House of Hope Online

August 24, 2025

Here is a link to the audio version:

Or, if you prefer Spotify:

Last time we studied 2^nd Peter 1, in which the apostle encourages us to become partakers in God’s divine nature by which we are able to escape the corruption that is in this world by lust.  Peter also encourages us to apply diligence (eagerness, earnestness) to our faith, which produces what we termed last week as our spiritual supply chain.  The keynote scripture last week was as follows:

2^nd Peter 1:

5 ¶ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in [your] moral excellence, knowledge;

 6 and in [your] knowledge, self-control, and in [your] self-control, perseverance, and in [your] perseverance, godliness;

 7 and in [your] godliness, brotherly kindness, and in [your] brotherly kindness, love.

Today, the Lord is urging me to go deeper into the term “moral excellence” from verse 5. 

What is Moral Excellence?

So, what do we mean by the expression “moral excellence?”  The word “moral” means “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.”  But who decides what is right or wrong?  There is a difference between Godly morality and cultural morals, and even individual morals.  Our political debates today center around our differences on what is right or wrong, and we know that different cultures have variances when it comes to morality.  The Apostle Paul spoke to this point in 2^nd Timothy 4.

2^nd Timothy 4:

 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;

 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.

 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The term “sound doctrine” in the original Greek means wholesome or uncorrupted teaching.  Paul says the people will want to be taught according to their own desires, which is where cultural and individual morals develop.  The people decide what is right and wrong based on their own desires, instead of based on the word of God.  As a result, doctrine is no longer sound but corrupted by the immorality of man.  We see this today in church splits and denominational disputes.

In verse 5, Paul urges Timothy to be sober in all things, which means to be discreet, to have discernment of this tendency of the people to adopt doctrine according to their own desires.  In other words, do not be under the influence of unsound doctrine, corrupted by the desires of mankind.

Of course, this idea of teaching according to their own desire dates to Eve’s discussion with the serpent in the Garden, where the devil began mankind’s tendency to rationalize the word of God.

Genesis 3:

 1 ¶ Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’”

 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die!

 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 6 ¶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make [one] wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

So, this was the first discussion of rationalizing the word of God.  The devil questions our knowledge of what God said, and then he disputes the word in verse 4.  Note in verse 6 that becoming wise attracted Eve to sin against God’s word.  Eve wanted to be wise, so she adopted a morality that fit her desire.  She was not morally excellent.

God warns against distorting His word and having this desire to be wise in our own sight.

Isaiah 5:

 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And clever in their own sight!

This is what we see today, as learned teachers worship their own minds and therefore rationalize and water down the word of God.  So let us be sober of mind and spirit as we pursue an understanding of moral excellence.  Let us discern unsound doctrine and seek only what the Lord would call righteous.  Let us not be conformed to this world.

Be Transformed to God’s Moral Excellence

Romans 12:

 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Proverbs 6:

 16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,

 19 A false witness [who] utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

In our pursuit of moral excellence, we must beware of these things which are an abomination to the Lord.  The term “haughty eyes” refers to pride and arrogance.  Spreading strife is something in which the devil can easily entangle us.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, gives a laundry list of unrighteousness to be avoided.

1^st Corinthians 6:

 9 ¶ Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

 10 nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

 11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

Sexual impurity will not inherit the kingdom of God, nor will covetousness, nor drunkenness.  For clarity, fornication is sexual intercourse between two people who are not married to each other, and adultery is sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse.  Remember that Jesus expanded the definition of adultery to include looking upon another with lust in your heart.

Covetous means an excessive desire for wealth or possessions, especially the possessions of others.  Revilers are those who verbally abuse others.  A swindler obtains money or property by fraud or deceit.  Swindling is on the increase today as employees abuse their work from home privileges, and with the onslaught of identity theft and computer hacking.

In verse 9, Paul calls those who practice such things “the unrighteous” who will not inherit the Kingdom that Jesus will establish at His Second Coming.  You can see why Peter urged us to become supplied with moral excellence by applying diligence to our faith.

The good new comes in verse 11: “And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments provides God’s clear instructions on how to obtain moral excellence.

Exodus 20:

 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

• This means nothing can be more important to us than God.  No job, house, income level, social standing or popularity can rival God in our hearts.  No likeness, such as a picture or statue can be worshipped.

Exodus 20:

 7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

 8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:

12 ¶ “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

 13 “You shall not murder.

 14 “You shall not commit adultery.

 15 “You shall not steal.

 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Closing

It is easy to find biblical direction as we pursue the moral excellence of 2^nd Peter 1.  You can see in today’s word the consistency of 1^st Corinthians 6, Proverbs 6, and the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20.  There are many other scriptures to discuss, and Lord willing, we will do so in the coming weeks.

But for today, as we pursue moral excellence, we realize that God’s morality is not easy to achieve.  Therefore, we must praise and thank Almighty God for Jesus, who sends the Holy Spirit to enable us to achieve that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  He guides us toward righteousness because he only bears witness to Jesus.

Let us pray.

Father God, thank You for the sound doctrine of Your word, which guides us to moral excellence.  Help us to be sober in mind and spirit to discern unsound doctrine, and to do the work of an evangelist.    Transform us by renewing our minds to prove your will, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Keep us from things which are an abomination to you.  And thank You, Father, for washing us, sanctifying us, and justifying us through Jesus, in whose name we pray.  Amen.