Adding goodness to your faith
Text: 2 Peter 1: 5
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Ensuring the addition of the various Christian qualities itemised in Peter's second letter is so crucial that he expresses the need for us to make every effort in doing this. One reason Peter gave was the fact that God has given us His great and precious promises to enable us participate in the divine nature. It is therefore critically important never to lose sight of this.
To be successful in our relationship with God, we must be diligent in our endeavours to advance in grace and holiness. We therefore need to do our very best in adding goodness to the precious faith which we have received through God's righteousness (2Peter 1:1). Goodness in this passage is used in some other translations as 'virtue' and some people understand this to mean justice. Titus 3:8 says explains that those who believe in God (i.e. those who have faith in God) should be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. In the same vein, Paul enjoins those in Galatia not to become weary in doing good.
Christ says in Matthew 23:23 that justice, mercy and faithfulness are more important matters of the law than giving a tenth. Hebres.13:16 reminds us to ensure that we do not forget to do good and to share with others as this is pleasing to God. Our God is good, therefore we should do imbibe goodness as an inevitable trait.