In Your Faith Supply Virtue

Virtue
From a lesson by Alan Hitchen
2 Peter 1:5-7
"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love"

In Your Faith Supply Virtue

As we explore God’s great power and might as exhibited in His grace, mercy, and regenerative power. We see that if we draw near to God, He exerts great redemptive power in drawing near to us. This is true in how we draw near to the kingdom (hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized) and how God draws near to us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. It is also true of how we grow as a Christian. During the next few lessons, we are going to explore Peter’s opening comments in his final letter. We will spend one lesson on each of the seven things the Holy Spirit asks us to add to our faith as how we go about “adding on our part.” with “diligence.”

Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; (ASV)2 Pet 1:5

If we see this as an extension of how we draw near to God and He draws near to us, then we will understand why Peter can conclude this list with the things he does(2 Pet 1:8-11):

God draws near to us with a promise that if we “have,” “do not lack” and “do” these things we:

will not be barren

will not forget the cleansing of old sins.

will not be unfruitful

will make our call and election sure,

will not be shortsighted, even to blindness,

will never stumble;

will have an entrance abundantly supplied into the everlasting kingdom

The first thing we are to add to our faith in our desire to draw near to God so He draw near to us in the manner described above is virtue. With an understanding of this term, we can know just as easily as we can know whether we have obeyed the gospel whether or not we are drawing near to God in the manner He has prescribed.

Virtue in Every Day Common Life

You can generally tell what someone is interested in by what they talk about, how they use their time and money, what they read, who their friends are. When someone truly enjoys something, they completely immerse themselves in it. They spend money on it, plan vacations around it, read about it, and talk to others about it. When someone is really interested in or enjoys something, there is an inexhaustible supply of enthusiasm for it.

The Holy Spirit reveals that it is this very quality that we must add to our faith. it is “virtue,” “moral excellence,” or “goodness.” Carefully ponder it’s use in Greek culture:

arete... can refer to excellence of achievement, to mastery in a specific field, on the one side, or to endowment with higher power on the other, or often to both together. ... The subject of achievement may be lands, animals, objects, parts of the body, but mostly it is man....” (Kittel, TDNT Vol 1 p 457-461).

“Virtue” describes the efforts people put forth to achieve “excellence” or “mastery” in any field of endeavor. Our culture may use different words to describe it, but it certainly has the same attitude toward such things. A trip to a county fair will convince anyone that “animals” and “objects” are areas that some seek “mastery in a specific field” or “excellence of achievement” in. They offer a blue ribbon for animals, cooking, produce, skills, A walk down a magazine aisle shows that man can hardly contain his desire for excellence. There are tips for mastering the body, buying the best products, etc.

Most people love to strive for “excellence of achievement” and “mastery in a specific field.” They just select different areas in which to do it. Students select a 4.0 grade point. Sports players select their position. Homeowners choose their yard, exterior or interior of their house, hobbyists put it into their hobby, collectors into their collection, It doesn’t matter what it is, when we are truly interested in something, we put the time, energy, and money necessary for excellence.

The Holy Spirit pulls this word out of its generally worldly setting and asks us to make this the first thing we add to our faith. If we have done already done this, then our desire for “excellence of achievement” and “mastery in a specific field.” will center on spiritual things.

Every command of God becomes an exciting challenge. Our service to our Lord holds our energy, enthusiasm, and zeal. We will spend money on it, plan our vacations around it and in every other way manifest that it has captivated our hearts and minds. It is what we think about, what we talk about and the basis upon which we choose our friends. Virtue will affect:

Who we have as our friends. I Cor 15:33

How we choose to be entertained. II Cor 6:17-18; 7:1

How often we attend. Heb 10:23-24

How sincerely we pray. I Thess 5:17

How we view the eldership. I Tim 3:1

How hard we strive against sin. Heb 12:4

It will bring intensity, excitement and zeal into all the commands of God if it is added to faith!

... Sell All That He Has...

In the parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price (Mt. 13:44-46), Jesus describes the internal dynamic of virtue. In each instance it made perfect sense for them to sacrifice everything they already had for what they knew had infinitely more value. The treasure and the pearl were worth much more than what they had to sell.

Once someone has set their heart on achievement, mastery, or excellence in any field of endeavor, virtue takes over and brings them to the goal. When one is preparing for the Olympic games, it is virtue that leads them to make all necessary sacrifices to compete. Once they set the goal, virtue brings the determination to bring it to completion. Virtue is the energy of greatness in academics, sports, or on the battlefield. Virtue creates heros, gold medalists, and champions. God wants His children to put forth this same effort, enthusiasm and energy in being His servants. We are only setting ourselves up for a rebuke or a charge of unfaithfulness or lukewarmness if we put more of our efforts into a hobby or job, than we do for what our Lord asks.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Cor 9:24-27

The degree of intensity with which we shift our efforts from this world to the next manifests how much virtue we have added to our faith. It always takes sacrifice and labor to become excellent. Paul leads the way in virtue. At conversion, he shook himself loose from all his former pursuits and interests and put it all into being a Christian (Phil 3:7-8) After leaving them behind, he never looked back with longing. They were still rubbish many years later. In this way Paul “sold all that he had and bought the field.” He wanted “excellence” and “mastery.” (Phil 3:12-14) This is what virtue added to faith looks like. Do we “have this mind” in us? Do we “walk by the same rule” that Paul had set for himself. Have we searched through the congregation for those manifest this quality of virtue and the quest for excellence and mastery and made them the example we want to pattern our lives after (Phil 3:15-17)

Moses too exhibits virtue in Heb 11:24-26 He looked at the reward, not the sacrifices. This is what virtue always does. When one looks at the benefits they do not feel the sacrifices. When they look at the sacrifices, they lose sight of the benefits. Living the life of Christ requires sacrifice, becoming a mature Christian requires a pressing on toward the goal. The only way we can do all this is to add virtue to our faith. The only way to add virtue is to believe in the promises of God. Do you?

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