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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

At this start of this new week, an overview to get us back into 2 Peter. We started into the list of virtues that Peter gives last Friday with goodness, but before we go further, perhaps it’s helpful to see the whole and the reasons given for “adding” these things “to your faith.”

This list Peter makes can seem rather random. Could there be more items in this list? Probably. Do each flow directly from the others? Not quite as tightly perhaps as in Romans 5:3-5.

The point is not to have a complete, logical check-list to mark off so that we know if we’re winning the game or not though. The point is to illustrate that being “cleansed from [one’s] past sins” in Baptism and belief ought to mean something in our lives! Knowing Jesus yields a transformed life. And if it doesn’t—what do you really know? If your faith isn’t starting to add up to a life of virtue, you must have forgotten all the “everything you need” that God gave you back in those first few verses of the letter!

There is, in fact, not much special about this list. Similar virtues can be found all over the ancient world in such virtue lists—both in pagan and Christian writings. What sets this list off is the context and the reasons. Pastor Michael alluded to some of it last week already. In essence, Peter says: cultivate common virtue just like the rest of the society around you. But do it for a different reason! Do it because of “your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!” He doesn’t specifically say it that way—but his list does. In Peter’s list, there are two elements that are not common to the virtue lists of the ancient world: Faith and love.

Faith is where the list begins. Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which this new life of virtue is built. And not just faith in Jesus—but faith in the Jesus who has given us “everything we need” and who has “called us” and “given us… promises” (v. 3-4). Christians enter into the practice of virtue with faith reasons and faith resources that no one else in society has.

Love is where the list ends—unconditional, agape love. God’s own love in Jesus. Every one of these otherwise generic virtues is built on a foundation of faith and culminates in Christlike love.

If these are the two slices of bread between which Peter’s virtue sandwich is made—faith and love—then everything in the middle likewise changes its flavour. That brings us back to goodness. It’s not just generic goodness anymore—it’s goodness as seen through the eyes of faith that strains toward love. So we look at God’s own goodness and glory (v. 3), just as Pastor Michael did Friday, to understand our own pursuit of it.

With our pumps primed for the transformation springing from the Baptized life of faith in Jesus, we’re ready to return to the list. Tomorrow.

As you journey on today, go with the blessing of God:

Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to the Master, now and forever! Amen! (2 Peter 1:2; 3:18 MSG).