Godly Youth

There is a war within each of us. The warring parties want victory and complete subjection of the enemy. The combatants are the flesh and the spirit. Paul wrote: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish,” (Galatians 5:17).

Paul details this struggle in Romans 7. Our flesh desires to satisfy its lusts, 1 John 2:16. Although our desires are strong, the spirit can bring the flesh under control. When our spirit is weak, flesh can fulfill its lust resulting in sin, James 1:13-15. This is the source of the struggle, the desire of the flesh to fulfill lusts and the necessity of the spirit’s control of fleshly desires.

Although I desire to serve God in my mind (spirit), the flesh cannot understand the gospel so it is forever under the law of carnality—the passions aroused by base physical lusts. The flesh has no conscience to guide or an intellect to which one can appeal. So my mind, accepting the gospel of Christ, must restrain the flesh from pursuing inordinate desires, 1 Corinthians 9:27.

A comparison might be helpful. A man training an animal must impose will on the animal’s fleshly desire. The dog may wish to eat the uneaten dinner in the garbage can (fleshly desire) but the owner must train the dog to leave the food alone. This is unnatural for the animal but his will must subject to the master. As listed in the table below, the animal only has fleshly desires (impulses and response to stimuli). The master imposes his will (spirit) on the dog so that the animal learns not to pursue the fleshly desire, lest he suffer pain or discomfort for disobedience.

FLESH DESIRES	SPIRIT CONTROL
Eat/Drink, Sleep, Reproduce, Preservation, Pain/Pleasure	Serve God, Serve Man
The higher nature that acts by code and authority.  The “inward man.”	The Base is guided only instinct and biological drive

Consider the sin of covetousness. When an object of desire is presented, the flesh will take the object of desire if the sacrifice or pain required to gain the object is not greater than the perceived value of the object. The spirit perceives the desire of the flesh for the object of desire. The spirit then must choose to either satisfy the lust of the flesh or, if guided by God’s law, resist the covetous desire. The spirit can obey God; it can make a decision and, in fact, is the only part that can make the decision for the body.

The flesh cannot obey God, Romans 8:7-8. Those who live according to the flesh (living carnally) cannot please God. So the spirit must be brought under Christ’s will and then bring the flesh under control. This struggle will be present until Christ frees us from our bodies of flesh, Romans 7:24-25; 8:20-23. We must live according to the Spirit of God and put to death the deeds of the flesh, and God will give us strength to mortify our fleshy lusts Romans 8:10-13.

After listing the characteristics that must characterize every Christian, Peter described why this process is so important. If we diligently add these characteristics and make them grow, we will not be lacking in the knowledge of Christ. Through this life, we come to know Jesus. As we sacrifice, we can appreciate His greater sacrifice. When we are persecuted or despised, we can understand the one who was the “Man of Sorrows.” When we truly develop brotherly love, we can see how God loves men even when they are unlovable.

By integrating these characteristics in our lives, we will also be useful in God’s service. Imagine the power of a church where each member is diligently building moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love and is abounding in its development. When we integrate these qualities in our lives, we are truly ready for every good work.

Peter contrasts the man who actively seeks to develop these qualities with one who lacks them. The one who lacks these characteristics has lost perspective. Peter says that he is shortsighted, or near sighted. I am near sighted; without glasses or contacts, I can see things up close, but cannot see far away. The spiritually near sighted person has lost his vision of what is of ultimate importance, he cannot see heaven in the distance nor the direction in which his earthly life should lead. He is too concerned with what is in his immediate vision.

Peter further describes the one who lacks these qualities as one who has forgotten that Christ has purged, or cleansed, his old sins. As a Christian, he should be growing, not becoming useless. This person reminds me of the man in Hebrews 10:26 who has turned his back on God and has treated the precious blood of Jesus like something common. He is like the man of Hebrews 6:6 who has turned back on Jesus and has crucified Christ afresh; His sacrifice means nothing. When we remember the price of our salvation, it will encourage us to be diligent to add the qualities of 2 Peter 1.

Peter further encourages his readers to make their calling and election sure. Some consider salvation a sure thing; once saved, always saved. However, this passage, the two from Hebrews cited earlier, and other passages teach that the child of God can be lost. How can we make our calling and election sure if it is, by nature, a sure thing? Why does Peter urge us to add these qualities so we will not stumble if it is impossible to fall? Our calling and election is not sure and we can stumble, therefore we must add these characteristics. It is neither the work itself nor the perfected man that brings salvation, for we are saved by grace. However, we are commanded to grow in Christ and if we draw back we will be lost, Hebrews 10:38-39.

For the diligent Christian this is not a problem for by drawing close to God he assures his home in heaven, v.11. An entrance is abundantly supplied, which conveys the idea of one who is heading to heaven under full power. He is not making it to the finish line in a slow trot but is busting through the tape at full speed. If we are diligent to add these qualities and to make them abound, we will be what God created us to be and travel our set course at maximum speed.

