Seven Outgrowths of Faith

Writing to the Church at large, the apostle Peter states: "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."  (II Peter 1:5-7)

Having “escape[d] from the corruption that is in the world ” (v. 4) through our “faith” in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we must now grow spiritually, conforming our nature and practice to His. We must put to use the divine nature we now possess, recognising that He has provided all the resources we need.

In this passage, Peter assumes we already have “faith,” thus here our spiritual lives must begin. He instructs us to “supplement” that faith with seven character traits: virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness  (perseverance), godliness, brotherly affection, and [agape] love.

 

There is, both in the text ( “supplement”), and in practice, a progression here. As new disciples of Jesus, we should strive for virtue, eliminating sinful actions and thoughts from our lives, as the Holy Spirit brings conviction. A commitment to growth in knowledge, first the basics of the faith and then deeper doctrines, enables us to exercise wisdom in life’s choices (and my own books, especially "Foundations of the Faith", may be found to be helpful in this matter!). A self-controlled, disciplined lifestyle exercises perseverance, even strength in the face of adversity, which in turn produces godliness - an attitude of reverence toward God that strives to please Him by developing His attitudes and priorities. Our relations with others will thus be marked by brotherly kindness toward believers and agape love (self-sacrificing, undeserved love) for all.

 

Such spiritual growth does not come without effort. He has provided all we need, but we must “make every effort” in the process, and not simply allow the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts to work on our character and habits. Any lack of spiritual growth is our fault, not His. May all who read these words be found " grow[ing] up in every way into Him Who is the Head, into Christ," (Eph.4:15-16), to Hos glory.

Kindness - it's a characteristic of love.

In the home of the Roman centurion, Cornelius, Peter shared about the Lord Jesus. One of the things that he said about Him was that "... He went about doing good ..." (Acts 10:38). Jesus was, in fact, kindness and goodness personified, for He was full of God the Holy Spirit. When the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we too will want "... to walk in the same way in which He walked." (1 John 2:6), and spend our lives ministering to others.

Let's face it - everyone can perform some deed of kindness each day. A pleasant greeting; an expression of sympathy; a visit to a shut-in person (perhaps with a couple of cakes to go with a cup of  coffee!); even a good book passed on to gladden another's heart. A lunch shared; an errand done; a word of affection, or encouragement. These are the kinds of things that are within the power of almost everyone. Larger opportunities may not come our way, but those smaller ones are almost always to hand.

I read, recently, of an Arab who was chauffeur for a lady travelling in the Holy Land. Noticing an obviously Jewish driver experiencing difficulties with his car, and having received permission from his employer, he stopped to offer assistance. It didn't take him too many minutes to realise that he didn't have the parts necessary to get the other car moving again, so, having once more sought permission, he invited the Jewish man to ride in the front with him so that he could take him into the city where he could get further help. 

After he left the Jew at a garage, the lady expressed her surprise at the kind treatment the driver had given one who, she had supposed, was his enemy! "I didn't know that Arabs were so friendly with Jews!", she remarked. The chauffeur's reply was accompanied with a joyous smile. "Things like that don't make any difference to me since I've been converted! The Lord Jesus wants us to treat everyone as we would wish to be treated."

Now I appreciate that one does not require to be a disciple of Jesus in order to be kind. However, those of us who have become identified with Him should be so filled with His grace that we constantly overflow with compassion and consideration for others. Writing to his fellow-believers in the Galatian churches, the apostle Paul declared that: "... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;" (Gal 5:22-23). I have long contended that, if the apostle had been writing using modern punctuation marks (which he did not!), there would be a colon (:) after the word "love". You see, the word "fruit"is singular, meaning that there is only one "fruit of the Spirit". The other characteristics, I suggest, are ways by which that love is expressed! You may have noticed that one of them is "kindness"!

Will you seek to express love by acts of kindness, today? Will you? 

Such a little way to go!

The knowledge that circumstances are only temporary can be very helpful. This is illustrated by the story of a girl - we'll call her Mary - who told of the exasperating time she had experienced on a bus. "A big lady came and sat next to me," she said, "taking up so much room that she forced me right against the side of the bus. To make things worse, the parcels she was carrying kept bumping me in the face, and I had to keep dodging them!" Her young brother asked a not unreasonable question: "Why didn't you tell her to move over? After all, you were there first!" Mary replied, with a wisdom beyond her years: "I didn't think that it was worthwhile. After all, we had such a little way to go together!"

The psalmist-king of Israel, David, was very conscious of that same truth when he offered the prayer recorded in I Chronicles 29.  By this time, he was about 70 years of age - something to which I can all-too-readily relate! - and had many memories of successes - and of failures; of joys - and of sorrows. But, as he prayed, he expressed his deep impression of the very brevity of life: "We are only strangers traveling through this world like our ancestors. Our time on earth is like a passing shadow, and we cannot stop it." (v.15; ERV). I am sure that, if that famous figure of old; that man described by God, in spite of all of his failures, as "... a man after My own heart;" (Acts 13:22), could have lived some segments of his life over again, he would have made different decisions, and conducted himself differently! He would have been more pure; more forgiving; more godly; less concerned with worldly achievements; with sensual pleasures; with the petty trivialities over which people quarrel. 

