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Covenant Love Discipleship Lesson Twelve BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION OF GODLY CHARACTER by Samuel Jeanrenaud
1. The Bible teaches us that we are to add to our faith Godly character.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience Godliness; and to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” II Peter 1:5-7
Notice that Peter tells us that we are to “give all diligence”, that is, pay full attention with a complete heart, mind, and soul focus on adding to our faith.
2. What are we to add to our faith?
A. Add to your faith virtue. What is virtue? Virtue is Godly character and a life of holiness. Hebrews 1:9 tells us to “love righteousness and hate iniquity.” So, virtue is a passion for a Godly life by loving and cleaving to righteousness and hating and shunning iniquity. Job was such a man. The Bible tells us that he was “perfect and upright, who feared God and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1
B. Add to your virtue, knowledge. We are exhorted to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 3:18) Daniel tells us that “those that know their God their God will be strong and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)
C. Add to knowledge, temperance (verse 6). Paul explains temperance in Philippians 4:5. “Let your moderation be known to all men.” So, one should live a balanced and controlled life.
D. Add to temperance, patience (verse 6). Patience is the ability to wait without demanding instant gratification. Patience is also part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and is a characteristic of love (I Corinthians 13).
E. Add to your patience, Godliness (verse 6). Godliness is allowing the nature of God to shine through us. Jesus said we are “light and salt” (Matthew 5:13-14) Light dispels darkness, and salt has a preservative effect.
F. And to Godliness, brotherly kindness (verse 7). Brotherly kindness is loving the brethren. John tells us, “Herein we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” “He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” – I John 3:14 Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” - John 13:35
G. And to brotherly kindness, charity (verse 7). We know that “the greatest of these is charity” (I Corinthians 13:13). So, love is the greatest characteristic of being like God. Because God is love, He wants us to be most loving.
a. Benefits of building Godly character
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that he shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:8
So now Peter tells us these things (Godly character) must be in us, and it must abound. If they are in us and abound, we shall “neither be barren nor unfruitful”. Which means, that we are going to bear fruit to please God. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). Bearing fruit is a mark of a true disciple.
If we don’t build quality character (verse 9), “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
He concludes by saying, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:10).
b. Further Study
See the following page for supplemental character traits and references.
Quality Trait Reference Appreciation I Thessalonians 5:18 Commitment Psalm 37:5 Concern Galatians 6:2 Confidence Philippians 4:13 Consideration Philippians 2:4 Consistency I Corinthians 15:58 Cooperative Psalm 133:1 Courageous Deuteronomy 31:6 Determination I Corinthians 2:2 Efficient Ephesians 5:16 Equitable Proverbs 1:3 Fairness Matthew 7:12 Fearlessness II Timothy 1:7 Friendliness Proverbs 18:24 Honesty II Corinthians 8:21 Kindness/Mercifulness Luke 6:36 Observant Mark 14:38 Optimistic Romans 8:25 Peacefulness John 16:33 Perseverance Galatians 6:9 Prudence Proverbs 14:15 Purposefulness Psalm 119:2 Respectfulness I Thessalonians 5:12-13 Submissiveness Hebrews 13:17 Tactfulness Colossians 4:6 Temperance Titus 2:12
Conclusion David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10).
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