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. 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
I consider myself not only a connoisseur of good food but also one who takes great pride in cooking dishes from my Grandmother’s country kitchen recipes to the finest of restaurant gourmet dishes. However, I realized long ago that the success to great cooking is not just in the labor of love but in the combination of certain ingredients. There are some characteristics or distinction of flavors that compliment one another so well that it gives you the best in blending for a unique and exquisite explosion in your mouth! Your taste buds are happy beyond words and usually, your face will tell the story for you.
This in itself is a great comparison to these verses in Peter. He tells us that God has given us the ingredients needed in order to make and perfect us into the flavor of love that He is looking for to “be partakers, Peter said, of the this divine nature.” God’s faith to love virtues recipe is everything we need for His goodness and for His glory. Peter gives us all of the additives for this recipe of life in these verses. He even tells us the order in which we should add them for optimum results. First, he said, make very effort to add to your faith goodness; and then once you have added goodness, add knowledge; and to knowledge, add self-control; and to self-control, add perseverance; and to perseverance, add godliness; and to godliness, add mutual (common) affection; and to mutual affection, add love. Don't you love those ingredients? I would say that we need to simmer and stir slowly as we add each in order to make sure we have blended properly to make a pleasing combination that the Lord is looking for. Then Peter said, for if you possess these qualities, adding in the proper amounts as needed, they will keep you from being barren (ineffective) and unfruitful (unproductive). This reminded me of two things, first in Matthew 5 – where it tells us if salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing. Without salt, there is no flavor, without flavor, how can you possibly be effective in witnessing to the world of God's goodness, if you aren't tasting too good. Maybe abit bland or tasteless. Secondly, if you are no longer fruitful, how can you help advance the kingdom? We must walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:9-10).
We need these each of these attributes for growth. To add, literally means to minister additionally. So, the very unique characteristic of each added or ministered additionally, helps us to be the very uniqued blend or creative work, He intended for us to be (Ps 139:14). If we don’t grow or get seasoned as He purposed, then we become useless spiritually, distorting the purpose of the ministry by which we have been called. Therefore becoming of little or none effect; we are not to give offence in any thing so that the ministry won’t be blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor 6:3-7). I want to be good and savory and give attentiveness to each for a pleasing combination for the Lord and for the world to taste and see (Psalm 34:8); for if we do all these things, we shall never fail (verse 10) and we can share with others this wonderful life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness and this recipe for life! This is a great recipe to swap, wouldn’t you agree?
Until the morning, be blessed, Cynde
I consider myself not only a connoisseur of good food but also one who takes great pride in cooking dishes from my Grandmother’s country kitchen recipes to the finest of restaurant gourmet dishes. However, I realized long ago that the success to great cooking is not just in the labor of love but in the combination of certain ingredients. There are some characteristics or distinction of flavors that compliment one another so well that it gives you the best in blending for a unique and exquisite explosion in your mouth! Your taste buds are happy beyond words and usually, your face will tell the story for you.
This in itself is a great comparison to these verses in Peter. He tells us that God has given us the ingredients needed in order to make and perfect us into the flavor of love that He is looking for to “be partakers, Peter said, of the this divine nature.” God’s faith to love virtues recipe is everything we need for His goodness and for His glory. Peter gives us all of the additives for this recipe of life in these verses. He even tells us the order in which we should add them for optimum results. First, he said, make very effort to add to your faith goodness; and then once you have added goodness, add knowledge; and to knowledge, add self-control; and to self-control, add perseverance; and to perseverance, add godliness; and to godliness, add mutual (common) affection; and to mutual affection, add love. Don't you love those ingredients? I would say that we need to simmer and stir slowly as we add each in order to make sure we have blended properly to make a pleasing combination that the Lord is looking for. Then Peter said, for if you possess these qualities, adding in the proper amounts as needed, they will keep you from being barren (ineffective) and unfruitful (unproductive). This reminded me of two things, first in Matthew 5 – where it tells us if salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing. Without salt, there is no flavor, without flavor, how can you possibly be effective in witnessing to the world of God's goodness, if you aren't tasting too good. Maybe abit bland or tasteless. Secondly, if you are no longer fruitful, how can you help advance the kingdom? We must walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:9-10).
We need these each of these attributes for growth. To add, literally means to minister additionally. So, the very unique characteristic of each added or ministered additionally, helps us to be the very uniqued blend or creative work, He intended for us to be (Ps 139:14). If we don’t grow or get seasoned as He purposed, then we become useless spiritually, distorting the purpose of the ministry by which we have been called. Therefore becoming of little or none effect; we are not to give offence in any thing so that the ministry won’t be blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor 6:3-7). I want to be good and savory and give attentiveness to each for a pleasing combination for the Lord and for the world to taste and see (Psalm 34:8); for if we do all these things, we shall never fail (verse 10) and we can share with others this wonderful life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness and this recipe for life! This is a great recipe to swap, wouldn’t you agree?
Until the morning, be blessed, Cynde
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