To those that say, “knowing God starts in the head, with knowledge, then moves to the heart,” Peter has written, “add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control patience, to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5-6). Peter is saying that it starts and ends in the heart. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith leads to virtue. Faith and virtue leads to knowledge and not knowledge to virtue and faith. Knowing the law does not lead to conforming to law. Knowing does not lead to moral excellence. Knowing the law does not lead to believing in the Lawgiver. Knowledge begins with the fear of God, but we are not given a spirit of fear, but of love – so knowledge begins with the love of God, in the heart. Faith, virtue, and then knowledge leads to self-control. The mind is the control center, but it must first be in the heart. Controlling something in the mind does not lead to virtue, virtue is part of the foundation of self-control.

Faith, virtue, knowledge and self-control leads to patience. Patience is the ability to wait and to maintain a right heart while waiting. Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control and patience leads to godliness. Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience and godliness leads to brotherly kindness. Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control patience, godliness and brotherly kindness leads to love. And love is where it all starts. God so loved the world and sent His Son, Jesus (see John 3:16). Faith in Jesus leads to wanting to be virtuous like Jesus.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (Timothy 1:7). Here we are told that we are given the spirit of love by God. Everything begins in the spirit – power, love and a sound mind. Evidence of the spirit shows in the physical through self-control and patients. Next manifestations of godliness, brotherly kindness love comes out of faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control and patience.

“For if these things be yours and abound you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8, 10b-11). Do you see, “an entrance will be supplied to you?” It is never ourselves, but God that supplies. God gives to us a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind (see Timothy 1:7). Do you see anything in the list faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control patience, godliness, brotherly kindness love that is not supplied by God? All these things are the ingredients of power, love, and a sound mind that God gives to us.

Again we can be reassured that it not our works that will save us, “for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The very Jesus that was given to us by God out of His love is the entrance. What God began with love is surrounded on all sides with love and never ends (is everlasting). Faith, that began Peter’s list, is faith in God’s love; for out of God’s love came our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior. Waiting on God leads us to godliness. Letting God do it leads us to godliness. It is not our works.

God created us all a little different. Some of us find it easier to know something in our heart that our head has not yet accepted, while others cannot listen to their heart until they see it in their head. God created us – conceived us in His mind first, then created us in the flesh. Not just Adam or Adam and Eve, but every one of us were conceived in God’s mind first. God knows how each and every one of us think, feel, and develop thoughts and feelings. God has been with us through our lives and knows what words have meaning to us and what words leave us empty or hurt. Out of His love He sent Jesus to heal our hearts, and to be our righteousness and salvation. The things of Jesus are recorded and can be learned, if you need them in your head, but they are also written in your heart. God put them there when He conceived you in His mind and created you out of His love. God so loves the world.

© 2004, 2017 Tim D. Coulter Sr.