ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Evg. Yongho Louis, is an Evangelist with the DR. EVG. YONGHO LOUIS
Victory Oureach Ministries Cameroon. A teacher with some
Bible Schools like Dylet Bible Instutite, RIBS. He is currently
a lecturer with some universities in Cameroon and abroad
in Computer Science engineering and research. He is an
Endowed Proclaimer of the Gospel. He is a prolific preacher
of the Word of God, many works undergoing publication .

ABOUT THE BOOK

The purpose of this book is to enlighten

Christians about the purpose of faith and
the values which must be cultivated to be
fruitful faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

The Ladder Of Faith

Copyright Publications

NKWEN, BAMENDA – CAMEROON

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2018

P.O BOX 5236, Nkwen, Bamenda - Cameroon

Email: vomcam@gmail.com - voucam1977@gmail.com

TEL: +237- 677 27 66 35 – 675 37 73 49

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, recording, faxing, photocopying or
otherwise without prior permission in writing from the author,
EDITORS or publisher.
6. Being faithful makes others respect you. When
you stand your ground and tell off those trying to lure
you from the one you are committed to, when you
publicly show loyalty, the public will respect you, people
will admire you..
DEDICATION
7. A drama-free love life. Being faithful makes your
relationship/marriage last. The quickest and easiest way
to end your relationship/marriage is by cheating This book is dedicated to God Almighty, the Body
of Christ worldwide and especially to my Christians of
8. Faithfulness sets the right example for your
Victory Outreach Ministries, who have taken up the
children to follow. Children learn from our actions and
commission of our Lord Jesus to preach to all.
behavior..

9. Being faithful has a positive effect on your

character. That way, you are able to live out your
greatness with confidence. Integrity is important, and it
starts by how you live your private life, it gives moral
authority..

10. Unexplainable and uncontainable success.

There is no benefit in being unfaithful, no fruit,

reward or advantage; just pain, regret and destruction.
Unfaithfulness feeds on your selfish side and blinds you.

39 i

APPRECIATION
We want to express our appreciation and thanks
to the authors whose works wehave used to build up
these messages, a collection from the teachings of
Victory Outreach Ministries Cameroon Bible Study
services.
Thank you very much.
ii
of eternal life in Heaven.
Our faithful allegiance to Almighty God is the only
thing that we can really count on; He is our hope in a
fallen world. His provision of forgiveness and salvation
through Jesus is the greatest benefit of all if we are
faithful believers.
The results of faithfulness therefore are the following:
1. A peace beyond my understanding. Being faithful
gives you peace of mind, you don’t have to watch your
tracks, you are not paranoid, trying to remember every
lie you say.
2. Chronic happiness.
3. An uncontrollable sense of pride. Being faithful
gives you peace of mind, you don’t have to watch your
tracks, you are not paranoid, trying to remember every
lie you say.
4. A strong confidence.
5. Love that feels like a fairy tale
38
 prolong your life many years and bring your TABLE OF CONTENT
prosperity.”

 Proverbs 16:6-7 - “Through love and faithfulness sin

is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man
avoids evil. When a man’s ways are pleasing to the
LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with
him.”
Proverbs
28:20 - “A faithful man will be richly
blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go
unpunished.”

 Revelation 2:10 - (NKJV) “Do not fear any of

those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the
devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that
you may be tested and will have tribulation ten days.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown
of life.”

The most significant element in our Christian life

is faithfulness to God. In the days we now live in, we
are unsure of what will happen next across the globe.
There are wars, famines, economic collapse, and
many natural disasters. Being faithful to God gives us
great peace and assurance that we will be brought
through by His promises of blessings and the reward
37 iii

INTRODUCTION
In the first chapter of Peter’s second epistle, he
makes a bold promise, an astonishing guarantee. He says,
in effect, “If you make an effort to add certain qualities
to your life, and develop these qualities increasingly over
a period of time, I guarantee that you will be productive
and effective for the glory of God.” He’s not saying that
these qualities will merely improve your chances for
fulfillment in life, he’s guaranteeing it. And look what
he guarantees: not just happiness, not just success, but
effectiveness and productivity. In other words, you will
accomplish something great.
1 36
below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...” These
are the words given directly from God to Moses for all
people, for all time.
Since God assumes a covenant relationship with
His people, He is declaring that He will not tolerate
unfaithfulness and competition with anything else. An
idol can be in the form of anything that you might place
in a higher priority over God. This includes false images
of worship or placing anything in our lives that has
preeminence over God.
What are the benefits of faithfulness to God?
To some, perhaps the most beneficial aspect of
faithfulness to God would include the fact that the
faithful will not suffer God’s judgment. Until our
judgment day, there are many other benefits while we
are here on earth.
 Psalm 37:28 - “For the LORD loves the just and will
not forsake his faithful ones.”
 Proverbs 3:12 - “My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart, for they will
 CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER ONE

BENEFITS OF FAITHFULNESS PETER’S LADDER: WHAT IS IT?

Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful

person who can find?” Proverbs 20:6

We live in a society of constant progression. Every

day we see a new release of something: the next best
phone, the next best car and the next best shoes. We
desire the latest and greatest in every aspect of life. Sadly,
it’s becoming that way in our relationships too.
Building on the foundaton of Faith
Without faithfulness to God there can be no Christian
life. Christianity is based first on faith that God is, and
TEXT OF OUR STUDY
then that through Christ Jesus we can be forgiven and
are saved. Our faithfulness is a commitment to adhere 2 Peter 1:5-11 Spiritual Growth
to the One God who is true and supreme and to keep
His commandments. Here Peter begins by stating: adding to your
faith. The Greek word for adding is epichoregeo and
In fact, the first two of the Ten Commandments it is the source for the English word “chorus” and
(Exodus 20), deal directly with our being faithful to God. “choreography.” It literally means “to gather a
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not
chorus.” In this chorus that Peter is gathering together,
make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
there are seven graces. If all seven graces are followed
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters
through, it will result in the harmony of the soul,
35 2
which is what a good chorus always reaches:
harmony.
Let’s look at spiritual growth as a set of stages,
with which ingredients are added to make the spirit
grow. One could compare this to a person who gets
ingredients, nutrients, into their system will grow.
These are spiritual nutrients made up of different
ingredients which we need for growth.
This list is similar to the list of fruits in
Galatians 5 and James 3:17. When one compares all
three, it is clear that these are qualities which should
be in every Christian. James shows the result of wise
or right living. Galatians shows us the result of Spirit-
living. 2 Peter reveals the results of holy living. The
Holy Spirit guides us to right living. Therefore, the
Holy Spirit leads us to right living.
3 34
8. Selfless
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been
called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
A faithful Christian servant does not put his
needs above the needs of others. Jesus was selfless
in that He came to serve, not be served (Matthew
20:28). He never put His needs above others, in fact,
He gave the ultimate self-sacrifice when He went to
the cross to pay the penalty of sin for the whole world.
Like Him, we should serve without concern for our
need, but for the needs of others (Philippians 2:3-4).
Final Thoughts
There are so many more characteristics of a
faithful Christian leader that I could list here. For
example, he is a good listener, he has a great sense of
awareness and even when he has not experienced the
same life event as someone that he serves, he
empathizes and accepts them for who they are.
 A faithful Christian servant must not only give
at the offering plate; he must be willing to give of his
gifts and talents. Giving of your talent shows your
commitment to serve others. It shows that we are
willing to serve others out of a heart of gratitude for
the grace that we have been given. It is the least we
can do (Romans 12:1-2).
7. Foresight
James 1:2–3 My brethren, count it all joy when
ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that
the trying of your faith worketh patience.
A faithful Christian servant learns from his
experience and applies that to situations in which he
may serve. He understands that trials and tribulations
build patience and with patience comes experience.
Finally, he knows that experience produces hope
(Romans 5:1-5). Sometimes people in hopeless
situations need to just be served.
33
CHAPTER TWO
SEVEN INGREDIENTS TO SPIRITUAL
GROWTH
“For this very reason, make every effort to
supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with
knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control
with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness
with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with
love.” (2 Peter 1:5–7, NIV)
In the first chapter of Peter’s second epistle, he
makes a bold promise, an astonishing guarantee. He says,
in effect, “If you make an effort to add certain qualities
to your life, and develop these qualities increasingly over
a period of time, I guarantee that you will be productive
and effective for the glory of God.” He’s not saying that
these qualities will merely improve your chances for
fulfillment in life, he’s guaranteeing it. And look what
he guarantees: not just happiness, not just success, but
effectiveness and productivity. In other words, you will
accomplish something great. Listen to how Peter’s words
are rendered in the Message.
4
(v. 8) With these qualities active and growing in your
lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will
pass without its reward...[the Message]
What are the qualities? This list that we find in 2 Peter
becomes your new top priority. So let’s take a look at
the list.
(v. 5) 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 kindness; and to brotherly
kindness, love.
There are seven qualities we need to develop.
Today we’ll look more closely at each one. We’ll define
it, and I’ll suggest one step that will help you in the
process of building each quality into your life. Peter
said...
(v. 8) For if you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective
and unproductive...
In increasing measure. That’s a key phrase. This
is not an easy task Peter has given us; these qualities
according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). There is
purpose in serving others!
5. Forbearing
Ephesians 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same
things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing
that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there
respect of persons with him.
A faithful Christian servant is careful not to
impose his calling onto others. We cannot make
someone volunteer. We cannot make someone serve.
We can be a master at serving others however, we
must be careful to avoid causing someone else to
serve in a capacity that they were not called to do.
When we do this we risk placing someone into a
position that is not the desire of their heart, nor
glorifies God.
6. Good Steward
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the
gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.
32
 Most have heard that to be meek does not mean
that you are weak. On the contrary! I have heard
meekness defined as controlled strength. You are
meek when you are gentle, quiet and submissive. A
faithful Christian servant knows when it is necessary
