All believers share the same wonderful Christian faith that God opens up to us by the work of the Lord Jesus. As we learn to know God, we learn to enjoy God’s grace and peace. Through the power of God we can be diligent to grow strong in our godly life of faith. We need to add virtue to our precious faith. Virtue is courage to stand up for what is right even when everyone else disagrees. To our courage we add the knowledge of experience by practicing what we have learned from the Word of God. Next we add temperance, which is learning to control yourself so you do not sin. We add patience to endure problems and persecutions when everyone seems to be against us. Godliness means we act like a child of God. Brotherly kindness shows love to our fellow-believers. Charity is love that reaches out to unbelievers. As we grow in our faith, we will produce honor for God. If we don’t continue to add to our faith, we will forget that we belong to Jesus and we may fall back into a life of sin. Christ will reward us according to our diligence of adding to our faith.
Peter knew he would be killed soon because of his faith, so he encourages believers to continue to learn and practice the truth of God’s Word when he was gone. Peter wanted others to be strong in faith, so he shared what he had seen, heard and knew to be true about Jesus. Peter even heard God the Father speak about the excellent glory of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. We can let our lights shine for Jesus in this dark world until the day dawns when Jesus returns to take us to be with Him in heaven.
1. What is needed before we can add to our faith? __________ 2 Peter 1:___
2. What should we add to patience? __________ 2 Peter 1:___
3. If you continue to progress in your Christian faith, how will you enter the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? __________ 2 Peter 1:___
4. In whom was God the Father well pleased? __________ 2 Peter 1:___
5. Where did the voice come from when Peter was on the holy mountain? __________ 2 Peter 1:___