Judges 7. Gideon, part 31: The divine nature and supplying virtue.

Title: Judges 7. Gideon, part 31: The divine nature and supplying virtue.      

 

Announcements:

 

2PE 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

 

2PE 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge [epignosis = complete appropriation of all truth and unreserved acquiescence to God's will] of God and of Jesus our Lord;

 

2PE 1:3 seeing that His divine power [saving mankind in Christ] has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 

2PE 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

 

2PE 1:5 Now for this very reason [for this very cause] also, applying all diligence [spoudazo: intense effort], in your faith supply moral excellence [virtue], and in your moral excellence, knowledge;

 

2PE 1:6 and in your knowledge, self-control [holding passions and desires in check], and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness;

 

2PE 1:7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love [agape].

 

Faith: believe divine character and who you are.

Virtue: fruit of the Spirit.

Knowledge: more truth.

Self-control: holding passions and desires in check.

 

Perseverance: remaining under trial and testing in a way that glorifies God.

Godliness: worship well or properly.

Brotherly kindness: affection, fondness, and charity for royal family.

Agape love: sacrifice of life for the benefit of others.

 

This is a list similar to Paul's fruit of the Spirit. It has slight differences since with Paul the Holy Spirit is focusing on the inner war of the flesh and the Spirit, but with Peter the emphasis is the election of the believer by God and how that election is important in the whole purpose of God for human history.

 

In Paul's list of the fruit of the Spirit, agape is first, while in Peter's list here it is last. Paul gives a list, while Peter gives a progression of maturity as one virtue's maturity lays the groundwork for the maturity of the others, or as he states, one supplies the other. Hence in Peter's list, the greatest virtue should be last. Paul does the same thing in 1CO 13:13 when he states, "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

 

We should look at the list as a whole, just as we do the fruit of the Spirit. This is one life for us; the life that is Christ. All of these virtues are connected. They have the same source in God and God is one and seamless. Put them all together in your soul as life flowing in the mind and heart and pouring forth into overt life.

 

When we say sacrifice of life we don't mean the physical life, which aspect of the will of God is rare. We mean those things that you may legitimately do or say, but you deny them in order to benefit another. This is the law of love and the law of Christ.

 

1CO 8:9 But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

 

1CO 8:10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

 

1CO 8:11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

 

1CO 8:12 And thus, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

 

1CO 8:13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my brother to stumble.

 

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ROM 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

 

ROM 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

 

ROM 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

 

ROM 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

 

ROM 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

 

ROM 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not.

 

ROM 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

 

ROM 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

 

ROM 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

 

So we summarize up to this point:

 

2PE 1:5 Now for this very reason…

 

What reason?

 

2PE 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 

2PE 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

 

2PE 1:5 Now for this very reason [for this very cause] also, applying all diligence

 

Spoudazo: to make haste, be eager, give diligence, to do one's best, to take care, to exert one's self.

 

For this reason we should be all of these things towards the qualities of Christ as Peter listed them and added to that all the rest of the qualities of Christ listed in the NT. Spoudazo is on us. We must make haste and be eager and exert our energy and will towards the characteristics of Christ, which we have been designed as new creatures with a divine nature to perform. In fact, this is our sole function. All other things are secondary and tertiary issues.

 

"applying" - pareisfe,rw[pareisphero; aorist active] = bring in beside; add on your part. "Add on your part every effort (do your very best) to supply virtue to your faith and knowledge to your virtue and…

 

It cannot be overemphasized how Peter uses this phrasing to entreat us to bring every effort to bear to add virtue to our faith and knowledge and self-control and perseverance and godliness and brotherly love and agape love. Pareishpero is active in voice and so the believer is responsible.

 

How does the believer expend every effort under grace? He chooses to learn doctrine and live doctrine and depend on the Spirit despite every temptation and obstacle.

 

He chooses to live in God's gift of regeneration despite every opposition. He chooses to rely on God the Holy Spirit despite every scream of the flesh to be independent. He chooses to cast every care upon the Lord despite every false system of relief offered to him from the flesh and the world. He doesn't make the power or the wisdom. These are gifts from God. He makes every effort to know them, understand them, and utilize them.

 

It is in choosing faith that every effort is expended.