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 brother kindness charity – 2nd Peter 1:5-7.

Just as we grow naturally, we should grow spiritually. To grow in the things of God we must intentionally seek after the things of God; God has given us what we need to grow, all we have to do is apply it.

Bodybuilders spend time and energy to be fit. For a business to be successful, it takes time and energy. A successful marriage is built on spending time with your spouse and getting to know their likes and dislikes. Everything needs practice and time to be successful naturally and well as spiritually. Without putting in time and effort nothing you try to do will be successful.

We place a lot of emphasis on the things in the natural and little time for the things of the Spirit. Earth is not our home, we live in this world, but we are not of this world. As we sow into the world, we will reap the things of the world (For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting – Galatians 6:8). When we received salvation our spirit and heart was changed, but our flesh did not get saved, so we have to apply the Word of God to our flesh to make it come in line with the Word of God.

When we receive salvation, the new person has to be cultivated (Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new – 2nd Corinthians 5:17) The old person is used to doing the things it uses to do when you were not saved, so you have to spend time in God’s Word and prayer to cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit; you can’t cultivate it by staying on your cell phones, social media, spending time watching television programs. It’s spending time in God’s Word.

Just as we are diligent in the things of the natural, we need to be just as diligent in the things of the Spirit. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and spending time reading it. When you diligently read and study the Word of God, you will begin to have virtue. No one will have to tell you what to watch, listen or go to because virtue is being cultivated in your spirit. Your spirit will dominate your flesh rather than your flesh dominating your spirit.

We gain knowledge of God by reading His Word. Our relationship is built on what we know of God and our faith grounded in Him and His Word. Temperance is activated, and we will learn how to control our emotions and our words. We will have patience rather than impatience. Waiting patiently for a prayer to be answered rather than murmuring and complaining. Patience with our family and others.

Brotherly kindness is brotherly love you would have for your family, and charity is volitional love. Having God’s love in your heart for all people is growing by the grace of God. We can’t live a godly lifestyle unless we stay connected with God. It is His Spirit that enables us (Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me – John 15:4). When we allow everything to take our time and don’t spend quality time with God, we have a form of godliness and nothing else.

We must be prepared to lead others to Jesus, and we can’t if we’re spending our time appeasing our flesh. We will not know Scripture or how to apply it. We will fall into traps Satan has for us because we will not know his tactics or how to fight against them.

Abide in God’s Word and allow His Word to abide in you. Add to your faith by spending time with God and His Word; grow in Grace