What does an active faith look like?  How can we keep ourselves from falling away from our faith, and rest in the assurance of our salvation?  I love the passage of scripture below because God gives us an answer.

2 Peter 1:5-11 – “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.  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.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.  Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.  For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

These are seven virtues of a Christian life that are interconnected.  Faith is the foundation, and love is the end.  In between there are a number of marks that we can look for in our own life to determine whether or not we are moving forward or backwards in our walk with Christ.  (You are always moving forward or backwards – a coasting Christian is moving backwards)  The goal of this passage of scripture is your joy in assurance of your salvation and eternal inheritance in Jesus (vs 10&11).

In each of the following messages we’re going to take one virtue at a time and walk through how they are interconnected, and what God wants us to pursue for our joy in relationship with Him.  Today, my exhortation is to focus on the foundation, our faith in Jesus.  Each of us are imperfect sinners, but we have a perfect God who loves us, and desires our eternal good.  Romans 5:8 – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  When God reveals the shortcomings of our heart in scripture, do not be discouraged – that is the love of God overflowing to you, because where we are weak, God is strong.  So we can run to God and ask Him to grow our hearts closer to him, knowing He will surely do it.  Hebrews 4:14-16 – “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Grace and Peace,

Adam