| The Christian Life | November 1943 |
Decision Our Part
Strength From the Lord
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge.”—II Peter 1:5
WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and genuine faith is sure to be manifested in works, for faith without works is dead. (James 2:17,20) Success along any line of endeavor depends upon enthusiasm and diligence. To undertake anything in a dilatory, half-hearted fashion, is a sure way to fail, and this is true in spiritual matters as well as material. This is why Peter admonishes that we give “all diligence” in adding virtue to our faith. To give “all” diligence implies the greatest effort possible—not merely a good effort, but the best that we are capable of making.
The term “virtue” as here used is froth a Greek word meaning strength, or fortitude. Christian strength of character is vitally associated with faith—faith in God; faith in His promises, and faith that His will for us is the best. Diligence in adding fortitude to our faith is manifested principally in being definite and positive in the decisions we make to do the divine, will. Lack of positive determination to do right, leaves the way open for failure.
But the secret of attaining Christian fortitude is not alone the matter of being positive in making decisions. We can’t imagine the Apostle Paul as ever being anything else but positive and definite in everything which he undertook, yet he testifies that since becoming a Christian and thus being enlightened he realized he was not successful in doing that which he wanted to do—“for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”—Romans 7:18
Christian strength of character, therefore, involves more than that which is obtainable through our own efforts. It is not a matter of understanding and controlling human behavior along natural lines, for fallen human behavior cannot be controlled to a point pleasing to God. Paul found that out, and every Christian who is sincere in appraising his own attainments realizes how far short he comes from reaching the divine standard.
But we can will to do right, and then trust in divine strength to uphold us under trial. When we think of self we tremble, but when we look to the Lord we are strong.
Thus we see that Christian fortitude is made up first of our own decision to do God’s will, and then a confident reliance upon God to fulfill all of His reassuring promises to give us grace and strength for every time of need. Even then, there will be slips and failures, for God permits these to keep us humble and to remind us of the necessity of leaning more firmly upon Him.