Taking the steps toward love

2 Peter 1:5–7 (HCSB)

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Quickly look at what prompts these instructions. Look up at verse 4: 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. Escape is an active process! Corruption that is birthed from evil requires that we actively participate in the escape.

verse 5 – Because we live in this evil world, we must involve ourselves not only in escape but also replacement

Extent of our activity: to bring our every effort

Peter used a literary form here that is called sorites, in which we have a step-by-step chain that culminates in a climax.

It is less like stacking blocks as building a case.

2 exceptions: one at the beginning; one at the end. Faith is the root; love is the goal.

1. The beginning: faith

Saving faith – entrance into spiritual living (v. 1: faith of equal privileges. v. 3-knowledge of him)

It is impossible to express Christian qualities without Christian faith – it is impossible to act as a believer without knowing Jesus.

2. The steps

Step 1. Goodness – other definition is virtue – it is the doing of good This is not the doing of good in order to earn salvation. It is the doing of good that results from biblical faith. Hallmark of believing people.

Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as often as ever you can, as long as you can.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Sin’s primary characteristic is selfishness; Christ’s primary characteristic is selflessness. Which one do I reflect today?

Step 2. Knowledge – not talking about knowing in a personal way. This is knowledge of the subject; knowledge of the things of faith. It is not enough to know what you know – you always need to know more (contrast 2 Timothy 3:6–7 (HCSB)

6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.)

There are those who study continually but never get it. Illumination is essential and always has been. OT Illumination: Deuteronomy 29:4 (HCSB)

4 Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.

1 Corinthians 2:7–10 (HCSB)

7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written:

What eye did not see and ear did not hear,

and what never entered the human mind—

God prepared this for those who love Him.

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

The knowledge that God provides is knowledge we put to use.

Step 3: Self-control – Galatians 5:23 (HCSB)

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This is a prized Greek attribute: the Stoics –

1 Corinthians 9:25 (HCSB)

25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away.

Strong contrast with the false teachers who have no self-control or restraint.

Step 4: Endurance – you soldier on even when those fall around you. John Whitworth and the accountability of the pastor…yet…maturity requires endurance.

Don’t shoot the wounded: but sometimes they must be left behind.

Step 5: Godliness – we are given everything, yes, but we must be in active pursuit of it as well. Literally: living a life that is like God. Word “pious” has been turned into a negative trait. (Vinegar as a drink) Piety means wanting to express the qualities of God to a godless world.

Step 6: brotherly love – pinnacle of human qualities. Natural between humans though can be corrupted. (Some moms don’t love their children; some siblings have more than rivalry-Mom) Isn’t a wonderful part of the grace of God that the natural love of family is almost universal?

An expectant mom with sons 4 and 2 asked the older one, Ben, if he would like to have a new brother. After careful thought, Ben replied, "No, let's just keep Brian."

God extends this natural love into the family of God. Needs constant evaluation: not to be a loose coalition of individuals: we are to be family. Impossible to live for Christ outside of community.

3. The climax: agape

Agape – pinnacle of all qualities. John 3:16 (HCSB)

16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

/1 John 4:8 (HCSB)

8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

That’s God’s love toward us. But Peter isn’t talking about that dimension. Peter’s conclusion is that we grow from all these other attributes to arrive at expressing God’s kind of love toward others.

Agape is God’s kind of love lived out by God’s children.

Here’s the problem: agape is God’s love and we cannot generate it on our own. Agape develops as we walk in the light; agape develops as we allow Christ freedom to operate within the context of our lives; apape builds as we are led by the Spirit.

Then we can spill out God’s kind of love.

How do we know we’ve arrived at agape?

We are able to love when we are not loved; desire the best for someone when they desire the worst for us; we are able to give blessing when we are given curses.

We are able to love when those that we should expect better from don’t do what they should have done; we are able to love those who have hurt us the worst and have done it intentionally.

When we get there, agape love reigns in our hearts and dominates our relationships.

Where are you on the climb?

Some of you may never have even taken the first step. Admit that you need a Savior.

Some of you may have quit climbing. I don’t know who it was…but someone discouraged you, disillusioned you…disgusted you…and you quit climbing.

Jesus is the Lord of people who start over.