How's Your Addition?

We read and study the Bible, God's Holy Word, for a reason. The Bible has great knowledge, and that knowledge, when applied to our faith walk, takes us into a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father. God wants us to get to know Him, and getting to know Him shows us answers to the mysteries of life itself. It all begins with a very powerful addition principle that is shown in 2 Peter 1:For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. One thing adds to another, and before long, you are having major lights go off in your reasoning, and that reasoning begins to totally line up with God's.

I pray all the time to God, and I have discovered a very good thing that comes out of talking to God, and that is listening to God. How does He talk to me? The Holy Spirit is in control of my life, and He is the connecting force when it comes to listening to God. God speaks through His Word, which is knowledge, and the Holy Spirit confirms and connects me to the truth of God's Word through this spiritual connection. This is why Paul said to "pray always in the Spirit" because the Holy Spirit is ready to guide and correct us in our faith walk. Ephesians 6: ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

The addition in the above verses in 2 Peter helps us see clearly how things work in our faith walk. We begin by adding real faith, then goodness, then knowledge, then knowledge leads to self-control, then perseverance, and the line continues to godliness, mutual affection, and then concludes with love. All of this begins with faith and ends with love, and that love drives everything we say and do. If you see all of this, then your addition will equal a life of love and a closer walk with God. I like how all this adds up. Don't you?

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren