"Seven Qualities" 12/30/07
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n 2 Peter 1:5-7 the Apostle Peter encourages his readers, based upon the blessings which have been bestowed upon them, to add to their faith seven qualities. With that encouragement comes a promise that “if you practices these qualities, you will never fall.” So what are these Seven Qualities, and how can we begin to build them into our lives?
~ Founder and Teacher Jeremy J. Lundmark 1. Virtue
What is virtue? There is a sense in which each of these qualities listed are “virtues” in their own right. However, Peter is not here speaking in general about all good things. Rather he is talking about a courage and a confidence that accompanies all good works. Matthew Henry writes: “by virtue here we may understand strength and courage, without which the believer cannot stand up for good works, by abounding and excelling in them. The righteous must be bold as a lion; a cowardly Christian, who is afraid to profess the doctrines or practice the duties of the gospel, must expect that Christ will be ashamed of him another day. “Let not your hearts fail you in the evil day, but show yourselves valiant in standing against all opposition, and resisting every enemy, world, flesh, devil, yea, and death too.” We have need of virtue while we live, and it will be of excellent use when we come to die.”
In the movie “The Man in the Iron Mask” there is a scene at the end when a few men are trapped at the end of a hallway and around the corner, the only way of escape, stands an army lined up ready to fire in their direction. The men come to the decision that they will fight, rather than surrender, and charge the army. As they round the corner in cinematic slow motion one of the army's generally says in utter disbelief “Magnificent Valor”. This is what is mean when we say “virtue” is to be added to our faith. A strength and a courage to stand up for what's right regardless of the consequences.
2. Knowledge
E.W. Bullinger writes that “the greatest need of the Christian is a true knowledge of God”. Unfortunatly an emphasis on knowing God and knowing his word has been lost in our day. Many times I will hear people say things like “we'll know that when we get to heaven” or “no one knows so why bother.” Probably the last thing that Christians in 21st century America are spending much of their time doing is filling their hearts and minds with a knowledge of God and his Word.
Jonathan Edwards captures this quality when he writes “Christians ought not content themselves with such degrees of knowledge of divinity as they have already obtained, it should not satisfy them as they know as much as absolutely necessary, but should seek to make progress. This endeavor to make progress, in such knowledge ought not to be attended as a thing bye-the-bye but all Christians should make a business of it. They should look upon it as a part of their daily business and not a small part of it either.” To our faith we are called by the Apostle Peter to add knowledge. Do you consider knowing God and his Word a part of the main “business” of your life?
3. Self-Control
Self-control and virtue are very closely related but they are not the same thing. Albert Barnes describes this as “the mastery over all our evil inclinations and appetites. We are to allow none of them to obtain control over us.” Virtue is doing good no matter the cost while self-control refusing to do evil no matter how appealing it is to our flesh. It is the difference between putting off the old self and putting on the new. Are you in control of your fleshly appetites or do your appetites control you?
4. Steadfastness
We all know what steadfastness is, but putting it into practice is where the difficulty lies. We know the example of Job and how he was faced with every loss imaginable and still stood strong under the trial. We know of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how in the face of a tyrannical king they stood firm even in the fiery furnace and came out better than when they went in. How often do we find ourselves begging God to remove us from difficult circumstances rather than patiently enduring through those hard times? Steadfastness is what Clarke calls “long-mindedness”. Looking past the immediate circumstance to what the circumstance will produce. We are told by James to count our trials as Joy, and Peter tells us that if we stand fast through the trial we will come out pure as refined Gold. Pray for strength and endurance when trials come, and rather than murmur and complain thank God for his work in your life and be strengthened in your trial.
5. Godliness
At first glance one is struck by this term “godliness”. Who could say with any sort of honesty that they are Godly? Clarke's Commentary tells us that this quality is “Piety towards God; a deep, reverential, religious fear; not only worshiping God with every becoming outward act, but adoring, loving, and magnifying him in the heart...” This is not just doing good deeds outwardly, but it is an affection for Almighty God. It goes deeper than the outward act and penetrates the very heart of the person. It asks the question “why”. Is the reason you go to church and practice religion because you have an inward love toward God, or because you have an inward love of what others think of you? When you look at the contents of your heart is your motive for living life to bring honor and glory to Almighty God or is it to bring pleasure and prestige to yourself? Do you love God because of the benefits your receive from him or do you love him because he is God? Godliness cannot be faked, and it can not be discerned by anyone but you and God who searches the heart.
6. Brotherly Affection
At this point there is an obvious shift from qualities that are distinctly inward and related to self to qualities that are clearly related to our relationship to others. Here we are told to add to our faith “Brotherly Affection”. This quality is essential to Christianity. In John 13:34 Christ says “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
1 John 2:9 says “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” The Geneva Bible Commenting on 1 John 2:9 says: “such a one wanders miserably in darkness. May he never brag of great knowledge of God for he knowingly and willingly casts himself headlong into hell.” Clarke's Commentary writes regarding the same verse that “He that professes to be a convert to Christianity, even in the lowest degree; and hateth his brother - not only does not love him, but wills and does him evil, as the Jews did the Gentiles; is in darkness - has received no saving knowledge of the truth; and, whatever he may pretend, is in heathen ignorance”. To have affection for those whom Christ has brought unto himself is not an option. Love for those whom Christ has saved is indispensably necessary to the Christian faith.
7. Love
Moving from love for the brethren to love of the world. It's almost as if Peter realizes that we first must learn to love one another before we can properly begin to love the world. Arguably the greatest act of love towards those who are not involved in the Christian faith is giving them the Gospel message. Along with that we must bring respect, and dignity to every human being because the image of God is stamped on every human being. This extends from the child in the womb, to the elderly in the nursing home. Our love is to be bounless for men and women of every race, tongue, tribe and nation. It is a love that is without condition and always available. How are you doing at loving your neighbor?