As I laid on my couch I started reading out of a book, a really great book I might add on compassion, called "Saving Simon" by Jon Katz. In one excerpt he questions how it seems that animals lovers can have the most utmost compassion on animals that have been abused, yet seem to have nothing but contempt for those people that abused the animals. When we are the rescuers, we feel a sense of goodness within us yet rarely do we look into the abusers world. One example he made about compassion was how he would take food to a lady with cancer that lived down the road, offering his services to her in anyway she needed, yet he asked himself what was it that prevented him from the doing the same for the mean drunk that lived down the road from him. This prompted my own views on how I go about deciding who should receive mercy and grace from me. This of course led me to put down the book, and open up my bible that's always laying right here in close proximity, but the last to be opened lately. Truth be told, I have been frustrated lately with mankind. Mainly the man-kind that calls itself "fellow christians". After many promptings from the Holy Spirit, I flipped open my bible and it landed in 2 Peter, Chapter 1. The Holy Spirit knew exactly what I needed. I needed to be reminded of God's promises that I can live in Gods great and divine nature.
Peter says in verse 8, "For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But, he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
What are these things Peter is talking about? He's talking about us being called to glory and virtue, whereby has been given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:(definition of promise: a declaration or assurance that a particular thing will happen) that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
Definition of :
Faith: precious like faith. Faith obtained, not by efforts of man but by the righteousness of our God, that comes to us through His divine power
Virtue: behavior showing high moral standards, righteousness, integrity, dignity, honor, respectability, purity, goodness, that comes to us through His divine power
knowledge: this doesn't mean acquaintance, but the knowledge that comes from knowing Christ intimately, and personally and not the knowledge of the world, that comes to us through His divine power
Temperance: self control, that comes to us by His divine power
Patience: perseverance: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success, single mindedness given to us through His divine power
Godliness: godly, Piety, reverence motivated by the fear of God or caution, more than by love for God, given to us through His divine power
Brotherly Kindness: fraternal affection, kindness, love of the brethren, given to us by His divine power
Charity: love, affectionate regard, goodwill. Refers to Agape love, Gods manifested nature(bears all things,believes all things, hopes all thing.) The kind of love: perfect love that cast out fear.
What a great reminder this has been to me. And as I write, so many scriptures come to mind. Example: If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
