Make Every Effort To Add To Your Faith

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  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.  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."  2 Peter 1:3-8 (NIV)

These are the words of the Apostle Peter, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the early church to counter the false teachers who were infiltrating the church.  Peter told them that God had given them the power escape the corruption caused by evil desires and evil influences.  He told them that they must make every effort to exercise their faith.  By doing so, they would increase their faith and produce more fruit of The Spirit of God.

Today we need to realize that The Lord has blessed us and given us some of His divine power.  We have The Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, and that makes us capable of exhibiting the fruit of The Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)  These traits which we have as believers, we ought to increase them within our lives and in our behavior.  As we exercise them, we become stronger in the faith, and thereby we become more effective and productive in our efforts for The Lord.