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Keeping the Main Thing, the Main Thing.

November 17, 2011

2 Peter 1: 5–7

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

As I read this passage of scripture – the word that really sticks out to me is “supplement.” I am called by scripture here to SUPPLEMENT my faith – with all of these virtues.

These virtues are NOT my faith, they are NOT my salvation, they are NOT my God….but they are in fact, a supplement.

An addendum.

An appendix.

Now I don’t by any means want to write these things off as unimportant…I am called here to make EVERY EFFORT to add them to my faith….however I also am struck this morning by the reality that I will sometimes DEFINE my faith by these things.

I can even go so far as to MEASURE my need to do devotions, to pray, to serve….by how well I feel like I am doing in displaying these virtues.

If I have been particuarly self-controlled lately…perhaps it is not as important that I do my devotions today.

If my brotherly affection has been somewhat lacking – maybe its time to dust off the old prayer mat…

This approach…..is problematic.

Because the reality is that what I am doing is forgetting that these attributes serve as an addition to a solid faith in Jesus. I cannot measure my faith based on them – they are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ADDITIONS.

My faith….the REAL work of the Gospel capturing and controlling my heart – lies in my motivations. It lies in the deep parts of my heart that reveal why I am really doing what I am doing….

My faith is exposed by my willingness to love and serve with no expectation of return because I am humbled by the Grace of God….

And FROM THAT PLACE OF THANKFULNESS…I must make every effort to also add virtue, and knowledge, and self-control, and steadfastness, and godliness, and brotherly affection, and love.

Jesus – help me to be a man of faith. A man captured by the Gospel of YOUR truth…and from that point – give me strength to also be a man who displays these character attributes in such a way that I point people towards you.

B.

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