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Seven Steps:
Step One: Diligent Faith Needs Virtue
Peter wrote, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue.” Other
translations and commentaries translate the word virtue as “goodness”
or “moral excellence.” But the context shows that we need to see this
goodness in a basic form. It has to be a form of goodness that precedes
the following steps—knowledge, self-control and others—which Peter
went on to add.
Peter reached into his pagan culture for a general, nontechnical,
basic word for “goodness” and grabbed hold of the word virtue. Here
in verse 5 it seems to take the form of good intentions. This meaning
fits with the rest of Scripture, which shows us that true faith will
result in a desire to do the will of God, to please Him, and to do
what is right. And isn’t that where moral excellence and real goodness
begin? You have to want to do something before you can do it.
This is the kind of “virtue” or inclination toward goodness that every
parent, teacher, and employer looks for. They look for a child, a
student, an employee who wants to do the right thing.
Without that willingness of heart, there can be no further instruction,
no deepening of relationship, no maturing of trust. Unless a person
has a genuine desire to do the right thing, all progress will come
to a stop.
Sounds very basic, doesn’t it? But that’s the point Peter wanted us
to remember. The first step of diligent faith is to want to move in
the direction of goodness. And if that’s the case, how are you doing
with this most basic issue? Are you pursuing virtue with a passion?
Are you pressing for good intentions with all due diligence? Are you
taking seriously the words of our Lord: “Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6).
How about it? Do you want to do what is right?
•Do you want to please God?
•Do you want to walk with Christ?
•Do you want to be led by the Spirit?
•Do you want to overcome your habitual sins?
•Do you want to spend more time in the Bible?
•Do you want to spend more time in prayer?
Without good intentions like these, you will never get anywhere in
the Christian life. At the same time, however, we know how incomplete
good intentions are by themselves. If this is all we have, then all
we have is a soft start. That’s why Peter went on to give us the next
step.
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©1986,
2000 RBC Ministries —Grand Rapids, MI 49555 Printed in
USA
Used with permission.
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