“Christian Graces”

BIBLE READING:  2 Peter 1

                Have you ever been up late at night watching television and been captivated by a new and exciting product that was going to change your life?  Whether it is steak knives, an exercise program or Flex seal, all these products promise to bring you a new and more productive life.  These products may have some value, but life changing, they are not. We have gotten used to the idea of products making these false promises, haven’t we?  We even have a saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”   However, the Bible does make us an offer that does sound too good to be true; yet it is 100 % effective.  In I Peter 1.5-7, we have the portion of Scripture that we affectionately call the “Christian Graces”.  The Christian Graces are as follows: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, brotherly kindness and love.  Peter continues to tell us that when these things are active within our lives, we will be fruitful.  He goes on to say, “if you practice these qualities, you will never fall” (2 Peter 1.10).  That isn’t to say that we will never sin, but that if these things are active within our lives, we will constantly be seeking forgiveness and wanting to grow more.  Therefore, let’s do our best to buy into these qualities, so we can live that healthy abundant life Peter describes.