"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8 NAS
Definitions & References:
applying: (KJV "giving") to bear into, beside; pereisphero. This is the only place this word is used in the New Testament.
diligence: haste, speed; spoude. Rom. 12:8, Heb. 6:11, Jude 3
supply: (KJV "add") to furnish abundantly; epichoregeo. This is the only place this word is used in the New Testament.
moral excellence: (KJV "virtue") force, strength (of mind or body); arete. Phil. 4:8, 2 Pet. 1:3
knowledge: gnosis; many references. 1 Cor. 1:5 - "enriched in all knowledge (note: we have all the knowledge we need - it is sufficiently supplied - we have only to attain it.)
self-control: (KJV "temperance") self-restraint, continence; egkrateia. Acts 24:25, Gal. 5:23
perseverance: (KJV patience) endurance, continuance; hupomone. Many references
godliness: piety, reverance; eusebia. Many references, especially in 1 Timothy
piety: obedient love of the will of God and zealous devotion to His service
brotherly kindness: love; philadelphia. Rom. 12:10, 1 Thes. 4:9, Heb. 13:1, 2 Pet. 1:7
love: (KJV "charity") agape. Many references.
useless: (KJV "barren") not working; argos. This is the only verse using this word in the New Testament
unfruitful: without fruit; akarpos. Matt. 13:12, Mk 4:19, 1 Cor. 14:14, Eph. 5:11, Titus 3:14
Taking these definitions into account, here are some excerpts from my journal giving my "full color" understanding of these verses.
Because I have these amazing promises of God that have made me a part of who He is, I have to bear down urgently - giving all of my strength to hasten an abundant supply of force and strength of my mind and body. This abundance of strength will lead to disciplines that bring knowledge of the truths that have been sufficiently given to me in Christ. This strength will develop self-restraint, which flows from the knowledge of Christ. This self-control strengthens my perseverance - enables me to endure and continue on because I turn away from those things that feed my flesh.
My perseverance produces godliness - which is piety- an obedient love of the will of God and zealous devotion to His service. Perseverance produces REAL love - actively loving through obedience and devotion. This devotion - this active love - pours out as brotherly kindness and love - Philadelphia!
The quest of learning to love as Christ loves produces fruit resulting from bearing down into the prior exercises of my faith.
When I think of this bearing down, I, of course, think of childbirth. The exhausting work of bringing forth the amazing gift the Lord has created for me to enjoy. My body will do this work - I have no choice - the gift will come. I can fear it or embrace and join the work my body is doing. When I join in, my labor is effective, accomplishing what my body is created to do.
In this same way, the Spirit of God is at work in me, laboring to accomplish God's purpose, bringing forth His good gifts. When I join Him in this work, when I bear down into this labor, there is so much I gain, leading to the reward. I gain strength of my mind and body. I gain the knowledge of God. I gain self-control, enabling me to endure and press on. I gain a beautiful understanding of and ability to actively love my Lord, thereby bringing forth the gift of brotherly love that is the true mark of a follower or Christ. Just as birthing a baby ushers me into Motherhood, true, active, serving, Christ-love ushers me in to the Brotherhood of Believers.
This is a beautiful analogy. Labor begins and increases in intensity. These qualities must also increase as my efforts increase. As I progress in this labor, as I join the work the Spirit is doing, I bear fruit. I bring forth the gifts of God. I am not barren. I am working efficiently, as God created me to do. I bring forth the amazing gifts - fruit - that the Lord has created for me to enjoy and share.
Beautiful, Lord! Thank you for this. Not only does it give me a uniqe perspective on your work in my life, I find a new appreciation and gratitude for the physical process of childbirth. As you know, I have struggled to embrace and treasure that call on my life as I should.
"For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'" Isaiah 41:13
