Monthly Archive for April, 1998

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2 Peter 1:7b

Published on April 20, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love”
 
to godliness, brotherly kindness
 
The first five foundational elements for building character relate to God, the last two relate to others.
 
We add “brotherly kindness” to our faith. We take the name “Philadelphia” from the Greek word meaning “brotherly love”–philadelphos. Philadelphia is formed from two Greek words meaning: brother and rapport love. The idea is that we are to have rapport with our brothers in Christ. Friendship is the idea.
The New Testament never uses “brotherly kindness” in a command to love God. It is used of a command to men to love God (1 Corinthians 16:22). When commanded to love God, the next word in our verse for love (agape) is the term of use (Mathew 22:37; Luke 10:27; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 8:3; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 4:21).
“Brotherly kindness” means love that is genuine and without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5; James 3:17; 1 Peter 1:22). Hence, this person lacks pretense or show. There is no prejudice in this love. It is free from bias.
The Bible does not require us to have rapport love for every believer. The opposite is true in some instances. We are to separate ourselves from those who walk in the flesh (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). Christians are to be careful of those who walk in the flesh (Galatians 6:1).
“Brotherly kindness” seeks the highest good for others (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-11). This is the love of affection. When Jesus confronted His enemies He expressed agape love towards them. This is a broader term than the word in this verse [philadelphia]. Jesus did not like what they did nor did He sanction what they did. He did not embrace them as friends. He could not call them “friends” [our word]. “Friends” is overt love. This is love that considers others and is gracious to them.
Principle: Rapport love or friendship love is of value to God.
Application: Some of us believe that we can pick and choose who we like and who we do not. It is us if we say, “These are my kind of people but those are not.” You may not like the way others say things. You may not like the way they do things. You may not like the fact that they are lazy or ignorant. However, we should seek rapport with them despite our opinion of them.
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
We may not like the way people comb their hair or wear their clothes. That is incidental.
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10).
“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
“Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8).
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2 Peter 1:7

Published on April 20, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
Read Introduction to 2 Peter

 

"To godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love”

 

To godliness
The first five virtues of verses 5-7 deal with our inner being. The last three deal with others. “Godliness” is the last of challenges to our inner life.
The word “godliness” was also used in 1:3 (see our study there) and will be used in 3:11. This is a word for piety but a piety toward God; It carries the idea of reverence toward God.
PRINCIPLE: An essential dimension to the Christian life is reverence for God.
APPLICATION: The idea of piety in Scripture is not moroseness or sullen solitary mode of life. It has to do with keeping close touch with God which produces a God-likeness.
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2 Peter 1:6c

Published on April 19, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.”
 
 
to perseverance godliness
 
The fifth building block of Christian character is “godliness.” We add “godliness” to our faith. 
 
“Godliness” is reverence toward God. “Godliness” comes from two words: well and devout denoting a piety characterized by a Godward attitude. This person’s orientation is to please God (2 Pe 1:3, 6, 7; 3:11). 
 
In ancient Greek, “godliness” meant to shrink from leading to the idea of awe or reverence. The idea was veneration. Later the word developed into the idea of worship. In the New Testament, the idea is our manner of life in relation to God. 
 
Elsewhere “godliness” occurs in
 
1 Ti 6: 3 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, …6Now godliness with contentment is great gain….11But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”
 
Being a “Christian” is not moralistic for it rests in a relationship with a person (1 Tim. 3:16). "Godliness" is more than outward worship or a human virtue. The Bible sets “godliness” over against asceticism that regards creation as intrinsically evil. Godliness” is something that covers everyday conduct that honors God as Creator and Redeemer. 
 
Truth produces godliness in character. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make the child of God like the Son of God. That is godliness. 
 
Tit. 1: 1 “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness.”
 
PRINCIPLE: Godliness is living like one who believes in God. 
 
APPLICATION: We are what we read mentally. We are what we eat physically. We are what we believe and practice spiritually. Why read the Word? It will do something to your soul. The Word will do something to your character. It will do something to your disposition. 
 
2 Co 3: 18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 
 
Does your life have any indication that God is live and real in your life? Do you live your life with an eye on God trusting Him for whatever may come your way?
 
