July 29, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        The list of ingredients here in 1:5-7 deal with the whole of the Christian life. Peter begins his letter with the charge to be certain of our foundations and now he digs into how we should grow from there. What specific steps we can take to grow and add to our faith in order to make our calling and election sure (1:10)?

I. First: a Christian grows by being diligent to add virtue and knowledge to their faith.

        A. Getting a handle on a couple of things Peter says right at the         beginning of verse 5. Define and explain: “for this very reason; giving,         diligence, and add.”

        B. Ingredient #1: virtue.

                1. Not “goodness” here – it’s virtue in the sense of “moral                 power,” or “moral energy.”

                2. A lack of this ingredient is why so many people struggle to                 grow in the Christian life.

        C. Ingredient #2: knowledge.

                1. “Knowledge” here refers to “insight, understanding, or                 enlightenment.”

                2. The diligence Peter is talking about, the zeal and the energy                 with which we are to seek the virtuous moral energy he refers to                 needs to be governed and controlled and qualified by                 intelligence, understanding and enlightenment.

                3. How do we add “knowledge?” Consider what we watch;                 what we read; how we spend our time; what we fill our minds                 with; etc.

II. Second: a Christian grows by being diligent to add self-control and perseverance to their faith.

        A. Ingredient #3: self-control or temperance.

                1. The mandate to watch ourselves – that’s what self-control                 means.

                2. Always remember self-discipline, always remember the battle                 that is within us and purpose to be more and more temperate:                 “Mortify, therefore, your members that are on the earth.”

        B. Ingredient #4: perseverance.

                1. Perseverance is “patient endurance” – plodding.

                2. Patient endurance critical in the life of a Christian – examples.

III. Finally: a Christian grows by being diligent to add godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to their faith.

        A. Ingredient #5: godliness.

        B. Ingredient #6: brotherly kindness.

        Compare "φιλαδελφια" (filadelfia) and "αγαπε" (agape)

        C. Ingredient #7: "αγαπε" (agape) love.

Conclusion

        Think of these 7 ingredients as ingredients in a bottle of medicine. They are like a mixture, in which the efficacy of the whole depends upon each ingredient being duly proportioned and yet intimately bound with all the others. Every ingredient is important and has its own particular action and every ingredient helps the others.