To love (agape) others means ____. Fill in the blank on Fill-It-In-Friday!

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.
2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)

After mixing together faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and mutual affection (brotherly love) Peter  says to add love. 

Why do you think Peter saved love, agape in the Greek, for last? What do you think agape love means? 

I am going to try something different today. Let's call this a "Fill-it-in" Friday. I need you to complete the following statement. 

Peter places love last for a reason. To love (agape) others means ___________________________________. Help us out by filling in the blank leaving your thoughts and insights in the comment section. Thanks!

Does a Friend Need You to Stand by Them?

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, brotherly love, and to brotherly love, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)

I have two sisters and one brother. We grew up like typical brothers and sisters. We argued , played, fought and laughed. After we moved out and we're living on our own my brother went through a bit of a hard time. I drove out from California to New Mexico to pick him up and bring him back for Christmas. He kind of thought that just because he was going through this particularly difficult situation that we might not support him. I told him that right or wrong (and he was in the right) he was my brother, I loved him and would always be there for him. 

Brotherly love just loves. Not romantic love. Not emotional fantasy love. It's stand by your friend, help no matter what love. Brotherly love stands with someone when they repent. It's not about condoning or judging, it's about support. Brotherly love tells the truth in love. It helps you see what is right and helps you do what is right. 

Who do you need to stand with today?

Godliness is not wimpy

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. 

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)

Godliness has got to be a trait with little meaning to our modern  world. Our modern culture does not value godliness. Growing up the message I heard about godliness was a lot about what you didn't do. You don't get angry. You don't hit someone back. You don't think to highly of yourself. You don't lust. You don't drink. You don't go to R-rated movies. It made me see godliness as sort of advanced wimpiness. 

In contrast to much of what people think, the men of God found in the Bible were quite strong, bold and anything but wimpy. 

Think of Job. He was a strong powerful man who sought the Lord with all his heart. 

Then there was David, the warrior psalmist. He was a man after God's own heart. And he led his nation in battle. 

The Apostle Paul was definitely an A-type personality if there ever was one. Persecutor of the church  turned follower of the way. He preached the gospel to basically the know world and wrote a good portion of the New Testament. 

What about Peter, the fisherman turned fisher of men, disciple and apostle? I don't think you would call him wimpy. He stood up to the ruling Sanhedrin and declared, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God" (Acts 4:19b). He wrote this very epistle we are studying. He would die a martyr's death. 

Godliness is strength governed by grace and justice tempered with mercy. Living my life in godliness is not about things I don't do, it is loving others as Christ first loved me. 

Father, help us to be godly in all we say and do. Praise be to you in us today!