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Add to Your Faith

II Peter 1:5-10

Basically every Christian falls into one of three categories. Some believers are...

  • Babes In Christ
  • Backsliders From Christ
  • Builders For Christ
  • What kind of Christian are you?

I want to encourage you to be a builder.

  • Fortify your faith.

You can if you will do as we have been learning the past few weeks.

  • Do away with Doubt (Matthew 14:22-33)
  • Use the Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:11-17)
  • Stand on the Promises of God (Romans 4:19-21)
  • Examine Your Faith (James 2:14-22)

We will learn today... you need to "Add To Your Faith".

  1. The provisions of Adding to Our Faith (verse 5)

In verse 5, we are given the warning..."add to your faith." Now what I want to make clear, but just in case it isn't.... let me say it anyway.

Before you can add to your faith, you must.....

  1. Possess Saving Faith
  2. To add to your faith... you have to have faith.
  3. Peter's readers had faith. Look at verse 1. Peter tells us that Christians share a.... "Precious faith".

a)Why is it a "precious faith"? Because of...

(1)The Object of our Faith..... Jesus Christ

(2)The Outcome of our Faith... Life...Transformed and Eternal.

Before "adding to your faith", you must Possess Saving Faith.

  1. Practice Spiritual Diligence
  2. Look at verse 5 again. We are to be "giving all diligence" as we add to our faith.
  3. The word "diligence" refers to the earnest, zealous, exertion of oneself.

a)We are to give our very best effort to see our faith fortified..... Strengthened, and enriched.

(1)No one automatically grows

(2)We have God's Power to Enable Us (v.3)

(3)We have God's Promises to Encourage Us (v.4

  1. You can't dilly-dally around spiritually if you truly want to be what the Lord wants you to be.

Possessing Saving Faith and Practicing Spiritual Diligence, is the beginning of Adding to our Faith.

  1. The Process of Adding to Our Faith (verses 5b-7)

If the Lord wants us to add to our faith, then how does he want us to do it?

In verses 5-7, we are given seven specific steps to take.

  1. We Are To Add "Virtue" To Faith (v.5)
  2. The term "virtue" as used in this verse refers to the pursuit of moral excellence.

a)Not just externally, but internally.

b) A desire to do what is right.

Jam 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

  1. We Are To Add "Knowledge" to Virtue
  2. We also need ”knowledge" of what is right.

a)Well that's easy enough. Everybody knows right from wrong.

b)Everyone doesn't have the correct concept of right and wrong.

  1. Where do we gain that knowledge?

a)Well, one place you can't turn to is the Godless preaching of our media. They tell us over and over again how all kinds of sin is acceptable.

b)If we are going to know what is right, we had better look to the Word of God.

( II Tim. 3:16)"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is wrong), for correction (how to get right), for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right).

  1. The more we know about the bible the more faith we have
  1. We are to Add "Temperance" to Knowledge.
  2. "Temperance" refers to having self-discipline. What does that have to do with adding to our faith?
  3. Note... how Peter continues to build on the previous ideas.

a)Virtue is the desire to do what is right.

b)Knowledge is knowing what is right. But knowledge alone is incomplete.

c)We need temperance... self discipline to follow through with obedience.

Jam 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

  1. Your faith cannot grow in the environment of disobedience.
  2. Growth comes only when we die to self, and submit our will to His will
  1. We Are to Add "Patience" to Temperance (v.6)
  2. The word patience refers to having spiritual endurance.

Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

  1. We Are to Add "Godliness" to Patience (v.6)
  2. Godliness is simply god-likeness... wanting to be conformed to the character of God
  3. We Are to Add "Brotherly Kindness" to Godliness (v.7)
  4. Bearing one another’s burdens, forgiving, exercising care. ect.
  5. We Are To Add "Charity" to Brotherly Kindness (v.7)
  6. Christ's love... extending it only to those within the family....and to those who are without.
  1. The Proofs of Adding To Our Faith (verses 8-10)
  2. There is a way to truly know if your faith is growing. Peter offers three proofs.
  3. Fruitfulness v.8 ....
  4. Vision v. 9
  5. Assurance v.10