Christianity is all about growing. There is no potion in the waters of baptism that magically transforms a babe in Christ into a spiritual adult. As with any endeavor in life, you don’t run before you have first learned to walk. You don’t come by it automatically, either; it requires diligence, devotion, and dedication. For those who wish to be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:1-11), Peter calls for an unparalleled commitment to growth and development. Remember, you can’t expect the results without putting in the work. And in order to make your calling and election sure, you must, “applying all diligence”, seek every opportunity to grow in what we have come to call the “Christian graces.”

Add on to your faith. Everything else is added or supplied to faith because it is the fundamental building block (Heb. 11:6). If the other qualities are not done in faith, they are not done at all.

But that is just the starting place, not the finish line. Our faith must have virtue or moral excellence, an energy that moves our conviction into action, our belief into practice. . The Lord expects such from those who love Him, for adding virtue to faith is the only way to make it grow.

Moral excellence is incomplete without moral wisdom or knowledge. Doesn’t it seem logical that the more we know about Him, the stronger our conviction will be? As our knowledge and understanding multiplies, our faith and virtue can only increase.

Hold on to your hope. Once the foundation of our faith is securely laid, we can better grasp the “anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast” (Heb. 6:19). Self control literally means “holding yourself in” and speaks to the discipline and the ability to control your mind and your body. Hold on to your hope by holding on to your throttle.

Faith-built hope makes perseverance easier. Not easy, just easier. Perseverance is rendered patience in some versions and comes from the verb that means “to wait.” Our failures of the past and difficulties of the present are made bearable only because of our bright anticipation of the future. Hold on just a little longer. It’s worth the wait.

The hope of seeing God is made real as we become more like Him. Godliness is the deep desire of the son to have more of his Father in him. Growth is evident when we are no longer fashioned according to the world but conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. And such we are because we have clothed ourselves with righteousness, holiness, and godliness.

Keep on in your love. It is no accident or coincidence that Peter’s formula for growth culminates in love. What else can stem from godliness but love? In particularly, brotherly kindness, or a common affection that is reserved for our spiritual family. It is a true test of character that we show the same selflessness to others that the Father has shown toward us.

Our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is crowned with our love for our brothers and sisters in the human race. While those of the household of the faith have the first claim on our resources, we must not neglect our opportunities to “do good to all men” (Gal. 6:10). What greater service can we perform for our fellow man than to have a genuine concern for his soul and show him the way to the Savior? That’s the kind of love for the keeping.

It is not enough to just say that you possess these qualities of faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. They must be “yours” and “increasing” (2 Pet.1:8). Those who continue to add on and hold on and keep on will obtain a character according to His likeness and, in the end, the salvation of their soul. This time, the work is not going to keep me from the results.