Perseverance and Godliness - 25 Sept 2008

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

Peter has already told us to build goodness, knowledge and self control onto the foundation of our faith.  The next virtue we are encouraged to add in will also help us in our struggle with self-control.  Perseverance is described as ‘the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings’.  It includes patience and that ability to keep on trying even in the face of apparent setback.  This is the virtue that the world of the twenty first century does not seem to understand.  We live in an ‘instant’ generation where we seem to be being constantly encouraged to try new experiences if the old ones don’t work.  If your marriage does not work then divorce, if you find yourself pregnant and don’t want to be - just abort.  No thought is given to the long term consequences; no effort is put into sorting out the problem to everyone’s satisfaction.  We are encouraged to take what we want when we want it even if we can’t afford it.  Fun now, pay later. 

But as Christians we are called to persevere, to never give up on the ungodly, to keep praying, keep forgiving, keep trying. 

There is a sense as I read these final ingredients that I am getting into ‘Advanced Christianity’ but Peter seems to see these things as a normal part of the Christian life.  Part of the package.

Next Peter asks us to attempt godliness.  I wondered how this differed from the goodness already mentioned so I again looked for a definition of the Greek word used and found this.  ‘Reverence, respect, piety towards God.’  It seems to me to be a deepening of the values we first learned.  This attribute flows from a knowledge of who God is.  We are no longer just pretending to be good, or acting as if to please others or look good. Goodness inhabits us as God takes over in each surrendered area of our lives.  In a very real way we become incapable of evil because we have a deep and enduring respect of all that God is and all that He stands for.  As our passions and fears are overcome by His love we see Him in all things and learn to work completely in His Will, trusting Him implicitly.  It is something I have rarely but memorably witnessed in those who have followed the Lord for many years but sometimes as a brief flash in those who are less experienced.  This Godliness is something we all grow into eventually and is a characteristic that I suspect we will display perfectly in heaven.  It is something that it is almost impossible to recognise in oneself though so if you see it in someone else, why not tell them.  It will encourage and build them up.

Lord, Please help me to persevere in my struggle against evil and may my life increasingly resound with your presence. Amen