to be meek and serves in a way that displays this
Christ-like characteristic. As the Psalmist says “The
meek will guide in judgment: and the meek will he
teach his way.” (Psalm 25:9)
4. Longsuffering
Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full
of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering, and
plenteous in mercy and truth.
A faithful Christian servant is patient to serve
everyone, even when they are not ready to be served.
Sometimes we need to wait for the perfect time to be
a servant to a fellow brother or sister in Christ. A
faithful servant will jump on the chance to offer a
helping hand or take on an additional workload. He
needs to remember that “all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called
31
take time to develop. It won’t happen overnight. If you’re
a follower of Jesus, then you’re in it for the long haul—
and in 50 years your objective will still be to see these
qualities developing in your life in increasing measure.
Now, no matter where you are in your walk with
Jesus Christ, you possess some amount of these seven
qualities. Maybe some more than others, but however
much you possess, I can guarantee you that it’s not
enough. You need more. God’s plan for your holiness is
that you add these characteristics to your life day-by-
day—in increasing measure. If you could rate yourself
on each one, you might give yourself a 2 here, a 4 there,
maybe a 6 or 7 there — or maybe (and I suspect there
are more than a few of us in this group) you would give
yourself ones and twos all the way down. That’s fine,
because at issue today is not your past, but your future.
If you don’t have these qualities at work in your life
right now, that’s not a problem, because today they are
becoming your top priority. Here’s the challenge. Let
this list define the person you want to be, and make every
effort to add these qualities to your life in increasing
measure, day-by-day, throughout the rest of your life.
 I’ll called this series “Transformed by Truth:
Creating Change Through Confronting Reality.” Part
of the reality that we must confront is the reality of who
Jesus Christ is. He is, according to verse 2, our “God
and Savior.” Yes, Peter calls him God. He’s the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords, and he died for our sins.
We must also confront the reality of our own lives. We
were lost in sin, we had no chance of saving ourselves,
and our only hope is in his grace and mercy. We must
confront the reality of where we are now in our journey
to holiness if we ever hope to make it to the next level
in our walk. So today as we go through this list, I want
you to rate yourself (I said rate yourself, not berate
yourself) — and make an honest acknowledgement of
how much you possess of each quality. Even if you give
yourself a one, remember that the idea is to develop this
quality in increasing measure over the remainder of your
life.
FAITH (“pistis”)
All Bible-believing Christians have to start here
with faith: believing God and his Word. It is
fundamental to Christian life (see Eph. 2:8–9). But
5 30
2. Humble
Mark 10:42–45 But Jesus called them to him,
and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are
accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship
over them; and their great ones exercise authority
upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but
whosoever will be great among you, shall be your
minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest,
shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many.
A faithful Christian servant does not act in a
way that is superior over others. He will be humble
and not proud (Colossians 3:12). He will remember
that he is first a servant and a minister. He will
remember why Jesus came to earth — to humbly give
his life for all.
3. Meek
Eph.4:2–3 With all lowliness and meekness,
with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.
 CHAPTER FOUR
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FAITHFUL
CHRISTIAN SERVANT
Most Christians know what it means to be a
servant. But do you know what it means to be a
faithful servant? Let’s see what guidance the Bible
can give us regarding at least 8 characteristics of a
faithful Christian servant.
1. A Follower and a Leader
John 12:26,” If any man serve me, let him follow
me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be:
if any man serve me, him will my Father honour..
A faithful Christian servant loves his Heavenly
Father and strives to follow Jesus. This means that
when he makes choices of what to do in his life, he
chooses what Jesus would choose and goes where
Jesus would go. A faithful Christian servant will be
available to teach others how to follow Jesus too.
29
do not stop there, for Christians are also to be like
mathematicians and add to their faith.
The first ingredient is to have faith. Our journey with
Christ begins with faith. It ends with faith.
“For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from
faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will
live by faith.” (Romans 1:17, NIV)
Without faith we can’t please God.
“Now without faith it is impossible to please
God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe
that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”
(Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
Faith is essential for spiritual growth.
Everything else is added to faith.
All Bible-believing Christians have to start here
with the first step of faith: believing God and his
Word. It is fundamental to Christian life (see Eph.
2:8–9). But do not stop there, for Christians are also
to be like mathematicians and add to their faith.
6
 Again, the items on the list are: goodness,
knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness,
brotherly kindness, and love. Now, let’s take a couple
of minutes to look at each one. First of all...To faith, we
have to add the first ingredient:
INGREDIENT 1: GOODNESS
(Also known as virtue, or moral excellence)
(“arete”)
Faith which is honoring to God is to have the
character of goodness and moral excellence. Faith
must be accompanied by an excellent character. In
order for my faith to be believed, I have to be morally
sincere and real. I have to follow my faith by my
actions.
Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.” (2 Peter
1:10–11, NIV)
If you walk around with your eyes closed, you
will stumble! But the growing Christian walks with
confidence because he knows he is secure in Christ.
It is not our profession of faith that guarantees that
we are saved; it is our progression in the faith that
gives us that assurance. The person who claims to be
a child of God but whose character and conduct give
no evidence of spiritual growth is deceiving himself
and heading for judgment.

