Discipline

The text

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.

2 Peter 1:5–7 KJV

At a glance

Summary of the sermon

Peter writes to believers who have become barren and unfruitful, short-sighted, forgetful that they were cleansed from their old sins and shaky in their assurance. They are genuine Christians, but ineffective and joyless. Lloyd-Jones traces the condition to a lack of discipline, and behind that to two failures.

The first is a wrong, almost magical view of faith — the notion that one simply 'looks to the Lord' and that any talk of effort or method is legalism. The second is ordinary laziness, a spiritual indolence which leaves energetic, busy people with no strength for prayer or Bible reading, and which the endless distractions of modern life — newspapers, entertainment, constant activity — make worse. The comparison with the enthusiasm people find for their hobbies and sports is pointed.

The cure is diligence. Time for the Word and for prayer must be claimed and guarded before anything else in the day. And faith must be furnished out — the word Peter uses recalls the wealthy patron who supplied a Greek chorus — with moral vigour, growing knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. This is not works-righteousness, since trust remains in Christ alone; it is the diligent use of the means of grace by people who are already partakers of the divine nature. Peter's promises to those who do this are stability, assurance, fruitfulness and an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom.

Key points

• Peter describes a real class of believers: barren, unfruitful, and uncertain of their standing.
• One cause is a passive 'just look to the Lord' view of faith that neglects the means of grace.
• The other is plain laziness, aggravated by the distractions of modern life.
• Guard time for Scripture and prayer as the first priority of every day.
• Add to faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
• The reward is assurance, stability and an abundant entrance into the Kingdom.

Illustrations the preacher uses

• The energy that sports enthusiasts spend on their hobby, compared with the languor of many Christians.
• The Greek patron who 'furnished' the chorus for a drama — the meaning behind Peter's word 'add'.
• The disciplined journals of Henry Martyn, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, the Wesleys and Whitefield.

Related Scripture

• 2 Peter 1:1–11
• Hebrews 11:6
• John 7:37–39
• Romans 6:11–13

For reflection and discussion

1. Where might a 'just trust and don't strive' outlook be masking spiritual laziness in your life?
2. What one concrete change could protect time for Scripture and prayer before other daily habits?
3. Which grace in Peter's list is weakest in you at present, and what would 'adding' it look like?