Yesterday we began considering what we need to do after we are saved. We looked at adding uprightness to our faith since faith without virtue is not considered complete. We saw virtue as be the practical exhibition of our faith.
Today we want to look at ways to achieve this virtue. Do you know that knowledge is the friend of virtue and that without adequate knowledge virtue can become confused?
How can your virtue demonstration become something bad in the sight of God and men? When you neglect to add knowledge to your virtue, you won't be without offense in the sight of your observer.
For instance, in spite of the fact that it is virtuous to be of help to your neighbor, especially those of the family of faith, stealing to help a brother or sister who is in need is "help" without knowledge.
In like way, "helping" a lady become pregnant because her spouse has a low sperm count is lost "help" that will lead hell fire.
In addition, we must make temperance an important friend of our faith and knowledge. Temperance can be defined as restriction or self-control. For what reason should temperance be added to knowledge before it tends to be profitable?
The number one reason is that the activity of knowledge without restriction may lead to a misuse of the faith and be a reason for others to fall from faith.
When we use knowledge in a kind of manner that someone weak in the spirit is discouraged and backslide, such knowledge is destructive.
It was the utilization of temperance that kept the Lord Jesus Christ from calling down fire upon the people who opposed His entering their village, after two of His disciples suggested it and despite the fact that He knew could do as such.