Jn 6: 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
 
A godly person has a reverence, loyalty and fear of God. 
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2 Peter 1:6b

Published on April 18, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.”
 
 
to self-control perseverance
 
The third building block of Christian character is “perseverance.” We add “perseverance” to our faith. 
 
“Perseverance” comes from two words: under and remain.   This word carries the ideas of endurance, fortitude, stead-fastness. A person with perseverance remains under the situation. He hangs in there through trial and testing. “Perseverance” carries the idea of endurance especially in trials (Lu 21:19; Ro 12:12; He. 12:7; Ja 1:12; 1 Pe. 2:20). 
 
A person with perseverance stay under the load no matter what adversity may come his way (Ro. 5:3-4; 15:4-5; 2 Co. 1:6; 6:4; Co. 1:11; 1 Th. 1:3; 2 Th. 1:4; Ja 1:3). However, this is not endurance of the inevitable. Jesus could have extricated Himself of His suffering (He 12:2,3). He not only sustained suffering but He struggled with suffering. On the other hand, he did not maintain stupid insensibility toward the struggle with suffering. He did not approach suffering with stubborn resolve but faced suffering with apprehension (Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46). 
 
The New Testament never asserts “self-control” of God because God is all-powerful. 
 
PRINCIPLE: The Christian should be stable under pressure.
 
APPLICATION: The Christian should develop unswerving steadfastness in trial. When disasters come your way, how do you handle them? Do you have an inner order of soul?  A person with stability in suffering does not beat his head against the wall.  He orients to God’s plan for his life. Disaster is part of God’s plan for our lives. 
 
The Christian life is no easy road. However, this road has hope. The Christian does not simply accept whatever may come his way. He transcends endurance. He holds out with long endurance because of his hope. 
 
Ro 5: 3 “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
 
Tribulation produces patience or endurance. Trouble, well-managed, makes the believer a seasoned veteran. He does not whine about his problems for that is a sign of immaturity. Children whine about predicaments. 
 
He 12: 1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.’
7If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”
 
We do not run with “patience” but with “endurance.” Endurance means stick-to-itiveness. Tenacity enables us to say, “I will not quit. It is too soon to quit.” This Christian does not throw in the towel. He does not have a yellow streak down his back. 
 
One of the first things we want to do when someone criticizes us is to quit. Who wants to known as a quitter? We need to develop the attitude that, “This too shall pass. God will give me the endurance to hang in there.” Stick with it. Running from the problem is no solution because you will run into the same problem wherever you go. You are still the same person there as well. You take yourself with you. It will not profit you to run from the problem. 
 
Are you about to quit your education? Are you ready to resign your position? “Oh, what is the use? This situation is too difficult to resolve. I did not do well on my last exam. I might as well give up.” One of the presidents of a college I attended gave a message in chapel each year entitled, “Don’t quit too soon.” Ask the Lord to give you strength to go on. You will be amazed to find out what you can do when God gives us a “second wind.” Plug on! God will see you through. 
 
Do you stay with the “stuff” by getting a grip on yourself? Have you developed unwavering perseverance in the trials of your life? 
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2 Peter 1:6

Published on April 17, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“To knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.”
 
 
to knowledge self-control
 
The fourth building block of Christian character is “self-control.” We add self-control to our faith. 
 
Another distinction that the Christian should add to his character is “self-control.” The term does not regularly occur in the New Testament. The New Testament uses “self-control” only two other times (Ac 24:25; Ga 5:23). The New Testament uses “self-control” very infrequently because God does not sponsor autonomous self-mastery. Salvation or spirituality by mastery of the self is not the Christian way of life.
 
Co 2: 20 “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 ‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ 22which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
 
The New Testament does not view self-control as legalistic abstinence.   Christianity does not de-sex or empty all desires from the person. The Christian does maintain self-control and mastery over those desires. 
 
We add self-control to knowledge. “Self-control” comes from two words: out of and strength.   “Self-control” is power.  “Self-control” is mastery over our passions so that we control our desires and actions. God bestows this power upon us.
 
Self-control is the opposite of anarchy in our passions. Idiomatically, “self-control” means to hold oneself in, to command oneself.   Self-control then is the mastery of self. We stay in command of our desires and wants. It is the ability to say “no” to self. This is the freedom of self-restraint. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Self-control is mastery over the self.
 
