Living orderly…

A language can be confusing to those learning it. Mandarin Chinese has about 420 syllables without tones, and 1300 syllables with tones, some of them being homonyms for more than 100 characters, each with different meaning. A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning and/or spelling. “Flower” and “flour” are homophones because they are pronounced the same but you certainly can't bake a cake using daffodils.

Consider the English word ‘order’ and its several meanings. Put the room in order. Order breakfast in the restaurant. Order the child to stop jumping on the bed. Arrange the spices in alphabetical order.

This word came to mind when reading my ‘verse for the day’ even though it is not in the passage:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5–8)

It seems that Peter wrote this with a progression in mind, so my first task was looking up verses that talk about doing things in an orderly way. Two came to mind without looking:
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. . . . But all things should be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:33; 40)

Another is at the beginning of Luke’s gospel: "It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus." (Luke 1:3) Dr. Luke wanted the story told in an orderly way, perhaps because many stories are told by those who ramble around with the details.

Peter was the same. Acts 11:4 says he “began and explained it to them in order.” This shows up in the verses above. It also fits with Paul’s words to two churches:

For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. (Colossians 2:5)
I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:35)

This implies that order on Peter’s words in his 2nd letter has helpful instruction. It says “supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge” so considering the admonitions in other NT verses, this sounds like a sequence. Faith comes first, so this is for those who are trusting God. No one can have true virtue without faith. Any goodness we have must be given to us by Him through faith in Christ. The NT says, “All fall short of the glory of God” and the OT verifies this by saying: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment…” (Isaiah 64:6)

The first result of faith then is a change from sinful living to obedient goodness. Faith brings a new nature, a work of God that enables our motivation from the Holy Spirit instead of our sinful selves. Without faith, any ‘goodness’ is self-produced and falls short.

Then add knowledge. Most new Christians have little understanding of what is going on. I remember a friend saying, “It takes a moment to be saved, and a lifetime to figure out what happened.” Therefore, we need to add knowledge, even just to understand what God has done.
This knowledge is always from the Word of God. It can come through preaching, teaching, godly advice, etc. but must conform to what God says. More than once God tells me to gain knowledge of Him:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) 
. . . . put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:10)

The passage goes on, but each step is continuous. That is, virtue continues to be established, as does knowledge, self-control and so on. But if I hang on to any vice, knowledge and all other growth is hindered, even ceases, until the Lord changes my stubborn self-rule.

PRAY: This passage has much to say, to think about. Lord, You know where I am and what I need in this orderly living. Speak. Show me whatever I need to see and to obey to become more like You.