Join your faith, virtue

Tuesday 23 March 2021

Join your faith, virtue

Bringing all eagerness to it, add virtue to your faith ; to virtue, knowledge ; to knowledge, self-control ; to self-control, patience ; to patience, piety ; to piety, brotherly affection ; and to brotherly affection, love. 2 Peter 1: 5-7

For the Roman soldiers, the main quality was called "virtus", that is, the courage to go into battle, the steadfastness of character to resist the onslaught of enemies. Today, the dictionary defines virtue as "the constant disposition to do good and to avoid evil". Some have translated the original Greek New Testament term as "strength of character."

This shows that the Christian life is not a walk, but an everyday fight, a fight from which you can emerge victorious by your strength of character. Does this mean that making good resolutions is enough to win the battle ? You know very well not ! It is also necessary to remain humble to realize that the help of God is necessary to hold them.

Two examples of young winners :

Joseph resists the assaults of his master's wife and flees.

Daniel stops in his heart not to defile himself with the king's food.

What are the enemies to fight ? Essentially the instruments of the devil who fight against the children of God: the world and its many temptations. It is not always easy to resist the temptations of a world whose motto remains : "do what you like" and "make the most of the pleasures of life".

If an inner tendency gives hold to any of these temptations, you must let go. It can be difficult, as is an amputation. Think that the Lord Jesus said to cut off your right hand if it causes a fall (Matthew 18: 8) ! To resolve it, it takes a very strong determination, a decision of the heart, that is, that strength of character called virtue.

Remember that you have the life of Christ, that you are a child of God, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you to make you act with purpose, like a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)