APPLICATION: The Christian life carries certain qualities. Just any kind of life is not Christian living. There are certain standards unique to Christianity. It is more than being nice to your neighbors or staying out of trouble with the law. 
 
Self-control in God’s economy comes from the filling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christian self-control is not autonomous self-control.
 
Ga 5: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
 
Why do people fail in any sphere of life? People fail in athletics, academics and business because of lack of self-discipline.  Lazy people fail in athletics and school. Lazy people will fail spiritually in Christian living. This is why people fail especially in the Christian life. They have little internal power that comes from the Holy Spirit. 
 
We live in an undisciplined generation. Young people rebel against all authority. Much of their music revolves around that rebellion. They come from undisciplined homes and schools. They resent authority almost from diapers. They went off to university and the theme of thought is rebellion against authority whether it is authority of rule or the authority of concepts. Some never accept authority, even police authority. Media also attacks authority of police and government. About the only places of discipline today are sports and military. There is little authority left in the home, the school or even the church. 
 
The Christian who wants to get in shape spiritually must get into the Word. That is where he gets his spiritual muscles. By applying principles to experience, he begins to lose his spiritual flab.
 
Do you dominate yourself or do you indulge yourself? 
 
1 Co 9: 24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
 
The believer must go into training for living the Christian life. If you are on the track team, you wave the right to eat certain foods. Others may eat chocolate ice cream two or three times a day but you do not because you are in training. There is nothing wrong with chocolate ice cream in itself but it is poison if you run the hundred-yard dash. If you want to win, foregoing chocolate ice cream is a price you pay. This is self-control for a purpose. Others may eat all the chocolate ice cream they desire because they are not on the track team. We want to win in the Christian life. We do not want to come in last.
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2 Peter 1:5f

Published on April 16, 1998 in 2 Peter. 1 Comment
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“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.” 
 
 
to virtue knowledge
 
The second building block of Christian character is “knowledge.” Another item to add to faith is “knowledge.” There are certain principles that we must know before we can apply them. We also must add knowledge to our faith. 
 
Knowledge is not wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of the facts of God’s Word. Wisdom is the application of knowledge to experience. Knowledge here is the experience of knowledge. In this context, knowledge is personal acquaintance with Jesus Christ.
 
Jn 17: 3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
 
Ph 3: 10 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
 
Co 1: 10 “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
 
If we add knowledge to faith, we will know what to do in any predicament we might face. Courage (“diligence”) without knowledge is dangerous. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Knowledge should precede zeal so that our zeal can be effective. 
 
APPLICATION: If zeal comes first and knowledge second, our zeal may not be properly directed. Zeal without knowledge is like an empty semi that takes off down the road without its load. There is no purpose to the trip. Zeal for the experience of enthusiasm is not a Christian value. 
 
God wants us to add the knowledge of His Word to our experience. Knowledge of the Word is the only way we can know God truly. 
 
Pr 1: 7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
 
Pr 2: 6 “For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
 
We need to balance both zeal and knowledge. Knowledge without zeal is deadness. Zeal without knowledge is emptiness.   If we are static, we are stagnate. If we do not go forward, we lose momentum. Fire and water are opposites. Water puts out fire. Fire uncontrolled destroys things in its path. This is the problem with zeal and knowledge. Knowledge puts out zeal. Uncontrollable zeal destroys the development of Christian character. 
 
He 5: 12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”
 
Ju 20 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”
 
Are you knowledgeable of God’s program for the world and for your life? What is God doing in the world?   What is God doing with me? 
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2 Peter 1:5e

Published on April 15, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.” 
 
 
virtue
 
We now come to the first of seven building blocks of Christiain character – virtue. We met the word “virtue” in verse three. “Virtue” occurs five times in the New Testament.
 
1 Pe 2: 9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 
 
Ph 4: 8 “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.”
 
“Virtue” carries the idea of excellence.  There are two kinds of excellence: 1) operative excellence. This excellence makes us effective in character. 2) The second kind of excellence is courage. Faith vaults our life into courage. True faith does not retreat in a refuge but enters the dynamic of life. We may understand by virtue courage. No Christian can advance his life without courage. 
 
Prov. 28: 1 “The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.”
 
Cowardly Christians are weak and make little impact for Christ. 
 
