CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY
The Love-Life Agency
Do what God has called you to do. You can be inspired by what others do. However, you must do what you do not to impress anyone. You do what you do because God has inspired and affirmed that you do it.
What has God called you to do? Where has God called you to be?
Beloved take heed!
Apostle Bennie
Author
Monday, 10th February, 2025
SHOW FORTH THE EXCELLENCIES OF GOD
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,”
2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV).
VIRTUE is from the greek word, “aretē” which means, “Moral excellence”. This refers to any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military power).
It speaks of whatever procures preeminent estimation for a person or thing; hence, “intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue,” (see Vine, W E: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson).
To add VIRTUE means to:
1. Show forth Excellence. To be excellent is to demonstrate eminence or superiority of achievement and mastery in a sphere. It denotes consummate quality. The world is in the dark (spiritually), and does not know the “excellencies of God”.
However, God has called us to be His chosen generation, royal priests and peculiar people, to display His marvelous light or glory in this dark and chaotic world. (See 1 Peter 2:9)
2. It means to emit MORAL QUALITY.
True virtue in Christ is not merely the modification of human qualities. It is producing divine qualities that make the person more like Jesus Christ. It is to exhibit the purity of Christ in your thoughts, speech, and conduct.
We exhibit the character of Christ because we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). We have the nature of Christ as our actual disposition within.
3. To exude COURAGE and MANLINESS.
The word virtue depicts Valour or spiritual might.
Areté often means courage.
Plutarch (a Greek historian and biographer) says that:
“God is a hope of aretē, not an excuse for cowardice”.
Moral uprightness is real manliness. It is true courage. It is the boldness to stand up for what is true and excellent.
The three Hebrew boys stood up for the only true God. They said, to King Nebuchadnezzar, our God will deliver us from your hands, even if he doesn’t we will still not bow (Daniel 3).
Such audacity of virtue!
Joseph said to Potiphar’s wife, I will not sin against God and your husband. (Study Genesis 39).
“Virtue issues in the courage to show whose it is and whom it serves.”
How firm do you stand in Faith and truth in the face of corruption?
4. Virtue, Aretē, means To be Purposeful.
To the Greek philosophers, Virtue meant, the fulfillment of a thing. It is what we might call operative or efficient, excellence.
An example of its usage can be seen in fertile land.
When anything in nature properly fulfills its purpose, that fulfillment is referred to as “virtue”. Land that produces crops is “excellent” because it is fulfilling its purpose.
God has designed us as His workmanship (creative masterpiece) for a specific purpose.
“We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!” Ephesians 2:10 (TPT)
When you walk in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose for your life, you demonstrate VIRTUE (Excellence).
Is your life radiating or repressing the excellencies of God?
Selah.
DIG DEEPER
(Philippians 4:8; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Peter 2:9; 12; Isaiah 43:21; Isaiah 60:1-3; Philippians 1:27 )
WE PRAY
That we will show forth the excellencies of our Lord Jesus according to His life and nature at work in us.
BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
1 YEAR PLAN
Numbers 2 – 4
2 YEARS PLAN
Genesis 41
DECLARE THESE WORDS:
– I demonstrate virtue and honor.
– I am an example of God’s excellence and glory.
– I emit courage and moral excellence in the face of opposition.
– I walk in the fulfillment of my purpose.
Hallelujah!!!
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