2 Peter 1:5 Meaning: “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue”
A Life of Effort, Growth, and Obedience
The Call to Diligence in the Christian Life
What is the Christian life, brothers and sisters, but a life of growing up into Christ? What is it but having His character continually fashioned within us, until that work is perfected in glory?
But how is this accomplished? We all acknowledge that it is by the grace of God, but God uses means to fulfill His purposes. He grows and perfects His people through effort. We cannot expect to sit idly by and assume that God will make us more like Christ without our participation. Growth in holiness requires diligence.
Think about it—who has ever accomplished anything worthwhile in life without effort? The same applies to the Christian life. Peter tells us that no believer should be satisfied with merely seeing one or two graces in his life. Even those who see many graces must not grow complacent. Yet, many professing Christians are content with a faint flicker of new life. Instead of striving for spiritual growth, they devote their energy to worldly pleasures.
This does not lead to the abundant life Christ offers. It does not produce peace, joy, or assurance, but rather anxiety, doubt, and fear. Christ did not die so that we would live as spiritually impoverished saints. He died that we might thrive in the Christian life—living as holy, joyful believers. And this comes only through persistent effort.
Running the Race with Endurance
The Christian life requires effort, just as an athlete must train to compete. Consider Hebrews 12:1:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
This is the language of exertion—of laying aside distractions and running with endurance. To pursue holiness, we must be both vigilant and careful in our walk.
Vigilance in the Christian Life
We cannot afford to be spiritually asleep. The world constantly tempts, the devil seeks to destroy, and the flesh betrays us. Would it be wise to let down our guard while surrounded by such dangers? Of course not. We must remain watchful over our souls every day.
Carefulness in the Christian Life
We are most vulnerable when our defenses are down. Satan strikes when we grow careless. Therefore, we must walk with the fear of the Lord before our eyes—striving to avoid sin and to please God in all things.
The Measure of Our Effort
Peter commands us to make every effort—to give all diligence to our pursuit of holiness. How much effort should we exert in this? Consider what is at stake—our salvation.
Later in this chapter, Peter urges believers:
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (2 Peter 1:10)
If salvation is our highest treasure, should we not pursue it with the greatest effort? Think of the time and energy we devote to earthly matters—our jobs, our health, our leisure. These things will perish. How much more should we invest in that which is eternal?
Many Christians claim that heaven is their greatest desire, yet they labor little for it. We spend countless hours on earthly work and entertainment, but struggle to devote even a portion of each day to our spiritual growth. Peter urges us to put forth every effort—our mind, heart, body, and soul—into our pursuit of holiness.
The Pursuit of Christ
Seventeenth-century Puritan Thomas Adams describes this pursuit in vivid terms:
Christ has sprinkled all the way between heaven and earth with His blood and made it a living way. Like good hounds, let us trace Him by the foot and run after Him in the smell of His garments, not resting until we rest with our Master.
This is what it means to make every effort. Just as hunting dogs follow a scent with unwavering determination, so too must we trace the steps of Christ daily—never stopping until we are with Him in glory.
This pursuit begins with faith. Without faith, we cannot add virtue, knowledge, or self-control. Faith is the foundation upon which the entire Christian life is built.
Faith Must Be Accompanied by Virtue
Peter exhorts us to supplement our faith with virtue. But what is virtue?
John Calvin defines it as a life honest and rightly formed. The Greek word for virtue is the same one used in 2 Peter 1:3, where Peter speaks of God’s excellence. It also appears in Philippians 4:8:
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any excellence, think about these things.
Virtue, then, is moral excellence—a life of godliness and good works. John Gill writes:
Faith is the foundation of all good works, but it should not stand alone. Virtue must accompany it.
This is the very purpose for which we have been saved. As Ephesians 2:10 declares:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Good works do not add to our salvation, but they are evidence of it. They confirm that we are truly in Christ. Do we not desire the assurance that we belong to Him? That assurance grows as we walk in obedience.
A Life of Obedience and Dependence
If we are to make every effort in the Christian life, we must daily go to the source of all grace—our Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Before we go out into the world, we must seek the strength and grace that He alone provides. As we supplement our faith with virtue, we trust that Christ will give the increase. This brings glory to Him, and it serves to preserve and protect us in the faith.
Let us, then, pursue Christ with diligence—knowing that as we strive for holiness, He is faithful to sustain us until the very end.
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