The King James Version translates the word

virtue. New American Standard is moral excellence. The
Message translates it good character. The Greek word
is arête (aratay), and William Barclay tells us that it refers
to excellence in an operative or practical sense. In other
words, it’s about behavior.

7 28
2. Vision
“The person who lacks these things is blind and
shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from
his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9, NIV)
We stop short-sightedness. We see further into
the future of what God has planned for us. If we forget
what God has done for us, we will not be excited to
share Christ with others. Through the blood of Jesus
Christ we have been purged and forgiven! God has
opened our eyes! Let’s not forget what He has done!
Rather, let’s cultivate gratitude in our hearts and
sharpen our spiritual vision. Life is too brief and the
needs of the world too great for God’s people to be
walking around with their eyes closed!
3. Security
“Therefore, brothers, make every effort to
confirm your calling and election, because if you do
these things you will never stumble. For in this way,
entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior
27
Many times you hear someone described as being
a “good person” in spite of their many faults: “I know
he likes to drink and fight and steal and gamble and
cheat on his wife, but he’s really a good person.” Have
you ever heard someone say something like that?
Peter is not talking about us being content with
merely having a good heart or good intentions or sincere
motives—he’s talking about behavior. Now, your good
works won’t get you into heaven, let’s be clear about
that. But the Bible says (Ephesians 2:10) that you were
saved for the purpose of doing good works. This is God’s
plan for you. So Peter says we need to add these good
works to our faith.
Again, I want to emphasize that this goodness,
this virtue, this moral excellence, this arete, is not a
feeling. It’s an action, halleluyah!!.
The first quality that you add to your faith is
goodness—good actions. How do you develop this
quality? You’ve heard people jokingly say, “I’ve done
my good deed for the day.” Well, the idea is not to stop
with one, but the idea is to start with one. You want to
get to the point where you’re doing hundreds and
8
hundreds good deeds a day. You start with one. Look CHAPTER THREE
for something good to do.
BENEFITS THAT COME WITH SPIRITUAL
We need to get in the habit of looking around and GROWTH
asking, “What’s the next good thing I can do?”
To goodness, I have to add the second 1. Fruitfulness
ingredient:
“For if these qualities are yours and are
increasing, they will keep you from being useless or
INGREDIENT 2: KNOWLEDGE (“GNOSIS”) unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 1:8, NIV)
Barclay tells us that this Greek word refers to
practical knowledge. This isn’t “philosophical theory” The first benefit is fruitfulness. Learning in school
type of knowledge. This is the type of knowledge that is teaches the student to be like the teacher. Jesus said:
put to use. He defines it as “that knowledge which
“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is
enables a man to decide rightly and to act honorably
unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on
and efficiently in the day-to-day circumstances of life.”
Peter is saying, “add this type of practical knowledge to
the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
your faith.” “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who
remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit,
Why are we to add virtue before knowledge? I because you can do nothing without Me.” (John
believe it’s because if my mind is cluttered with 15:4–5, NIV)
bitterness, anger, greed, pornography and violence, I
won’t be able to extract knowledge about life from
the Word because I’ve filled my spirit with the junk
9 26
and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Regardless of where you are today, I challenge
you to make it your priority to develop these qualities.
Memorize this list, pray about each one, and look for
ways to add them to your life.
There are three benefits to learning these skills
in the school of Christ which we shall examine in the
next chapter.
25
food of the world. Moral excellence is that which
makes room for us to take in the Word and gain
knowledge of the Lord.
If faith is to be active obedience to God, then
we must have “knowledge” (epýìgnōsis) of God and
of His will for us. This knowledge is everything I
have learned, what I have discovered. This knowledge
is in stark contrast to our former ignorance which
led us to live former lusts.
I’ve known university graduates who made good
grades and earned degrees from excellent schools, but
who couldn’t get a job simply because they didn’t know
how to conduct themselves in a job interview. In addition
