Below is a sermon outline on the important topic of “Virtue.”  Sermon outline provided by evangelist Brad Shockley

Virtue (2 Peter 1:5-10)

 I. What Is Virtue?

1. Definition
   1. Virtue – arête – “a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness” Thayer
   2. “used in extra-biblical contexts to describe the heroic acts of military men” – Paul Edward Perish
2. NT Usage
   1. Four verses in the NT (2 Pet. 1:3, 5; 1 Pet. 2:9; Phil. 4:8)

II. Virtue Exemplified

1. The Babylonian King Selects (Dan. 1:3-4)
2. Daniel Portrays (Dan. 1:8; 6:3-4)
3. Examples
   1. Abraham
   2. Joseph
   3. Job
   4. Ruth
   5. Josiah

 III. Importance of Being Virtuous

1. Christ Calls Us to Be Virtuous (2 Pet. 1:3)
   1. Called by The Gospel (2 Thess. 2:14)
   2. Called to Be Virtuous (1 Thess. 2:12, 1 Thess. 4:7
2. Christian Graces – Growth Begins With (2 Pet. 1:5)
   1. And beside this – “for this very reason” ESV
   2. What reason?
   3. Vv. 3-4: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
   4. Diligence – “earnestness, diligence: interest one’s self most earnestly” Thayer
   5. Faith – the foundation or substructure of conviction
   6. “Believers, Peter is saying, must be lavish in the time and effort they put into developing their Christian lives – not being satisfied with getting by on the minimum, but striving like the choregos of old to achieve the finest and most attractive production.” – Norman Hillyer
   7. Virtue – “In secular Greek arête denoted the proper fulfillment of anything. The arête of a knife is to cur; of soil to be fertile.  The arête of Christians is to fulfill the purpose God has in mind for each of them, by reproducing Christlikeness in every department of life.” – Norman Hillyer
3. Because Christ Is Virtuous (1 Pet. 2:9)
   1. Context – redemption
   2. “the virtues, those perfections of the wisdom, justice, truth, and goodness of God, that shone most illustriously in the Christian dispensation. These they were to exhibit in a holy and useful life, being transformed into the image of God, and walking as Christ himself walked.” – Adam Clarke
   3. Albert Barnes
      1. Praise in public, family and social worship
      2. always the avowed friends of God
      3. make known to those who are ignorant
      4. consistent life of a devoted Christian
4. Focus of Our Attention (Phil. 4:8)
   1. True, honest, just, pure, lovely, & good report – these compose virtue
   2. Your mind will dwell on something – it should be on virtue!
   3. Col. 3:2; 1 Thess. 5:22

 IV. Conclusion (Ezek. 36:26-28)

 

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