2nd Peter 1:5 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.
This passage of scripture teaches us that there must be symmetry and balance to the work of character building, if we are to be fitted to enter God's kingdom of glory. As Christians we should never be satisfied with a lopsided form of development, with strong points in some areas and weak points in others, because a chain is as strong as its weakest link, and if any deficiencies in character building is left unattended, it will work our ruin. It is possible by the grace of God to grow with balance, for the Holy spirit is given to every believer to enable us to cooperate with God in this delicate work, and although we know that spiritual development and maturity does take time, yet the tendency to be satisfied with the status quo will put us in a mindset to become comfortable with certain weak points in our characters, which will surely open up our vulnerabilities to our adversary in those areas.
Some of us are very loving and kind in character, and are quick to help those who are in need, but we may come up short on patience and the ability to keep our cool when disturbed for any reason. Others are really cool, and seem not to be disturbed by any external circumstances, but may be deficient in the area of tidiness. And yet others may be really tidy, and may seem to possess the ability to keep their homes and surroundings conspicuously clean, yet in the area of back-biting, criticizing and gossiping, may fall very short of God's ideal.
God does not condemn us for these various deficiencies in our characters, but what He does require is that we search our own souls in the light of the written and Living Word, and that we also ask Him to search our hearts as well, so that we may know our true selves, and if we seem to consistently come up short in any area, then He counsels us to ask for grace daily so that we may live victoriously. Let's read:
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
King Solomon was very gifted with wisdom, and through the grace of God working within him he was enabled to figure out difficult problems pertaining to science, horticulture, and human nature, in so much that the Bible tells us that kings and queens came from afar to hear of his words of wisdom. But Solomon's weak point was lust, and try as he might in his own strength, he just couldn't seem to shake the habit.
At first the problem began to develop when Solomon departed from the plain counsels of God which cautioned His people not to intermarry with pagan nations, because the certain result would be a fearful departure from integrity on the part of those who were under God's care. But then as time progressed, and the tendency to covet and lust after other women was left unaddressed, he found himself less and less able to withstand the charms of external beauty, and all of his wisdom and knowledge could not save him from becoming entangled in the snare of the devil, for as stated before, a chain is as strong as its weakest link. Let's read:
1st Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
2nd Peter 2:19 ... "For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
The devil only needs one weak link in the chain of character building in order for him to cause our ruin, hence the reason why the first passage in this presentation admonishes us to "Add" the necessary elements that will produce a balanced character that could withstand the forces of temptations, both from without and within. As we behold Christ from day to day, and as we study His word to us in the scriptures, a gradual change will be wrought in us as we submit to what we read and see of The Lord Jesus, and thus we will develop a sturdy, well balanced character which will enable us to run the Christian race with a steady and even tread. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to behold Jesus from day to day, and if we stay the course with Him, He will make us more than conquerors in every battle of life, and at every stage of character development. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!