to learning all about their chosen field, they should have
added the practical knowledge of how to present oneself
to a prospective employer. That’s knowledge you can
put to use.
Similarly, I meet people from time to time who
are just beginning to get interested in the Bible, just
beginning to learn a little bit about it. Too often they
allow themselves to get side-tracked into speculations
that aren’t really crucial to living the Christian life—
10
such as where did Cain get his wife, or who were the
Nehpilim, and so on. These discussions may have their
place, but it’s much more important to focus on how
you apply the truths of scripture to your life. Instead of
chasing down some obscure point in Genesis, read the
Sermon on the Mount and put it to work in your life.
Peter says add to your faith knowledge—practical
knowledge that you can use. Here’s how you develop
that quality: Read. First, read the Bible. Every day.
Before you look at the newspaper, before you check your
email, before you read anything else, spend time in the
Word. Also, it’s a good idea to read books about Christian
living. You should always have a book in progress—a
book about living the Christian life. Doing this will help
you grow in practical knowledge.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to
the desires of your former ignorance.” (1 Peter 1:14,
NIV)
To knowledge we add the third ingredient:
11
CONCLUSION
Peter has given us a list of qualities to develop.
They’ve been compared to stair-steps, as if each quality
progresses to the next. In reality, they’re more like parts
of an engine, or various instruments in a band—they all
work together and they all build on one another. But it
may help you to see that they fall into three categories
that we need to give attention to. Here they are.
• We need to develop good practical knowledge, and we
need to put it into practice with good actions. (Goodness,
knowledge.)
• We need to develop self-discipline, and we need to keep
trying till we get it right. (Self-control, perseverance.)
• We need to develop love, strengthening our
relationships with others and giving God the worship
he deserves. (Godliness, brotherly kindness, love.)
These seven characteristics are crucial for living
an effective Christian life. Peter’s guarantee is this:
(v. 8) If you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective
24
have spiritual growth. Agápē is also a part of the fruit
of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith,” (Galatians 5:22,
NIV)
Peter believes in the priority of love. In his first
letter he wrote, “And above all things have fervent
love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude
of sins.’”
“Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all
offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12, NIV)
“Above all, maintain an intense love for each
other, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter
4:8, NIV)
The best way to express love and the best way to
develop the quality of love is to practice the Golden
Rule.
23
INGREDIENT 3. SELF-CONTROL
(“ENKRATEIA”)
The NIV uses the word self-control. In the
Message it is translated alert discipline. The KJV uses
temperance. I like Barclay’s description of this word
best: self-mastery. Theologian Douglas Moo defines it
as “the ability of the human being to act entirely of one’s
own free will without being subject to the whims and
pressures of other people, competing philosophies, or
one’s own emotions.” (The NIV Application
Commentary, Zondervan, by Douglas Moo, p.45) Many
people think this is the most difficult quality to add, but
it’s really not. It’s mainly a matter of being able to say
“no”.
To know is vitally important, but it is not
enough. We are to do what we know we should do.
In many of our lives, there is a great gulf between
our knowledge and our conduct. It was to this
problem James spoke when he wrote, “to him who
knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin”
(James 4:17).
12
 Why is temperance, or self-control, to be added
to knowledge? Because as I gain knowledge, if I’m
not very, very careful, I will begin to say, “Now that
I have knowledge about this, I can handle it.”
A dear pastor friend of mine who had been
mightily used by the Lord began to say, “My studies
have convinced me that Jesus drank alcohol.” And
he went on to develop an extensive argument for why
Christians should be able to drink. This led him and
his wife to wine-tasting events, which led to
nightclubs, which led to dancing with other people,
which led to divorce. In the name of knowledge, this
dear brother sacrificed temperance—and lost his
family and ministry as a result.
Peter warns us that as we add knowledge, we
must be sure we don’t get caught up in a pharisaical
pseudo-intellectualism that makes us feel that,
because we’re a cut above others, we can indulge
