This is a small group of lessons on different Christian virtues that I have used to teach junior-high, high-school, college aged, as well as older women. It seems to me that if God wants us to be diligent in adding virtue to our lives, it can be helpful if we give some thought to what that means. So I have isolated some Biblical virtues in order to discuss what the Bible says about each one, and I have included some thoughts on application to help us grow in our understanding of each topic. Over the years women have asked me for help in leading small group studies. I hope this little collection will be of use for that purpose, so I have included some discussion questions.
Lesson 1: What is virtue?
Virtue implies general moral excellence and goodness of character. Virtues are good qualities that God’s Word defines for us. The unbeliever is left to figure it out for himself, and so in the world, virtues are ever-changing. For the Christian, life is much clearer. God’s Word is straightforward and not subject to fads and shifts.
Our biblical texts and a little commentary.
Phil. 4:8 ….if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.
2 Peter 1:5,8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge….. 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.
1 Cor. 15:10 But by the grace of god I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Paul tells us in Philippians to find some virtue and think about it. Virtue must be a good thing; it must be praiseworthy or we would not be commanded to fill our mind with it. Finding out what is virtuous is a worthy endeavor, and we should therefore be pleased to undertake the study such a topic.
Not only are we to think about virtue, we are to diligently pursue it. We are to add virtue to our faith. When we are active Christians, giving ourselves to the pursuit of holiness, God has promised that we will be fruitful in our Christian lives. But we have to be able to say these things really are ours, and that we have them in abundance. We can’t expect God to bless us the same way if we have just a dab of virtue. No, if we are overflowing with it (abounding), He will make us bear fruit.
It is of primary importance for us to know and remember that He is the One making us fruitful. It is not we ourselves who accomplish this. Paul brags in 1 Corinthians that he has worked harder than all the other apostles. But he is quick to add, “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.†If we think we can just enroll in a program to attain virtue and get a diploma in a few months, we are seriously mistaken. Without the grace of God, none of this is worth anything. So as we go through and discuss each of these virtues, we must be keenly aware that our pursuit of holiness is all of grace or it is nothing at all. In fact, it is less than nothing. Without God enabling us to study, to pray, to think about these things, to work to apply what we learn, nothing will happen. This will be a waste of time. But if we believe that He works out what we work in, if we apply ourselves to be diligent to learn, then He will bless us more abundantly than we can imagine. This is where our faith is put to work. We pursue godliness, trusting that God will by His Spirit do far more than all we can ask or think.
As we look at each virtue in isolation, we must remember that God is our model for all these godly characteristics. He is the One who commands us to imitate Him, He sent His Son to forgive and redeem us and make us new creatures, and He gives us the strength by means of His Spirit to obey Him. It is a lovely picture!
Being virtuous is not a feature in pop culture today, but it never really has been. Men are sinners and to be virtuous means we need a change in heart. Only Christ can accomplish that for us.
Discussion
1. What kinds of qualities come to mind when you think of the word virtue?
2. How can we meditate on virtuous things?
3. What kinds of things can prevent us from pursuing virtue?
4. What things distract us from a virtuous life?
5. What does the world hold to be virtuous? Can you think of some that are consistent with biblical living? Some that are not?
I agree that virtue is far too underrated–it took liberal doses of Chesterton to make me as excited about it as I am today:
“Now, those who are acquainted with all the philosophy (nay, religion) which is typified in the art of drawing on brown paper, know that white is positive and essential. I cannot avoid remarking here upon a moral significance. One of the wise and awful truths which this brown-paper art reveals, is this, that white is a colour. It is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black. When, so to speak, your pencil grows red-hot, it draws roses; when it grows white-hot, it draws stars. And one of the two or three defiant verities of the best religious morality, of real Christianity, for example, is exactly this same thing; the chief assertion of religious morality is that white is a colour. Virtue is not the absence of vices or the avoidance of moral dangers; virtue is a vivid and separate thing, like pain or a particular smell. Mercy does not mean not being cruel or sparing people revenge or punishment; it means a plain and positive thing like the sun, which one has either seen or not seen…”–Chesterton in Tremendous Trifles.