Faith, Virtue and Knowledge

2 Peter 1:3a,5
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge…”

We have been empowered and anointed, we use that power and anointing to increase our faith. We have all been given all the faith we need to move mountains, the problem is we are still shoveling the base of a mole hill with a garden shovel. We do not realize the power that has been given to us.

How do we exercise and grow our faith? We put our faith into action. Is it scary, no, but we will know if we are faking it or using it correctly pretty quick.

What is virtue as referred to in this passage? It is moral excellence. We could say that it is the fruits of the Spirit on one hand; “…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23)

On the other hand, we could say it is having a proper mindset; “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

What does Peter mean by gaining knowledge? This is Godly knowledge, which is gained by getting to know God better, applied with working knowledge, which is derived from first-hand personal experiences, connected to application-knowledge which comes from putting our knowledge into action.

Simply put; when we put our faith to work and follow God closely, we gain the moral excellence through our walk with Him. The personal and spiritual knowledge that we receive along that journey is priceless! At that point, navigating this world and being who God intended us to be is effortless.

Prayer:
God, let us realize and use the power and anointing we have been given to walk this newness of life. Help us to use the faith that we have been given. In Your name Lord Jesus, Amen!