“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped 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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. We are closing in on the ultimate pursuit, which is love. That will be our topic for next week. This week is the penultimate (word for the day: look it up) objective, and that is mutual affection. We are to strive for mutual affection.

Thinking literally about this results in a conundrum. Since mutual means something that is experienced by two people, how can we strive for something that is the responsibility of the other person? Stay with me and we will figure it out.

Starting with affection, we understand affection to be a feeling of liking or caring for someone, a tender attachment, fondness. When we feel this way about someone, we want to show it. We demonstrate affection by our actions. The opposite of affection is being detached, uncaring, unloving, and perhaps even rejection, hatred, loathing. When we feel affection toward someone, we naturally want them to be happy, pleased, healthy, to have all the good things, and we will do what we can to provide these things for them. That further means that we will act with the intention for them to be pleased or at least for it to be for their good and not their harm. We are not being affectionate to serve our own purposes. Truly demonstrating affection is other-focused; it recalls all the “one-another’s” that the Bible teaches (here are just a few):

• Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32a)
• Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32b, Colossians 3:13b)
• Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2-3, Colossians 3:13a)
• Encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24)
• Do Good to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
• Serve one another (Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10)

So how do all these commands jibe with the adjective “mutual?” A key would be communication. We must be open and transparent with each other, asking what is pleasing to the other, and sensitive to both verbal and nonverbal feedback. We always assume the best intentions from the other. And since we can only be responsible for our own actions, we set the example. We do not give up, even when our affection is not reciprocated, because over time, the odds are that it will be.

Lastly: in order for our desire and effort toward mutual affection to be genuine, the foundation of the preceding attributes in our key passage must be in place. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness must be increasing in our own lives to be the kind of person who is genuinely affectionate—with all that implies—toward another in a way that models and inspires those same attributes in the other.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped 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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. After building on faith, goodness, knowledge, and self-control, we come now to perseverance.

There are many enemies to perseverance:

• Recalling the preceding action of self-control, sometimes the whole practice thing just becomes boring. We crave excitement, which sometimes means doing something different. Taking a break. And sometimes that is okay, if we realize that the “break” we are taking is only temporary. And sometimes, it is not okay, such as when we are engaged in critical roles like parenting and ministry. That is when we must focus on the result and the rewards that will come eventually. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
• A huge enemy of perseverance is discouragement–not seeing immediate results. Like trying to lose weight and getting stuck on a plateau. We begin to question why we are even trying this; it is useless. The enemy will give us every reason to quit. But here’s where knowledge in this progression of godliness comes in. We know that results will come only if we keep on keeping on. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Sometimes we are tempted to change our priorities. The devil tried to tempt Jesus when he was in his 40-day fast in the wilderness by showing him “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” The devil said, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:30). But Jesus remained focused on the goal his Father had given him and said “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10). Jesus persevered because he remained focused on his God-given priority.
• It is quite easy to question our efforts when we run into conflict or criticism. And it never hurts to pause and reflect on this feedback prayerfully. But we must prayerfully evaluate whether the criticism is coming from someone who has God’s priorities in mind. There are only two sides—if we are not with Jesus, we are against him. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that love “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Love is the ultimate test. If our efforts are based on love for God and love for each other, then we have God’s promise in the passage above that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 2:1).

“But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life! —even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.” (James 1:25 Message).

In Christ,

Judy

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 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, having escaped 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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:3-7).

We started this series on Godliness several weeks ago, looking at Peter’s instructions about growing in our godly life. We come now to the part about self-control. I still remember the epiphany I had about self-control several years ago. I have always sought to be self-controlled; purposeful. I worked hard at it and was often frustrated because I never met my own ambitious standards. And then in reading about the fruit of the spirit, I realized that self-control was included. In other words, self-control is only really possible when endowed and supported by the Holy Spirit, and then only when we have accepted Christ as our Savior. This realization took the pressure and spotlight off me and put it where it belongs, on the Holy Spirit.

Where I had thought that I needed self-control in order to possess the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness; now I know that I need the Holy Spirit in order to possess self-control along with all the others.

So now that we know where it comes from, just what is it? “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control” (Proverbs 25:28). In earlier times, it was customary for cities to build walls of protection. Even in the early days of the United States, forts were common. The purpose was to provide protection from danger. But now, even as then, we know danger is pervasive. That is why we have firewalls for internet protection, and even parental controls for our children’s access to the internet—as much to keep the harmful stuff out as to prevent our kids from going where they should not.

Self-control works like forts and firewalls. We determine where we are at risk, and we develop protections in the form of daily habits, accountability, and even physical restraints. For example, I do not buy cookies. Why? Because I know myself well enough to know that I would eat too many. If I could keep cookies in the cookie jar and only eat one or two a day, then I would. But I know myself too well. Your fort will not necessarily look like my fort. Self-control presumes that we know that too many cookies (or whatever) are a bad thing. That is where the knowledge that precedes self-control in this progression comes from. We learn what is best and why, and then we develop ways to stay on track.

There are all kinds of good books on the subject. Two of my current favorites are John Ortwell’s The Life You Always Wanted and Atomic Habits, by James Clear. But the best book on the subject is the Bible. I think Paul struggled with self-control because of some of the words he wrote:

• “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:19-25)
• “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
• “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

In summary, know what is right, then practice, always calling on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

In Christ,

Judy