October 3, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional :- IMPORTANCE OF VIRTUE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
THE LIVING WATER {July ~ Dec., 2020}
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, October 3, 2020
World Temperance Day
TOPIC: IMPORTANCE OF VIRTUE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Read 2 Peter 1:5-9
[5]And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
[6]And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
[7]And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
[8]For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[9]But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
MEMORISE: But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue… (2 Peter 1:5a)
EXPOSITION
Growth is an important goal for every Christian for it plays a valuable role in living a Christian moral life. In fact, Peter’s list (2 Pet. 1:5-7) that a Christian must develop in order to be spiritually victorious and fruitful before God, can be summarised in one word – virtue.
Virtue is described as a disposition of character that leads to good behaviour. Human virtues form soul with the right habits and with that, support moral behaviour, control passions, and avoid sin. Virtues guide our conducts according to the dictates of faith and reason, leading us toward freedom based on self-control and toward joy in living a good moral life. Compassion, responsibility, a sense of duty, self-discipline and restraint, honesty, loyalty, friendship, courage, and persistence are examples of desirable virtues for sustaining a moral life. Temperance is indeed an important virtue. More so, today is the World Temperance Day.
Paul gives us a good list of what virtues are, in Philippians 4:8, where he wrote, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise-worthy-meditate on these things. So apparently, a biblical definition of virtue is that it comprises those things that are true (the truth), noble, just (fair), pure (holy living), lovely (as Christ is), and things of good report where there are reports of people doing good things for God. Virtues like these are solely lacking in the world, today. Do you possess them?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord Jesus, empower me to live a virtuous life in order to be spiritually victorious and fruitful in my Christian life.
2. Holy Spirit, guide my conduct towards desirable virtues for sustaining a moral life.
3. Father, return the spirit of virtuous living to our churches and ministers, in Jesus’ name.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Isaiah 1 – 2
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!