Painting a Masterpiece

Background Passage: 2 Peter 1:3-10

I decided a year ago to explore my artistic side by learning to paint using watercolors. It’s not an easy medium to master. However, over the past few months I have sold three watercolor paintings. I’m now officially a struggling artist.

Though I took weekly lessons for two months last summer, most of what I’ve learned has been through videos and trial and error. For every painting I like, there are one or two more that get crumpled and tossed into the trash.

Recently, I’ve tried painting portraits of my four grandchildren, Eli, Josiah, Lena and Amelia. To paint in watercolor, I choose a photograph I like, trace the image I want as my foundation. Then, I start with a faded wash, brushing in the background colors.

As I work through the painting, I lay down layer after layer of progressively darker color. The joy of the work is seeing the image slowly emerge as each layer is established. The traced outline that serves as my foundation comes to life as each layer is added. The end result is a more complete image of someone I love.

I think Peter would have understood the illustration. He wrote his second letter to the early Christian church near the end of his ministry as an impassioned plea for them to grow in spiritual maturity. He did not want them to forget the virtues that stand upon the foundation of faith.

Accepting Christ as savior on faith provides the perfect outline for the image we wish to become. Once faith becomes a part of who we are, however, we should continue to grow. To add more layers upon that foundation of faith so a more complete image of the person God created us to be can emerge.

Peter’s world grew complicated with a number of false teachers trying to usurp the message of the early church. These young congregations were in danger of falling victim to a warped gospel. Peter desired to jog their memories and make them think, hoping that they would recall the words he and the other disciples preached and taught. His words are wonderful reminders for today’s Christian who longs to live like Christ.

God’s power, Peter says, gives us all we need for a godly life. His “great and precious” promises, his covenant with us in Jesus Christ, ensures we have the ability to live according to his divine nature. Our task is to meditate on those promises. To make them a part of who we are. Thinking upon the promises of God is often the prelude to finding them fulfilled.

Peter then makes a presumption that the faith of all believers is the basic and fundamental constant…part and parcel to us all. Faith is our foundation. Then, he reminds us to build upon that faith with a set of virtues added to our lives. Each building upon the other.

“For this reason, 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.“ (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Peter reminds the people of God that we should not pick and choose from among these seven virtues, but we should add them to the song of our lives. His phrase “add to your faith” speaks to gathering a chorus to sing all parts of a melody. The idea is that if all of these virtues are added to our lives, it will bring our lives into harmony with God and with each other.

Our spiritual journey begins with faith in Jesus. We enter into relationship with God through faith in him and his promises. As we grow toward spiritual maturity we add certain virtues or traits to our faith, each building upon the other. Peter first calls us to demonstrate goodness.

Goodness is an aspect of moral character. Excellent character. It is the idea of our faith being morally sincere and genuine in our relationship with others. It is to model Christ in the things we say and do.

Goodness, Peter says, leads to knowledge. Evil will pursue knowledge of ungodly things. In today’s world, we can easily clutter our minds with things that are not of God. Peter may have placed goodness before knowledge on his list for a reason. As we grow in the spirit, we are to fill our minds with the knowledge of God and his will and way. Paul shares a similar thought with the church in Philippi.

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…if anything is admirable or praiseworthy, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

To be filled with knowledge is important, but it is not enough. Add to your goodness and knowledge of God, the self-control and discipline to practice what you know to be true. Self-control is what keeps us from misusing the knowledge we gain; from deciding we know better than God how our lives should be lived.

For a Christian, self-control ought to be best expressed as Spirit-controlled. Only when the Spirit rules our lives can we truly be self-controlled.

The fourth element in Peter’s list of virtues is perseverance. Peter speaks here about staying power…our ability to “hang in there” through our times of struggle or doubt. It is endurance and patience rolled into one.

Peter could see the coming persecution of the early church. He knew that a life lived in faith did not protect one from the struggles of life. His challenge was for God’s people to build upon their faith, using their goodness, their knowledge of God and his will and their self-discipline to outlast all that life would throw at them. It is no different today. Life in a sinful world will have its difficult times. Hang in there.

Paul adds his voice.

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it…” (Philippians 3:13a)

He knew he had not reached the pinnacle of spiritual maturity. He still had things to learn and things to do as we all do.

“…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature (or my words, “trying to mature”) should embrace this point of view.” (Philippians 3:13b-14)

Press on. Persevere. Be patient.

To perseverance we are to add the virtue of godliness. There is an expression of deep sincerity in this word. We can’t fake godliness. People will see right through us if we try. The quality comes as we allow God to rule as the boss and Lord of our lives. It is living as the image of Christ so that all who look at us and our lives will see Christ in and through us.

Godliness is not a “holier than thou” kind of thing, it is a “get down in the ditch” kind of thing…like the Good Samaritan meeting the needs of the beaten down and abandoned. It’s seeing the hungry and feeding them. The naked and clothing them. The prisoners and visiting them. It is being Christ’s voice, ears, hands, and feet each and every day you live.

Part of the Christian distinctive is found in the way we treat each other within the body of Christ. Peter calls it “mutual affection.”

Jesus said it this way.

“…As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

This ought to be a distinguishing characteristic of the church. That there is genuine affection and love among God’s people. A kind deed. A hug when it is needed. A welcoming word expressed upon entering God’s church. It is the fervent desire for a Christ-centered relationship with other believers in Christ. Yet, it is sometimes the one thing that drives people away from the church. The way we treat each other ought to be the thing that draws non-believers into the fellowship. Let us love one another.

Once we love one another in the church, we can begin to love the lost as much as God loves them. It is the seventh virtue on Peter’s list. God loved the world so much that he sent his son as a substitute for my sin and yours. Using that act of sacrifice to bridge the distance between God and man. To open the door for a personal, and eternal, relationship between the Creator and his creation.

The love of which Peter speaks is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. Our obligation doesn’t stop with the mutual affection for those who share our beliefs. Our obligation is to light a path to God by loving the world around us. You can’t do that when you judge. You can’t do that when you harbor resentment. You can’t do that when you look down upon others. You can only do that when you see others through God’s eyes and open your heart to love.

The list of seven virtues outlined by Peter build upon each other, layer upon layer, firmly grounded on the bedrock of our faith. They are marks of our spiritual growth and maturity. The apostle promises a benefit for our quest to be more Christ-like.

“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. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed of their past sins…” (2 Peter 8-9)

I like the phrase “increasing measure.” It tells me that our desire for spiritual growth and maturity has no finish line. Even as we add a new layer to the person God called us to be, we can add richness and depth to the color of our lives. Doing so keeps us from becoming unfruitful, ineffective and unproductive to the kingdom of God.

Positively stated, Peter tells us to work on these virtues every day. To add that new layer of paint to the paper. In doing so, you can never go wrong. There will be no room in your life for bitterness, hatred, envy, or prejudice.

“For if you do these things, you will never stumble…” (2 Peter 1:10)

From the basic outline traced on a piece of paper and each successive layer of watercolor added, the portraits I paint begin to emerge. What I end up with is a reasonable likeness of my grandchildren.

God is a far more accomplished artist. If you let him, he will help you add layer upon layer of Christian virtue that will create in you a great masterpiece.