2 Peter begins by telling us some of the things God has done for us to equip us to live for him. Then verses 5-8 tell us the response we should have to God’s work: “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. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
There are three things I see about these qualities that Peter says we should be growing in. First, faith is clearly foundational—these qualities supplement our faith. Secondly, continual growth in these attributes is the goal, not perfection. Thirdly, if they can keep us from being ineffective or unfruitful, it is clear that we can have a knowledge of Jesus that is ineffective and unfruitful. I do not want my knowledge of Jesus to merely mean I am not a pagan. I want to be a part of building his kingdom and helping others to see, know, and love him.
Here are some things I’ve learned about these qualities:
- Virtue—valor, that which gives a person his/her worth, excellency, courage, fortitude, and resolution. There’s a sense of the heroic in this—helping justice triumph.
- Knowledge—this word implies an insight and understanding of a subject that influences the one who has the knowledge. It is more than just knowing facts. When I think about this quality I see two kinds of knowledge I need: the knowledge of what God calls good (because it isn’t always the same as what people call good) and the knowledge of his grace to equip me to do the good he desires me to do.
- Self-control—it is hard for me to see a way I could excel in virtue, steadfastness, or godliness if I’m lacking this one.
- Steadfastness—this refers to the ability to face difficult things or circumstances without losing hope.
- Godliness—this word comes from “good” and “worship/reverence.” It is the good behavior that flows from a right relationship with God. I have come to think of this as a life that finds joy in who God is and that reflects his character to the world.
- Brotherly affection (phileo)—this word denotes the kind of feelings we have for friends.
- Love (agape)—this is the kind of love that seeks the welfare of others—whether or not there are any feelings of affection
Side Note: I’ve encountered an opinion that agape is more important than phileo. God says we need both. Probably all of us have had the experience of being quite irritated by people we genuinely care for—what is best for them is not always our primary concern at those times. But I would also say that there are relationships where agape cannot stand alone either. If my husband ever tells me his love for me is fully agape because he is now free of all feelings of affection, I will not be pleased! Affection should be a core part of some relationships.
This scripture encourages me to pursue two areas of meditation. One is to meditate on the qualities themselves. What do they mean? What connections do I see between them? How might they work together? What does my life look like if these qualities are being lived out in me? The other is to meditate on how to be continually growing in them. Two of these qualities, self-control and love, are listed in the fruit of the Spirit, which certainly indicates this list is not just some sort of self-improvement project. We are, however, told these qualities should be increasing. To me that indicates the need to develop some patterns that help promote ongoing growth in these areas. What’s my part? What’s God’s part? I’m still pondering that.