and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness;And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness;
3 sermons cite this verse
… For this reason, for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, mutual affection, and to mutual affection, love. Look at verse eight. For if you possess these things, you pass the test. no that's how many of us live but that's not what it says for if you possess these things these qualities in increasing measure i mean translation for you that doesn't mean can you put a check in a box that at some point you ever had mutual affection or at some point you ever had love in your heart or at some point you attain some knowledge or at some point you had what? No, that's not what he's saying here. He's saying, for if you possess these qualities, and if they are increasing in measure, God's plan for you today, God's plan for me today, is to grow. To grow into the likeness of his son. To be conformed into the image of Christ. …
He's saying, you are secure by the promises of God. You are secure by the power of God. You are already a partaker of the divine nature. You possess eternal life now. You have escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. But you must add to that reality these qualities, moral excellence, which is a word for virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Why? Verse 8, "'For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If these things are characteristic of your life, and they are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. What it's to say is this. If these things are characteristic of your life, you possess the true knowledge of Christ. Your salvation is the real thing. On the other hand, verse 9, he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. …
God hath chosen you not merely to be his subjects and servants, but to be his children, to be his peculiar treasure; he has chosen you to be blessed for ever in the enjoyment of himself, and to dwell with him in his glory. He has given you from all eternity to his Son, to be united unto him, to become the spouse of Christ. He has chosen you that you might be holy and without blame, that you might have your filth taken away, and that you might have the image of God put upon you, and that your soul might be adorned, to be the bride of his glorious and dear Son. What cause for love is here! Thirdly. If believers are a chosen generation, let all labour earnestly to make their election sure. If true Christians are chosen of God, this should induce all earnestly to inquire whether they are true Christians. 2 Peter i. 5, 6, 7. “And besides 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.” 2. True Christians are a distinct race of men; they are of a peculiar descent or pedigree, different from the rest of the world. This is implied in their being called a generation. There are three significations of the word generation in the Scriptures. Sometimes it means, as is its meaning in common use, a class of persons among a people, or in the world, that are born together, or so nearly together, that the time of their being in the different stages of the age of man is the same. They shall be young persons, middle aged, and old together; or they shall be together upon the stage of action. All that are together upon the face of the earth, or the stage of action, are very often accounted as one generation. Thus when God threatened that not one of the Israelites of that generation should see the good land, it is meant, all from twenty years old and upwards. …