THE CHRISTIAN GRACES (2 PETER 1:1-11 KJV)
continued…
:5 –Circle diligence. In Greek it means speed. We do this earnestly.
Star each grace as we read them. The Greek for faith is pistis. It means joyful trust conjoined with obedience. It is the foundation for all other graces. Faith is that unquestioning certainty that everything depends on our belief in what Jesus says.
Hebrews 6:12 Circle faith and patience. When I think of faith I am reminded of Matthew 8 when Jesus is asleep in the disciples’ boat and the storm comes upon them. They have the very Son of God in their boat, yet they are afraid! What is Jesus’ response? “O ye of little faith!” They had seen Him do many miracles by this time, but they still had not learned where their trust should lie. Are we the same? Running around living desperate little lives when we should lie down safely by our Lord?!
Virtue—the Greek word is arete. It means moral courage, moral goodness and excellence. It includes the art of living well and courageously.
Proverbs 28:1—Underline “the righteous are bold as a lion.” We must live courageously and stand for what is right! In this day and time, when the world calls good evil and evil good, we must stand up for God, for His truth, for His church, for His right path!
And to virtue knowledge—the Greek word is gnosis. It means spiritual truth, practical knowledge. This knowledge enables a person to decide rightly and to act honorably and efficiently in their day to day circumstances and situations of life. How important is spiritual truth?
Proverbs 23:23—Buy the truth and sell it not! Do everything to find it and then do everything to hang on to it!
2 Corinthians 5:10 This is a command that is a lifetime challenge. We are not to let anything exalt itself against the knowledge of God and therefore we bring every thought under Christ’s command, that is to obey Him. Block off this whole passage in your Bible!
:6 And to knowledge temperance—the Greek word is egkrateia. It means holding oneself in. What a perfect definition. In English we would define this word as self-control, strength, or self-mastery. It does not matter how much spiritual knowledge you have if you can’t control yourself.
I Cor 9:25 Imagine the runner in the original Olympic games. He striveth for the mastery. Literally he agonizes to win the prize. Underline that phrase. To do that he is temperate in all things. He masters himself. He does this to win an earthly prize; we do this to win an eternal one. Incorruptible. Circle that.
And to temperance patience—the Greek word is hupomone. It means abiding or remaining under. We think of patience as waiting with a good attitude. In the Bible it means endurance, longsuffering, and steadfastness. It is the brave acceptance of everything that life throws at you, and then taking even the worst of them and using them as stepping stones to heaven.
Job 13:15 Star that fabulous verse. Job knew what true patience meant.
And to patience godliness—I told you to wait and you’d find out what godliness really meant. Most of us would say being like God but that’s not the definition. Godliness in the Bible comes from a Greek word that means to fall back in awe. It is the only word the Greeks have for religion. It means piety, devotion, and reverence. The person who correctly worships God and gives God His due, but also serves his fellowman and gives him his due is the truly godly person. Are you godly? Are you teaching your children to be godly? That is reverent—to respect and honor God above all.
:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness—the Greek word is Philadelphia. We recognize it. It means love of the brethren. Brotherly kindness means we do not find the demands of personal relationships a nuisance or an interruption.
Ephesians 4:2—we are to forbear one another in love. Put a box around forbear. It means to put up with.
Romans 12:10—we are to be kindly affectioned, preferring one another. Circle kindly and preferring. That means I let you have your way.
Philippians 2:3—esteem others better than yourselves. Underline esteem and better than twice! How hard is this to do sometimes!
I Peter 1:22—love one another fervently. Put a heart around love and then an arrow to fervently. How much? Fervently, with great intensity.
Romans 12:15—we weep with those who weep and we rejoice with those who rejoice. Underline those verbs. This is what we do for one another who actually have brotherly kindness—we are happy for them when good things happen and sad for them when trials come.
And to brotherly kindness charity—this word for love is agape in the Greek. It is a choice that is made, not a natural feeling. It is made for the welfare of others. It takes in all, even the just and the unjust like God loves. Without it, we are nothing. Mark that word (nothing) every time it’s used in I Corinthians 13.
:8 For if these things be in you and abound—Box around if. If is a significant word. Action is necessary for a result to occur. If you have these virtues and they abound in you (circle abound—it literally means superabound, that is abound abundantly), then…
They make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ—Here is a promise to you. If you abound with these virtues, God promises you what? Circle what you won’t be.
:9 BUT is another significant word, even disturbing word. But if you lack these amazing virtues, what does this make you? Underline blind.
Why are you blind? You have forgotten (underline) that you were once made clean (circle purged) from your old sins.
:10 Instead of being blind and forgetful, what does Peter call on you to do? Make your calling and election sure. Circle sure. This verse makes it clear that you can lose your salvation.
IF you do these things, (go back and re-read what each virtue entails), you will never fall.
:11 this entrance is literally richly gifted that is waiting for you! Star abundantly.
An abundant entrance awaits you to the everlasting kingdom where Jesus is. Circle everlasting. Eternity in Jesus’ presence. That is more than you can ask for and more than any of us deserves.
As we put these graces into our lives, God will bless our efforts and make of us a heavenly recipe.
Galatians 4:19 underline “until Christ be formed in you.”
2 Cor 3:18 underline “changed into the same image from glory to glory.”
God help us to practice these graces purposefully until they are our natural response and habit of our lives so that we truly become partakers of the divine nature.