Rich Kao

The apostle Peter makes this amazing promise:  "If these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless or unfruitful..for as long as you practice thes things you will never stumble."  2 Peter 1:8,10.   

You can't state it much stronger than that.  It's as close to a divine guarantee as you can get.   What are the "qualities" Peter refers to?  They are 8 of them listed in v. 5-7 -- diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.

These qualities are the basis of what I call Peter's Path to Discipleship, the "Discipleship Matrix"  or The Disciple's Development Grid.  Here's a visual of how I look at it:

There are a couple important points to note:   1)  These 8 qualities are organized in the sequence just as Peter states them showing how they build upon each other.  2)  These 8 qualities are also organized in a grid to indicate that our growth process may focus on one or more of these at different times, in differing intensities, but it still fits into an overall discipleship "program or system."  They key thing is that we commit this grid to memory and keep them constantly before us as the 8 areas by which, if we nurture them constantly, we will experience spiritual maturity and growth.

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