“Virtue” is something that procures pre–estimation for a person or thing. When a Christian acquires “virtue” in his life, he assumes an intrinsic prominence in the minds of others. Others view this person as a person of renown or praise who carries the glory of Christ with him. 
 
PRINCIPLE: God wants excellence in Christian character.
 
APPLICATION: Excellence is superiority and efficiency in character. Are you an expert in the spiritual character? Have you developed renown in virtue?
 
We are not too handy when it comes to excellence. There is little nobility in our Christian lives. What spiritual courage or valor is there in your life? Is there some spiritual enthusiasm? How much strength is there to your Christianity? How much can you press with your character? 
 
What can you do? Can you do anything? Have you exercised your faith to such a degree that you can do things that you could not do otherwise? In other words, are you dynamic rather than static in your Christian life? Are you dynamic or are you a sham in character?
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2 Peter 1:5d

Published on April 14, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.” 
 
 
to your faith
 
“Faith” in this context means that structure that gives bones to the body of the Christian life. Faith is the foundation to all virtues. Like lining up a group of numbers for adding, the believer is to line up a group of virtues that will advance his faith. These virtues are the seven building blocks of Christian character. 
 
Ju 20 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”
 
Faith is the sub-structure to character and is the base to all subsequent characteristics listed from verses 5-7. The building of our character by seven characteristics continues to rise until we crown the edifice of our soul with the sum of the seven. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Faith is the foundation to all character.
 
APPLICATION: Now that we have come to Christ, we must add to our soul seven characteristics. Peter does not say, “Pick and choose whichever characteristics that might interest you. Add one or two of these characteristics.” God builds strength into us when we add these characteristics to our souls. 
 
No matter what our cultural heritage, no matter what personality, disposition, temperament we might have, God will construct an edifice of His making if we apply truth to experience.
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2 Peter 1:5c

Published on April 13, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.” 
 
 
add
 
We come now to the second term of arithmetic. The first word was “multiply” (v. 2). Now we have the word “add.” 
 
We get the English words “chorus and choreograph” from the Greek word “add.”   “Add” comes from three Greek words: chorus; to bring; beside. To “add” is to bring something to the side of the chorus. Metaphorically, it means to make every effort to provide abundantly for someone. This word came to mean to defray the expenses of a chorus. The idea is to supply something more than that which already exists.   “Add” is a term of grace. 
 
The Greek drama used this word by 600 B.C.. The Greeks gave choral performances of dancing and singing at festivals honoring Dionysius (the god of wine and fertility). Generally, a benefactor selected by the state paid the expenses of the chorus of these ancient Greek plays. He defrayed both the expenses of the chorus and the dance group. They called this citizen the “choregus.” He provided the money for training and costuming the chorus. This was a duty connected with the state religion. 
 
In ancient Greece, the chorus was a band of singers and dancers who performed on occasions of ceremony. Even during the acting out of comedy or tragedy, the chorus remained in front of the stage singing and dancing to fill in for the pauses. 
 
These tragedies were a series of dramatic episodes separated by choral odes. Three actors generally performed these episodes. These actors wore masks to indicate the nature of the character they represented. 
 
All performances were religious in nature. Almost all surviving tragedies were based on myths. The hero generally confronted a moral choice. His struggle against hostile forces ended in defeat and often in his death because of some tragic flaw in his character. Therefore, the hero is great but not perfect (virtuous). The hero passes from fortune to misfortune. A Greek tragedy never portrayed the bad person going from happiness to misery. This would violate their senses. The hero was always well known and prosperous but not permanently virtuous. 
 
Misfortune is not brought about by vice or depravity. He comes to tragic end by failure or error in judgment. Otherwise, it is not true tragedy. There is no poetic justice whereby the hero gets his come-up-ance for some wrong he did.   The ideas of the good prospering and the evil suffering were not in their mind. 
 
Providing for these great plays meant great expense to the benefactor. “Add” came to mean lavishly supply. The Christian is to copiously or lavishly stock his life with the virtues that follow.   Do you incur cost to advance your faith? 
 
By “adding” one character component to another, we develop one quality in the exercise of another. Each new grace vaults out of the other. 
 
2 Co 9: 10 “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
 
Col. 2: 19 “And not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations.”
 
