victory over death in eternal life.
Peter then lists out 7 virtues to add to our faith. As one scholar writes:
“It takes every bit of diligence and effort a Christian can muster , along with the Holy Spirit to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desired, and to bring alongside of his faith a complement of virtue”- Hodges
NOTE: This list are indicators of our faith that show us the health of our relationship much like a KPI in business. We are able to look at KPI’s to determine how things are going. This is not a claim that Faith plus works is required.
Virtue- (goodness- high moral standards)-
Knowledge-(not intellectual but spiritual pursuits which comes through the Holy Spirit and is focused on the person and Word of God.
Self-control- This is really putting Virtue and Knowledge into practice. Don’t forget part of the reason why Peter is writing here. In the next few chapters Peter will be warning the listeners about false teachers creeping in. In chapter 2 we will address why this is important. Self control is to have one’s passions under control. Another means in which we will resist corruption caused by evil desires. We need our desires to be under control. Bridle his tongue (James 1:26).
Perseverance- This word in the greek actually means “to stay under”. It is often used in the NT to refer to constancy or a steadfastness while being faced with adversity. The call for consistency.
Godliness- This refers to piety, a man’s obligation of reverence toward God.
* The first five words have been observed as one’s inner life and His relationship to God. The last two relate to others (Horizontally). Also we must be careful to not begin to attain a few of these things and look around to compare. Brotherly kindness and love must continue.
Brotherly Kindness- a fervent practical caring for others. The very “praxi”- of one’s faith.
Love- Desiring the highest good for others.
*It is interesting to note that this list of virtues begins with faith and ends with love.
One must be careful to not turn this list into a checklist however. Don’t become short sighted on what the intent is here. This isnt a checklist to assume a bigger and better lifestyle or even a smooth sailing life style. It is the very means in which a person is growing in right relationship both upward and outward. James 2:17-26
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
I also don't believe this is a foundation for Lordship salvation. The idea that many scholars and friends hold to, where we are to be growing bigger and better every day and every moment in our lives as an indicator of our Savior and God being our Lord. If not doing so, then indicating loss of salvation. I love what one Pastor friend said, “Often times people look at the book of Acts as a foundation for Lordship salvation- bigger and better or you must be unsaved- however Acts was a highlight reel, and I don’t believe our lives are to be on the highlight reel every morning”.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Additionally, when going through adversity, there will be moments where we cry out to God or even each other, unsure where to turn next. We need to recognize God as God, and realize He is the maintainer and sustainer of all things. This isn’t exactly a highlight reel and I dont believe it was for Job either.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
It really comes done to works out of Gratitude for His free gift rather than as Good works as proof you’re not a fake. The KPI is an indicator of fellowship and communion status rather than relationship.
In every relationship I have, there has been struggles, from arguing over which brand tooth paste to use, or even the stance on COVID. Every relationship need depth and it begins by seeking to know each other more each day.
I believe Peter is getting at a few points here. Virtue that is added to our faith is not to be just possessed, it is to be growing. Many believers have stopped short after the point of salvation and have not desired to grow in virtue to add to their faith. We find this is important because it first begins and starts with intimate relationship vertically, so in the end relationship and love extend horizontally. Unfortunately many remain as babes in Christ because of this.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In Verse 9, Peter talks about this blindness and shortsightedness. Peter is clearly writing to believers here who have been cleansed from their sins but had not grown spiritually. A believer with blindness or shortsightedness is not magnifying the grace of Christ upward and outward. At times when not seeking to grow and learn more about Him it can be easy to forget, or diminish the ultimate gift He gave.
These seven virtues help us be more focused and aimed on Christ, while also aiming to minister to those around us.