ourselves in ways that will destroy us.
The Greek word for “self-control” is enkráteia,
which is sometimes translated as temperance. It is
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INGREDIENT 7. LOVE (“agape”)
Of course, Peter’s list ends with love, because love
is the ultimate Christian priority. This is at the top of the
list. As Paul wrote...
Over all these virtues put on love, which binds
them together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14)
Jesus said...
By this all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
Love is the ultimate expression of Christian
holiness. How do we express love? How do we develop
this quality? I think it can be found in the words of
Jesus...
So in everything, do to others what you would
have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and
the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
Love for the lost is the capstone of our Christian
faith. When I can show love not just for people in the
church, but also the lost, then I have shown that I
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 Paul teaches us to be kindly, affectionate to one
another in brotherly love; “Show family affection to
one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another
in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10, NIV)
This is one of the amazing qualities of the
church of Jesus Christ. We are to love one another as
brothers and sisters in Christ—and are members one
to another
“Now you are the body of Christ, and
individual members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV)
We must live out our faith by having love for
our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“By this all people will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John
13:35, NIV)
Once we have done that, then we can share love
with others who need Jesus. This is the seventh
ingredient to spiritual growth: love. Love for the lost
is the capstone of our Christian faith.
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one element of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in
Galatians 5:23. In the real sense of the term, it means
more than self being in control. A more descriptive
and accurate term would be “God-control.” Only
when we are under the control of the Holy Spirit can
we be self-controlled.
You have a budget to live by, right? You could, if
you let yourself go a little crazy, run up some big bills in
a very short time. All day long the opportunity to spend
presents itself to you. And all day long you have to say
“no”. “No thank you, I don’t want your magazines. No
thank you, drinks, I won’t spend the weekend outside,
even if the memories will be priceless. No thank you,
John, I won’t buy a new truck today. No thank you, I’m
just looking.” And on and on.
Now, in this area, some people can’t say no very
well, and they suffer the consequences, don’t they? I
have noticed this: a major difference between those who
are always struggling to get by financially and those
who are comfortably affluent is that the affluent have
the ability to say no. I’ve known people who have made
purchases—big purchases—because they were afraid of
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what the salesman would think if they didn’t spend the
money. Isn’t that amazing?
Just as there is a connection between financial
stability and the ability to say no, there is a connection
between holiness and the ability to say no. Throughout
the day you have countless opportunities to compromise
your priorities—to think what you shouldn’t think, to
say what you shouldn’t say, to spend money you don’t
have, to golf when you should be at home with your
kids, to watch TV when you should be in the Word, and
on and on and on. Your ability to say “no” to these
various compromises are crucial in your journey into
holiness. Do you want to develop self-mastery? Practice
saying no. Practice saying no to those opportunities that
entice you to compromise your priorities. To self-control
we add the fourth ingredient:
INGREDIENT 4. PERSEVERANCE
(“hupomonen”)
One of my favorite writers, called this the “queen
of the virtues.” The Greek word is hupomone (hoopoh-
moanay), and it is often translated patience but it means,
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to build stronger friendships into our lives. You need
people outside your immediate family that you love, that
you trust, that you can confide in, and who give you the
freedom to be yourself. Peter is referring to more than
just our being friendly and kind with others. He’s talking
about building relationships of brotherly love, of mutual
affection.
Here’s how to develop this quality. Strengthen
your friendships. You’ve got friends, no doubt—people
with whom you talk about sports or cooking or movies
or kids and so on. I want to encourage you to move