2 Peter 1: 11 “Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.”
 
Since “add” is a term of grace, God wants us to provide for our own character out of grace toward ourselves. We need to make sure we add character to our spiritual lives.
 
PRINCIPLE: God provides whatever we need to live the Christian life.
 
APPLICATION: We often judge God by how we do things. We make others pay for what we do for them. God does not make us pay. He gives out of His grace. God wants us to give out of grace as well. In this case, God wants us to give to ourselves out of grace. He wants us to supply for our spiritual need the character He supplies. 
 
Some Christians operate in a sphere of fear. They never know whether they have God’s approval or not because they know of no definite standard whereby they gain God’s approval. They operate constantly in fear of some bolt of lighting streaking down on them. They have no idea of the finished work of Christ for them. 
 
This is like getting out of the Jet plane and trying to help push it along. God does not need any help. God does not bless your business because you give to Him. He blesses you because He is the God of “all grace” (1 Pe 5:10).
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2 Peter 1:5b

Published on April 12, 1998 in 2 Peter. 0 Comments
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“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.” 
 
 
giving all diligence
 
The phrase “giving all diligence” translates a double compound word: 1) along side 2) into 3) to bring. God wants us to bring something along side so that it enters our lives. This is a word of powerful application. We must be eager to bring along side and into our lives the seven virtues that follow. We need to give all our energies to bring these points of character into our lives. If we do, we will escape the corruption in the world (v.3). 
 
Ro 12: 11 “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
 
Ga 2: 10 “They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.”
 
Ep 4: 3 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
 
“Diligence” conveys intense effort. “Diligence” means haste, speed, eagerness, earnestness. A diligent person makes every effort to do what God asks. This is a word of zeal. A person of diligence will give serious attention to what he is doing and exert great energy to get it done. The idea is to be eager to do something with the implication of readiness to expend energy and effort.
 
PRINCIPLE: God expects Christians to be dead earnest with their Christianity. 
 
APPLICATION: God expects us to make an all-out effort to apply truth to experience. He wants us to expend great motivation and effort to live for Him. 
 
Do you leave no stone unturned to make character the passion of your life? Christians cannot look upon their Christianity as a hobby. If we devote the fringe area of our spare time to character, our character will be seen for what it is – weak. The Christian life is far more than a hobby like golfing. It is something to which we should devote our lives. Note how Paul makes Christianity his life,
 
Ph 1: 21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
 
As a person low on the totem pole of an organization is brought up to work under the experience and influence of the President of the company, so the Christian is to work under the influence of the God’s disposition. The Christian should then live his life with earnestness. 
 
Earnestness requires exertion. We cannot enjoy our possessions unless we use them. The divine disposition is not an automatic machine that will produce Christian character despite the Christian’s engagement with it. A farmer does not directly grow his crop. He must do certain things to give his crops an environment for growth. The Christian must do certain things to give his life an environment for growth. He must give all diligence to bring God’s promises along side his life so he can grow. God has a role and the Christian has a role. Only the Lord can ultimately give the increase. 
 
New Christians usually show a first flush of enthusiasm and spiritual zeal. They can hardly wait to share their faith with their husbands or wives. Every time the church opens its doors, they are there. Somewhere along the line, their fire extinguishes. Some puncture-proof saint gets to them. They call out the bucket brigade and throw water on these new Christians because of their enthusiasm. 
 
The zeal and dynamic of the new Christian reveals their apathy, lethargy and dead spiritual lives. They do not want their state of affairs revealed for what it is. They say, “What a minute, slow down, you can’t ….” New Christians waken sleeping saints. They rub their eyes, yawn, and say, “You lead someone to Christ? Quiet, you are disturbing my sleep. Don’t you see that I am worshipping?” 
 
Where is the zeal when first you came to Christ? The subsequent virtues will do us no good if we do not deal with this first.
 
People who design airplanes proved “conclusively” that bumblebees cannot fly. “The fuselage is too large for its wing spread.” The bumblebee does not know that, so he goes ahead and flies. When a person first becomes a Christian, he does not know that he cannot do this or that. He just goes ahead and does it. They do not find this out until later when Christians inform them that they cannot do it. They go out and win ten people to Christ the first week they know Christ. They are not that concerned about making mistakes. They just mistake their way into winning a number of people to Christ!  
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