It was reported, today, in a newspapers, that "SCIENTISTS believe man is on the brink of having an average lifespan of 120 years after major medical breakthroughs." (Daily Express). However, even that is but a moment in comparison with eternity! We should, therefore, place the highest value on spiritual realities. My current "computer wallpaper" reminds me of "... the fruit of the Spirit ..." - "... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;" (Gal.5:22). These are the attributes that we should seek to cultivate in our relationships with others. Remember, we have such a little way to go together!

I also received the following in a regular e-mail, today: "“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.” (Luke 16:22)

Many scholars believe that the episode reported in Luke 16:19-31 actually happened, that it is a true story. If it is a parable, it is not identified as such, and it is the only one in which the name of a participant is given. Christ related the story as if it were true. But whether history or parable, we can learn much from the contrast between these two dramatically different men, their deaths and destinies.

The rich man, of course, surrounded himself with luxury (v. 19) while Lazarus struggled each day just to survive until the next poverty-filled and pain-wracked day (vv. 20-21).

No one can escape the grave, however, and in the passage of time, both died. But, rather than reducing those two different individuals to the commonality of death, their differences actually are heightened. The rich man, “being in torment” (v. 23), was aware of the comfort of Lazarus in “Abraham’s bosom” (v. 22). The interchange between the rich man and Abraham, and the timeless instruction Christ gave, are well known.

Note also the contrast between “carried” and “buried” in our text. The beggar’s body was no doubt unceremoniously dumped into a pauper’s grave, while the rich man’s corpse was placed in a costly sepulchre and his funeral attended by many friends and mourners. But look beyond the earthly spectrum. While the rich man begs for mercy and relief from torment, the poor man’s eternal spirit is “carried” (literally “carried off” or “borne away”) by a convoy of angelic beings into the presence of God, where “now he is comforted” (v. 25). For Lazarus, and indeed for all who die in the Lord, “death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54)."

Time, someone has said, is too precious to be spent; it must be well invested! How are you investing your time - today?!

The Ten Words (10)

In many ways, this last of the Ten Words (Commandments) may be seen as the most serious!   It reads: "You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbour's." (Ex 20:17).

Basically, the commandment is instructing us to control our material desires.  There is, I would contend, nothing inherently wrong with admiring that which is possessed by another; or even of wishing that I had such an item myself.  It is, however, when my desire for that item begins to take control; to eat into my being like a cancer; to become my main obsession; that I am breaking this tenth commandment.

Ultimately, to covet that which belongs to someone else is to express dissatisfaction God's provision for myself.  In the modern, materialistic, society in which so many of the world's inhabitants live, this is not a welcome thought.  Surely, if my neighbour (and cf. Luke 10:29ff) has a brand-new, top-of-the-range, car I am entitled to a similar model!  If my neighbour has just purchased a 50" flat-screen television set, am I not entitled to the same level of home entertainment?   My neighbour has a cleaning lady come in, every day, to attend to housework, and cooking.  Why should I not have the same benefit?  That, sadly, is the attitude of so many in the 'civilised', and 'developed' west!

However, I stated, above that, in many ways, this commandment may be seen as the most serious - or, at least, the breaking of it can lead to so much more.  You see, if I covet in this way, I am putting personal greed, lust, and self before God.  That is idolatry, and is the breaking of the second commandment.  However, such covetousness may lead me to break into someone's home and take the item that I desire so obsessively.  That breaks commandment number eight - I have stolen.  Regretfully, in the course of my burglary, my neighbour returns, unexpectedly.  In order to cover my tracks, I hit him with the crowbar that I used to gain entry to his home and, in so doing, I murder him.  I have now added commandment six to my growing list of transgressions! 

Having escaped to my own home without any further 'mishap', I find that, shortly afterwards, the local constabulary are questioning everyone in the street in their search for clues as to the identity of the perpetrator of this double crime.  Well, I am hardly going to confess - so I lie!  That is the breaking of the ninth commandment!   I then decide that I should, at least, put on a show and visit my neighbour's widow in order to express my shock, and offer my sympathy.  She is an attractive woman.  I return more frequently - just to be of assistance! - and, before I know it, I am engaged in an affair.  Down goes commandment number seven.  My agèd parents find out about my misdeeds, and are shocked.  This was not the way in which they had reared their little boy.  That breaks commandment number five.

Have you been counting?  I make it that I have now broken a total of six of the ten commandments - all because I coveted in the first place!

So, is there an answer?  Of course there is.  The same God Who gave us these commandments also assures us that "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (I Cor. 10:13).

Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, Paul also writes: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.  I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:16-24).

One more post on this subject - but that will have to wait until next month!

10 Rules for a Happy Day

TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I will not respond in the same way.

TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbour, co-worker, or stranger.

TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words, being certain that I do not spread gossip.

TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as I would have them do unto me" (see Luke 6:31) - with everyone I encounter.

TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy food. I will thank God for my body.

TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to God's voice!!!

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet."
(I Thessalonians 5:8)