Add

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. - 2 Peter 1v5-7 

If we did not do something with our faith it would just sort of sit there and stagnate. Faith by itself is amazing and incomprehensible. And yet there is so much more. We don’t get the ‘more’ by some kind of osmosis – it takes work. 

In fact, it requires diligent work. Not just a laid back, lazy, half-hearted work, but diligent work. It is not something that we can let happen, we have to do it. And what do we have to add? 

To our faith we add virtue.

To faith and virtue we add knowledge

To faith, virtue, and knowledge we add self-control

To faith, virtue, knowledge, and self-control we add perseverance

To faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control and perseverance we add godliness

To faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance and godliness we add brotherly kindness.

To faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness we add love. 

It is like constructing a marvellous building storey after storey. The foundation of it all is faith. The rest of the building blocks are added. This order itself is a fascinating study in itself, for another place and time. But the peak of the building, the penthouse if you will, is love. 

Love is the ‘above all’ of our faith building. Love is the consummation of it all. I think it is interesting that love comes at the top. If indeed there is an order here love is the ultimate mark of maturity. 

When you think about, what is the mark of Christ’s followers? ‘They will know you are my followers by the love you have for each other.’ 

Love is the pinnacle. How are we doing in our own ‘adding?’