some of those friendships to the next level. Spend some
time with one or two of your friends, making an effort
to open up just a little bit, to share a little more of your
heart with them, to listen a little more closely to what
they have to say about their own struggles in life. The
idea of this brotherly love, this mutual affection, is that
you can provide strength to one another. So, strengthen
your friendships.
“By obedience to the truth, having purified
yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one
another earnestly from a pure heart,” (1 Peter 1:22,
NIV)
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 INGREDITN 6. BROTHERLY AFFECTION
(“philadelphia”)
The New Revised Standard translates it mutual
affection. The Message says, warm friendliness. Peter
is talking about having a relational connection with
others.
We have to show our love for the brothers first.
Jesus said that the world would know us by how we
love one another.
“Brotherly kindness” or “brotherly love” is a
special kind of love. The Greek word is familiar to
us today. It is philadelphia.
Here’s a problem I have seen in the church as
well as outside the church, especially among men. It’s
called social isolation. We don’t have friends. Too many
of us live our lives completely alone, with no one to talk
to, no one with whom we can share our deepest hurts
and needs, no one to offer encouragement during tough
times. Instead, we just bear it alone. Men aren’t the only
ones who do it, but we may be the worst. However, all
of us—both men and women—need to make an effort
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literally, to remain under — in other words, to persevere.
To stick with it.
Both James and Peter write a great deal about
the virtue of “perseverance” (hupomonéì). This word
means “enduring, continuance or patience” and
comes from the root word hupoménō which can mean
“to bear trials, to have fortitude, to abide or to endure.”
In our vernacular, we would say perseverance means
“hanging in there.” There are only seconds which
separate those who fail from those who succeed in
running most races. Too many people drop out of the
race just before it is to be won. Those who persevere
by “hanging in there” are those who win the prize.
In developing this quality, you not only have to
learn to endure external opposition—you must learn to
endure your own mistakes and failures. I’ve known only
a handful of Christians who gave up on their faith due
to peer pressure, criticism or persecution. But I’ve known
many who gave up after becoming discouraged at their
own inability to measure up to the standard. Face it: the
road to Christian maturity is rough and rocky. You’ll
fall many times along the way. You will never reach the
destination unless you develop the quality of
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perseverance. How do you develop it? Try again. Have
you tried a thousand times to control your temper? Try
again. Have you tried a thousand times to build a better
relationship with your children? Try again. Have you
tried a thousand times to develop a consistent devotional
life? Try again.
The book of Proverbs says, “for though a
righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.”
(Proverbs 24:16). Try again.
To perseverance, we add a fifth ingredient:
INGREDIENT 5. GODLINESS (“eusebeian”)
The Greek word for godliness, eusébeia, means
“godly, pious, or devout.” Godliness cannot be
fabricated. We cannot merely pretend to be godly.
The quality of godliness comes from God Himself.
He must give that quality of life to us. We receive it
as we are dead to self and alive to God and as we
allow the Spirit to live within us. The fruits of the
Spirit are attributes of the character of God. The more
we are possessed by God, the more we will act like
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Him and the more His character will be revealed in
our lives.
When many hear these words—godliness and
piety—they get an image of sour-faced, condescending,
holier-than-thou religion. We’ve all known people who
are like that, but that’s not what Peter is talking about.
Actually, in Greek literature this word is used to describe
a person who is in a right relationship with both God
(or “the gods”) and others—a person who gives God
the worship he deserves, and who treats others with the
respect and dignity they deserve. This is what godliness
is all about. Jesus made it clear that we can’t be rightly
related to God and continue to be wrongly related to
people. [Mt. 5:23-24] The apostle John wrote...
He has given us this command: Whoever loves
God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:21) This is
godliness. Do you want to develop this quality? Jesus
told us how: Treat others as you would treat him.
To godliness, we add two special ingredients.
The sixth ingredient:
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