Following JesusНамуна

ADD TO YOUR FAITH EXCELLENCE

Peter in this portion of his epistle gives a gradation of disciplines for followers of Jesus to practice. It forms a good sequence to see how we are developing as followers of Jesus.

The first step is to add to your faith virtue. The word translated virtue is "arete" which can be translated as moral goodness or excellence. The root meaning of the word is to be what you are meant to be. So, my walk as a follower of Jesus begins with living as I am meant to live as a Christian. It means adding excellence in doing good to my faith and belief in Jesus.

The second step is to add to your virtue, knowledge. Knowledge in the Hebrew thought world is usually experiential rather than academic. It is in the process of living the life of excellence that I am meant to live that I experience the presence of God in my life. I begin to know what it means to have Jesus in my life.

The third step is to add self-control arising from the experience of Jesus in my life. The word in the Greek means a control over my desires. When I have Jesus with me, I turn away from worldly desires and have self-control in my life. Material things do not control me. This sets me free to be a blessing to people.

The fourth step is to add steadfastness or patience. The meaning in the context is to be patient in difficult situations. Situations are usually difficult because of threat to material things. When I have Jesus, I do not need them and so can be patient in difficult situations.

The fifth step is to add godliness to our character. When we practice these steps in our life we become like Jesus and this is the godliness we need to manifest. The other aspect to this word is that we have reverence for God based on our experience of Him in our life.

The final step is to add brotherly love and agape love. The Christian life needs to be marked by sincere love for people.

Considering that Jesus commands us to love people as the basis of our faith in Him, it would mean that these disciplines are mandatory for any follower of Jesus so that he can have the required love for people as part of his Christian life. The aim of the disciplines is not just a legalistic discipline that I follow in my life, but a means of perfecting love in my life and needs to be the underlying purpose behind each step.

Does love define your lifestyle?