Peter wrote in his 2nd Epistle by The Holy Spirit in chapter 1:
5 So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness,
and to goodness add understanding,
6 and to understanding add the strength of self-control,
and to self-control add patient endurance,
and to patient endurance add Godliness,
7 and to Godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters,
and to mercy toward others add unending Love.
I spent much of my early walk focused on Scriptures and teachings on faith. We were in the middle of the “faith” movement sweeping the country and the topic of faith was the primary message by many of the evangelists, pastors, and teachers. I don’t recall any of them ever focusing on the above verses. If they did, it certainly didn’t “stick” with those of us in the audience. Faith was where we were encouraged to focus our attention.
My wife lost interest in their message and I was trying to pursue something deeper. She clearly was my barometer in determining that it was time to move on from this encampment. The above passage provides us the expected progression toward the fullness of finding FATHER’S Normal. The culmination is Agape Love, of course.
We need to walk in each of these attributes as we move on along the path known as “The Way”. The Holy Spirit further reveals some important Truths:
8 Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. 9 But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away.
We need not hop on a plane and go to some distant place in order to find these virtues. We need only to enter our prayer closet and open our eyes to this revelation. They are planted as seeds in us waiting to be activated. Not only are they there, but they are in abundant supply, fully sufficient, in great quantity and overflowing. There is no inherent restriction associated with our potential to be fruitful in all that we set out to do on behalf of FATHER’S Divine Intent for our lives.
If anyone is lacking in these virtues, he is described as being blind and cannot access the mysteries of our faith, Christ in us. That is quite a statement and we must take in very seriously. The person who is blinded, “he is still searching for the purification of his original sins.”
We have been given the roadmap to maturity and we are urged to press on toward the fullness of Agape Love. We fully understand that our case is closed for The Holy Spirit dwells in us now and we are no longer searching for purification from our past sins.
Our pursuit will result in knowing Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more intimately. Is there anything more precious to seek after than this? In such an intimate relationship, Jesus is able to entrust His thought to us without reservation. He will have no concern of abuse, control, or manipulation of revelation given to those of us who have such a relationship with Him. This is what it means to be walking in FATHER’S Normal.