Daily Devotions
2 Peter
"Add to your faith..."
Text: 2 Peter 1:5
PRACTICAL STEPS TO GROW FAITH
The desire to grow faith must be supported by knowledge of how this is to be done. Peter had grown much from the days he followed the Lord Jesus as a humble disciple.
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.”
2 Peter 1:5
1. “But also for this very reason”
a) It stands to reason that we want to cultivate our faith.
b) Our faith
i) We have a precious faith.
ii) It is like that of the Apostles of Christ.
c) Our hope
i) God has given us power.
ii) He has also given precious promises.
d) Our new nature
i) We can cultivate godliness.
ii) We have been delivered from a life of sin.
2. “Giving all diligence”
a) The word “diligence” is key.
b) This word “diligence” has the following features:
i) Earnestness
ii) Zeal
iii) Effort
c) All diligence must be exercised if we are to cultivate what God has given to us.
d) God has done His part in provision. We must now seek to do ours!
e) The word “all” is not without significance.
i) Our diligence must be whole-hearted.
ii) We must give of our very best.
3. “Add to your faith virtue”
a) The word “virtue” appeared in 2 Peter 1:3.
i) It is part of God’s calling.
ii) He has called us to moral excellence.
b) We are to add to our faith, moral excellence (“virtue”).
i) This is often a reference to character.
ii) Faith and character must match.
c) The idea of “adding”:
i) It comes from a word that speaks of “bearing something”.
ii) The force of the word is to “put in much effort”.
d) It complements the word “diligence” very well.
4. “To virtue knowledge”
a) Knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus was mentioned in 2 Peter 1:2, 3.
b) It is once again mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5.
i) There is a huge amount of knowledge to discover.
ii) No matter what we already know, there is more to learn.
c) Faith without further knowledge would not go very far.
i) There must be “all diligence” in cultivating knowledge.
ii) This is vital for significant spiritual growth.