2 Peter 1:5-8  “ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue[goodness, moral excellence] and virtue with knowledge[understanding, insight], ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with perseverance [patience, steadfastness,], and steadfastness with godliness[devotion to God], ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection[kindness], and brotherly affection with love.  v8  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (emphasis mine in brackets by using translations from AMP, CEV, NASB, NIV, NKJV)

Virtue[moral excellence] – Knowledge[understanding] – Self-Control – Perseverance[patience] – Godliness – Brotherly Kindness – Love     

These seven qualities are what helps us grow stronger in our faith and is pleasing in God’s sight.  It is our guide to living in God’s grace and in His presence every day.  Our faith is trusting in God’s truth and allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us to be a light in an unbelieving world.  When we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s ways and His will we become more Christlike.  We become participants in God’s divine nature.

Peter explains clearly why this is possible in verses 3-4  "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption[depravity] that is in the world through lust[sinful desires]”     Depravity is the innate human nature of moral corruption and wickedness due to original sin of disobedience."    

The Apostle Paul also explains how we can experience and achieve the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:1    Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

v16   I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

v22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh with its sinful passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Along with the qualities that Peter is exhorting us to live by and strive for, we then can add what Paul tells us is what the fruit, result and the benefit of walking in the Spirit will be. 

Love – Joy – Peace – Patience – Kindness – Goodness – Faithfulness – Gentleness – Self-Control

May I live in the grace of God and in His presence every day.  Help me to walk in your light and in your truth for you are the spirit of life.  May you enlighten my heart to know your loving ways and to do Your will that is pleasing in your sight (Thy will be done) Help me see the things I am not seeing and help me understand the things I am not understanding.  Allow your words of truth to comfort and strengthen me so that I will live and walk in your Spirit.  So thankful and grateful for all that you are and all that you have done and will continue to do for me every day.  All glory and praise be to God !  Amen

God wants us to live in His grace, in His presence and to rely on His strength putting our hope in His never-ending love.  Let us open our hearts and minds to His everlasting mercy and be thankful always praising and exalting Him in and for everything that we have.  May we trust in God’s truth, His wisdom and be led and fed by His Holy Spirit.

Start today – Don’t delay and change your life - Let the power of God’s words speak to you and be filled with a peace and joy beyond measure.  

Find additional inspiration and encouragement found in the books “Finding Calm in the Storm of Everyday Living” or “Heart and Soul” either going to Amazon directly or hitting home at the top of this blog and scrolling down to the books.