Practicing Christianity

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Scripture 2 Peter 1:5-7, 10 (ESV)

. . . make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. . .10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.

Devotion:

          Have you ever been asked if you are a practicing Christian? How would you answer? Well, in his second letter the Apostle Peter gives us a list of helpful characteristics of what it means to be a practicing Christian. It is helpful to note that while these are meant to be a progression starting with faith and ending with love. The Christian will find himself or herself working on all 8 of these areas to one degree or another throughout their Christian walk.

          Commentaries spill many pages of ink going over each of these 8 characteristics in great detail. I think Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible gives as good a reading as any of these 8 characteristics:

                   5So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given,           complementing your      basic faith with good character, spiritual    understanding, 6alert discipline, passionate     patience, reverent          wonder, 7warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting         into and developing the others. (2 Peter 1:5-7 Msg)

          This translation helps in bringing what the text means into modern English for us. I especially like his emphasis in verse 5 that stresses the importance of getting down to the business of practicing the Christian life without delay. It seems many Christians these days would rather wait for Christ’s return than  live out their faith by doing these things right now, this should not be so. We should therefore, live out the items of this list to the best of our ability today.

          Our success in this effort will be rewarded both in this life and the next. So, let us practice these things in order to constantly improve our Christian walk. Because if we do, we know that we will please our Lord. Let us pray:

          Dear Lord help us to live in light of your grace today. And because of your great love for us teach us how to live faithful lives before a watching world. Help us to be salt and light in world that is quickly descending into corruption and darkness. Teach us to live each day to its fullest while we anxiously anticipate your return. Fill us with the Holy Spirit that we may have to power to do your will here on earth as it is done in heaven. Amen.

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