Do you use outlines to help you organize your thoughts when you write? I always tape an outline of my sermons inside my bible so that I have something to refer to if I get lost. I dislike preaching from a manuscript, so this is the perfect compromise. Outlines give direction!

See if you can spot the outline in our Scripture passage today. It gives direction for a righteous and holy life:

2 Peter 1:1-11 (Common English Bible)

¹From Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who received a faith equal to ours through the justice of our God and savior Jesus Christ.² May you have more and more grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

³ By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. ⁴ Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.

⁵ This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. ⁸ If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to confirm your call and election. Do this and you will never ever be lost. ¹¹ In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Let’s unpack that.

Faith. Peter begins with faith, just as someone who was called “The Rock” would do. Faith is the strong foundation for the rest of our learning. We understand faith to be the “reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see “ (Hebrews 11:1).

Moral Excellence. Added to faith is virtue, an attribute of following moral practices and behaviors that are above reproach. As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, we can only be a witness to his power in our lives if those lives are morally sound and Christ-like.

Knowledge. Not to be confused with intellectual understanding or instinct, knowledge is the product of our conversion. It increases through study of the Word, prayer, and community interaction. Knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ was and is essential to the future of the church as it wrestles with false teachings.

Self-control. Both Peter and Paul include self-control as a necessary ingredient of a godly life (Galatians 5:23, 2 Timothy 1:7). It makes sense. How could we attain righteousness with a disordered and out-of-control life? We couldn’t. Neither could those who followed false teaching.

Endurance. Perseverance in all of these things on Peter’s outline will win the day. Being steadfast, intentional, and consistent in practicing these habits will increase our knowledge of God and keep us strong in the face of temptation, suffering, and evil.

Godliness. Godliness is both the goal and a necessary step. Godliness is a state of piety where we walk in God’s precepts and strive to be obedient to God’s will. Godliness includes looking and interacting with the world in the way that God would. Asking ourselves if a thought, word, or deed is what Jesus would think, say, or do gives us a daily insight into godly living. 

Affection for others. Did you notice that the early parts of the outline are inward-focused while these later parts focus our faith outwardly? Displaying acts of neighborly love is the result of knowing God at a deeper level and feeling the impulse to share God’s love with others around us.

Love. Love is the pinnacle of all of God’s work in us. Love completes the outline of demonstrable godliness and proves that we have learned how to apply Peter’s teachings to our lives. Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the lesson. It is by our love that we are known.

It is important at this juncture to note that this is not a check list of abstract rules of a moral code that must be obeyed. No, indeed, this a statement of what living in Christ and living for Christ looks like. Peter outlined behaviors that are rooted in our relationship with Christ and are an expression of what comes out of that relationship, as opposed to what must be put in to gain that relationship. Grace makes it impossible to work hard enough to gain Christ. Freely given, all we need to do is accept him and then continue to grow in these things. 

How do you measure up to Peter’s list? Are there areas in your life that could use some improvement? Are your inner and outer faith worthy of Christ?

May we strive to grow in our righteous living, especially in love.

Colington Sunset