For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
2 Peter 1:5-7
Each of these qualities should be increasing as you continue on your adventure with the Lord. Through the different events and trials in your faith, God develops these traits in you. He develops these traits so that you can be effective and productive in your relationship with God (2 Peter 1:8).
God doesn’t just want believers to be in His kingdom, He wants them to be active participants in His kingdom. Some of the things he’s called believers to do are as follows:
- share the gospel and train new believers (Matthew 28:19-20)
- show love to everyone (John 13:34-35, Luke 6:27-28)
- show mercy (Luke 6:36)
The Holy Spirit helps believers with these things and impart these qualities to believers so they can be effective. It all starts with faith, which is just believing and trusting in God. Jesus says that even faith, as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
Take time to reflect and assess where you are in your faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Do not worry about how you compare with others, but where you stand with God (Galatians 6:4-5). May your faith and these qualities ever be increasing.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
