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Practice and grow in obedience daily
The second indispensable thing necessary to validate the existence of true saving faith is that the believer must endeavor to put the rules of godliness and righteousness into practice, and to grow67 in the daily exercise of them, as Peter shows forth: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5–8 ESV). In this passage,
To obtain valid evidence of precious faith in themselves, the Apostle teaches believers to endeavor to add to their faith seven other sister graces:
The first is virtue, or the active exercise and practice of all moral duties, so that faith may not be idle, but put forth itself to work.
The second is knowledge, which serves to furnish faith with information concerning the truth to be believed, and to furnish virtue with direction about what duties are to be done and how to go about them prudently.
The third is self-control, which serves to moderate the use of all pleasant things, that one may not be clogged with them nor be made unfit for any duty to which he is called.
The fourth is steadfastness, which serves to moderate a person’s emotions when he meets with any difficulty or unpleasant thing. Steadfastness thus keeps one from becoming weary of the pains required in doing well, from dejection when the Lord chastises him, and from murmuring when the Lord hampers his plans.
The fifth is godliness, which may keep him steadfast in all holy duties of Christianity and means of grace, inward and outward. By these, he may be furnished from God for all other duties which he must do.
The sixth is brotherly affection, which keeps up esteem and affection for all the household of faith and for the image of God in everyone, wherever they are.
The seventh is love, which keeps the heart in readiness to do good to all people whoever they are, whenever God should offer an occasion.
It is true that there is much corruption and infirmity in the godly. Yet the Apostle commands all people to honestly endeavor and do their best as they are able to join all these graces one to another, and to grow in the measure of exercising them. “Make every effort,” he said, “to supplement your faith,” and so on.
He assures all who profess to be believers that they will profit from obeying the directions in this passage. They will also thus profitably prove the soundness of their own faith. If they lack these graces, they are assured that they will be found blind deceivers of themselves “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (2 Peter 1:9 ESV).
67 The importance of the duty of growth in grace must not be underestimated. A disciple is one who learns from his Master. One who does not grow in knowledge and skill in the Christian life is thus no disciple.
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