The final characteristic Peter urges us to add to our faith is love. Love is the finest quality of God that we must seek to duplicate in our lives. John, who is often called the apostle of love, wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7) To love as God has loved will take our whole lives to develop. This love will motivate us to add and strengthen the other characteristics.

Great love will strengthen our faith for we will endure many trials for the God whom we love. Our love for God, and the desire to be like Him, will motivate us to perfect moral excellence in our lives. Our knowledge should grow because, since we love God, we would want to know all we can about Him and His will for us. We will gain strength for self-control because we do not want to disappoint God and we know the importance of self-control in developing holiness. Our love for God will cause us to persevere amid trials, fatigue, and persecutions because we know Jesus persevered through His love for us. Love is certainly the motivation behind godliness because as our love grows, our focus centers on God.

Finally, love strengthens our brotherly kindness because, as John said, “…he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

Love does not depend on the recipient loving us in return. God loved us when we were rebellious against Him, Romans 5:8. Jesus died on the cross while those for whom He died mocked Him and spat upon Him. We will sometimes show great love towards others and receive very little love (perhaps even hatred) in return. When this happens to us, we get a small idea of God’s love for us. If we love others so that we may receive love, we miss the point of love.

Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. As noted before, God loved us, and Jesus died for us, while we were sinners—rebels. Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45. It is a difficult command to love those who abuse us. Jesus forgave His enemies who nailed Him to the cross and, while on the cross, saved the thief that at one time mocked Him. If our Savior showed this love, we must too. If we only love those who love us, what do we do more than others? Matthew 5:47.

We must have sacrificial love. God’s love was so strong that He gave His Son to die for us, John 3:16. Imagine a love that would require you to give your son. Abraham was prepared to offer Isaac at the command of God. His love was such that he would withhold nothing from God. Yet Abraham knew the character of God and expected that God could even raise Isaac from the dead if he wanted, Hebrews 11:17-19. We must sacrifice our time to do the will of God and to strengthen these characteristics in our lives. We must sacrifice our money in order to help the work of the Lord. We must sacrifice some relationships if they will draw us away from God. We must sacrifice ourselves because ultimately our love for God should be greater than our love for self. Moreover, in losing ourselves in God, we will find ourselves.

Finally, we should love souls as God does. We should want all men to be saved and act consistently with that goal. We should teach those who are lost and reach out to those who are erring (James 5:19-20; Jude 22). Whether we are teaching, rebuking, or arguing our case from the word of God, we must speak in love (2 Timothy 2:22-26; Ephesians 4:15).

It is an eternal characteristic for “love never fails.”

In Peter’s list of characteristics, the previous traits have primarily focused on change within the individual and his relationship with God. Brotherly kindness is a characteristic that extends to God’s people. It is an active show of affection towards one’s brethren.

Like the other graces, this one relates to the previous traits. Our faith binds us as brethren and it is natural that brotherly kindness would characterize those whom God has called together into one body. Moral excellence demands that we maintain proper relationships with one another and encourage our brother’s morality. Brotherly kindness helps us temper our knowledge so that we do not use it to hurt our brethren, 1 Corinthians 8.

Self-control is essential in close relationships with our brethren. We must watch our tongues and our actions so that we do not sin against the brethren. Patience strengthens brotherly kindness in longsuffering. We have to be patient with our brother’s spiritual growth and in times of disagreement. Through all of our brotherly relationships, godliness helps us see our brother from God’s perspective—as a soul needing salvation—and realize that we are all one in Christ.

We demonstrate brotherly kindness by proper displays of affection. In some cultures, people welcome each other with kisses on each cheek. Other cultures bow in respect. In our culture, we shake hands with one another to show affection. Romans 12:10 tells us to be “kindly affectionate to one another and honor each other.” Rudeness is unacceptable at any time but especially among those claiming to be one body united under Jesus.

This is not to say that we will always agree with one another. When we disagree, we should go to our brethren and try to work out the problem. If it is a spiritual matter, Jesus has prescribed steps that we must take to resolve the sin, Matthew 18:15-17. If we ignore it, we put his soul in peril and we will have to answer for our negligence, James 5:19-20. If the disagreement is a personal matter, work it out so that malice and bitterness does not develop. Of course, personal matters should never become a cause for division in the Lord’s body. Paul warned, in Galatians 5:13-15, that we must not “bite and devour one another lest we be consumed.” In hurting others, we hurt ourselves.

We show brotherly kindness in kind deeds particularly in a time of need. We are taught by God to love one another, 1 Thessalonians 4:9. Jesus proved His love for us by dying for us; therefore, we ought to be willing to die for our brethren, 1 John 3:16. However, it is unlikely that our love will require the extreme sacrifice. Perhaps we will need to sacrifice some of our possessions to help our brethren, James 2:14-17. We might need to sacrifice our time to show concern for our brethren. In all things, we should not shut our hearts up to our brethren, 1 John 3:17.

If we do not have love for the brethren, we have no love for God, 1 John 3:10. If we do love our brethren, it is to be an “unfeigned” or genuine love, 1 Peter 1:22. And that love should be shown in brotherly kindness.