'For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love. If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who lacks them is blind and shortsighted, forgetful of the cleansing of his past sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble. For, in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you (2 Pt. 1:5-11).'
Christians should increase their faith in God by practicing virtue if they are to attain the spiritual fullness to which God has called them. Virtues are necessary for attaining knowledge of Christ. The virtues of faith and love are most important to our spiritual lives. Our internal spiritual excellence must be reflected in our behavior. Sound doctrine should lead to virtue, self-control, endurance, devotion to God and love. Christians who truly believe will be fruitful and effective. If Christians are lacking in the virtues (vv. 5-6) they will be blind and forgetful that they were once sinners and became partakers in God’s divine nature.
Almighty God, grant us the grace to build our spiritual lives on prayer and on reflection of your Word, and to live the virtues in the way you want us to live them. Help us to increase in faith, hope and love and to reflect these virtues in the way we live our lives. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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