SOAP Devotional 2014-05-05
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Growing in Faith
Scripture:
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. (2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT)
Observation:
What was said previously, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” Because of this we add to our faith plenty of moral excellence with knowledge of what is the right thing to do, and with that knowledge we use self-control, and with that self-control we patiently endure so that we live out godliness with brotherly affection, and extend that brotherly affection with love to everyone.
Application:
Confessing Jesus as our master begins a snowball affect that changes us into what a Christian should be. Salvation is by faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, but it changes everything in a systematic way. With our simple act of faith, God, by His divine power, gives us everything we need to not only get this snowball rolling, but everything that takes us through the entire process. To that simple bit of faith that we have, God plants in us a desire to live in a righteous way… simple but all inclusive moral excellence. He gives us the knowledge of how to act out that right way of living along with the self control that it takes to put that knowledge and that desire to live right into action. And with that self-control comes the ability to endure. We are able to endure ridicule from others, but even more importantly we are able to endure falling and getting back up when we fail in an area of moral excellence. We keep going and endure and as we do, we grow more and more Christlike. That Christlikeness or godliness is demonstrated with an affection toward other believers as the genuine love of a family and eventually shines out toward everyone even as Christ loved us while we were yet sinners. Yes, salvation is simple, but it's results are all encompassing.
Prayer:
Father, I am so thankful that you and your son did the work it took for me to be saved. You even gave me enough faith to believe. You work did not stop there, but you have empowered me by your Holy Spirit to grow as a Christian into who you intend for me to be. Father help me to remain moldable by you. Don't ever give up working on me.
Growing in Faith text in context:
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11 NLT)
