As Christians, we should never be content with our level of maturity in Christ.  Our goal should be to always grow in Christ.  In 2 Peter 1, urges us to do this very thing.

2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV)
⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith…

While faith is one of the most important qualities we can have as Christians, faith alone is not enough.  We should strive to regularly add to our faith, and Peter gives us some instructions concerning what we should add (2 Peter 1:5-7).

We must add virtue to our faith.  This word often refers to moral excellence, but here it points to having the courage and confidence to live righteously and stand up for Jesus.  We must not only believe, but we also must have the boldness to live by our beliefs.  Growth in Christ comes by actively carrying out our mission to glorify God and spread the tenets of our faith.  That takes virtue.

We must add knowledge to our faith and virtue. As they say, knowledge is power.  Knowledge gives us the power to live according to God’s will (Matthew 7:21), guard against false teachers (1 John 4:1-2), stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-17), and grow in Christ.  Peter wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).  The word produces knowledge, and knowledge leads to growing in the Lord.

We must add self-control to our faith, virtue, and knowledge.  Self-control is the ability to take a grip of oneself.  Have you ever heard the saying “Get a grip?”  That is what self-control is.  With all the sinful things that surround us, there is no way to grow in Christ without being in control of self.  Self-control is about discipline, and spiritual growth takes discipline.  For example, growing in Christ takes time.  It takes time to study, pray, employ talents, etc.  Self-control helps us to manage our time and put ourselves in a position to make spiritual progress.

We must add steadfastness to our faith, virtue, knowledge, and self-control.  The word steadfastness refers to our ability to abide under pressure. It has to do with having staying power.  Without staying power, our labor for the Lord is in danger of being in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).  Two aspects of steadfastness help with growth.  First, the ability not to quit when the going gets tough.  If we give up at the first sign of trouble, we will never fully mature in Christ.  Sooner or later, we will probably fall away from Christ altogether.  Second, being consistent in Christ goes a long way in helping us cultivate our talents and thereby grow as we should.

We must add godliness to our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, and steadfastness. Vine says that godliness “denotes that piety which is characterized by a God-ward attitude and does that which is well-pleasing to Him.”  Godliness, then, begins with proper thinking and ends with proper living.  These are not only imperative to growth but will enhance our growth.  If we consistently think right and live right, we will, without exception, grow.

We must add brotherly affection to our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, and godliness.  Loving one another in Christ is not optional, it is a divine directive.  The Hebrews writer said, “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).  I have often pointed out that we cannot be right with God and wrong with our brethren in Christ.  If you want to maintain fellowship with God, you must love your brethren.

We must add love to our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, and brotherly affection.  Loving brethren is not enough.  We must love everyone.  The love here is agape.  It is the highest kind of love and is unconditional.  It always acts in the best interest of others.  It is active in nature and, therefore, lends itself to growth.

So, let us all grow in Christ by adding these qualities to our faith.  Peter tells us that if we abound in these characteristics, we will neither be barren nor unfruitful.  Instead, we will grow stronger and stronger in Christ, and that should be the goal of all Christians.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.