Lately ‘virtue’ has been rattling around in my head. Sometimes I take the message personally as a ‘reproof’ or ‘discipline’ from God that somehow I am lacking, perhaps even offensively so. On this topic I can admit, I am woefully lacking, sadly shallow but submissive as always to the correction from God our Father for HE disciplines the one HE loves. As I did my research and contemplated ‘virtue’ as used in scripture, as inspired by God, as spelled out by the apostles I thought perhaps it might be fun to share it.
First up, Peter speaks to the Christian:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to [fn] his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, [fn] 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 1:2-8
Ponder, how does one ‘supplement’ one’s faith with virtue? First, one would have to understand ‘what is virtue’? The Greek for virtue used in this particular passage of the Bible has the following meaning:
1) a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action
a) virtue, moral goodness
2) any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity
Extract from www.blueletterbible.org, Lexicon
Definitions of moral excellence on the Web:
- virtue: the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Curiously, this sentiment is stated for us in scripture: “Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.-James 4:17
So, moral goodness must accompany our faith! Moral goodness is being able to recognize what is right, is doing what is right and conversely, not doing wrong. Wow! That is quite the challenge, or is it. It would seem from looking at our world ‘right’ has a sliding scale of meanings. Extreme examples of what some believe to be right while others believe it morally wrong, would for example be ‘abortion’ or ‘euthanasia’. We live in a society which has moved far away from the tenets of the Bible, tenets clearly outlined through out its pages with well articulated accounts of what is RIGHT. Is it up to us to define what is right or does God provide HIS take on right along with the admonition to ‘supplement’ our faith with virtue? Here it is:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. – Phil 4:8
That is quite a tall order…truth, nobility, justice, purity, love, encouragement, virtue, praiseworthiness. Can we tackle at least one for a little while just to get used to the feeling? How about truth? I am reminded of the movie “LIAR, LIAR” where the central character was forced to tell the truth at all times. Sometimes the truth was painful, sometimes comical, all times truth, at least as he saw it, and when it was over truth became a reality for him as it was promoted with positive reinforcement through improved relationships with those he interacted with, especially his son. Not that Hollywood is the model for emulation of what is right; simply the premise has some relevance in every walk of life we enjoy.
So let us plan this. Let’s plan on dissecting this couple of scriptures over the next few weeks and see where it takes us. As we are reminded by Peter’s words above, in order for us to be partakers in the divine nature we must supplement to our faith with virtue!
Contemplate: Nobility
