Faithful Discernment in the Age of Deepfakes and Fake News

The church is at a pivotal moment in history, it stands at a crossroads, beckoned by a divine call to introspection and renewal. Now more than ever, we must cleanse our collective houses, cast aside what hinders us in our personal journey, and firmly commit to the path Christ has laid before us. Could this be the churches finest hour?  Perhaps but we are skating on thin ice.

Peter has emerged with some valuable insights, eight steps not merely a set of virtues but a lifeline, a directive born from the depths of his own despair and redemption, designed to spare future believers the agony of facing their Golgothas unprepared. Yet, it also serves as a beacon of hope, reminding us that, despite our stumbles, a new day awaits—an opportunity for renewal and grace. Peter’s life, laden with trials, stands as a testament to the transformative power of facing oneself, of dying to one’s ambitions, and of the perpetual promise of redemption.

Peter wrote these eight steps not as a distant apostle imparting wisdom from on high, but as a fellow traveler intimately familiar with the pitfalls that compromise brings and its ultimate failure. You may flirt with the danger, perhaps you skated across the precipice many times and never fallen through. You may be one who manages to manipulates others and you’ve gotten away with it over and over.  But a time is coming and is fast approaching in which your heart has become so hardened that your redemption is in question. 

In 2 Peter 1:3-11, the apostle Peter begins with the assertion that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him. This foundational understanding sets the stage for a life lived in abundance and under God’s design. From this platform of divine provision, Peter encourages us to diligently add to our faith a progression of virtues that serve as both the means and markers of our spiritual journey: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

Navigating the Path to Spiritual Maturity: Embracing Eight Key Virtues

1. Faith: The Starting Point: Faith is our initial step towards living the abundant life God planned for us. It’s our response to God’s call, the seed from which the tree of spiritual life grows. It’s believing in God’s promises, His character, and His plan, even when circumstances challenge that belief.

2. Goodness: The Expression of Faith in Action: Once faith takes root, it naturally seeks to express itself through goodness. This goodness is not merely moral behavior but reflects the character of God Himself, evident in our lives. It means choosing to do what is right, just, and pure, not out of obligation but as a natural overflow of a life transformed by faith. Living the abundant life entails embodying goodness in every interaction, decision, and thought, illuminating God’s goodness to a world in need.

3. Knowledge: Growing in Understanding: Adding to our goodness, knowledge involves a deepening understanding of God’s Word and His ways. It’s more than an intellectual ascent; it’s a transformative process where the truths of Scripture inform our daily living. Knowledge in this sense equips us to navigate life’s complexities with discernment and wisdom, making choices that align with God’s will and purposes. This growing knowledge fuels our faith and goodness, creating a cycle of continued growth and depth in our relationship with God.

4. Self-Control: Mastery Over Oneself: Knowledge brings awareness, and with awareness comes the challenge of self-control. This is the ability to govern our desires, impulses, and emotions, aligning them with the will of God. In abundant life, self-control is the disciplined choice to pursue spiritual priorities over immediate gratifications or distractions. It means choosing moment by moment to live in a way that honors God, even when it requires sacrifice or goes against the tide of our culture. This virtue is pivotal, as it enables us to maintain our integrity and testimony in a world that often opposes Godly values.

5. Perseverance: Steadfastness Amidst Trials: Building upon self-control is perseverance, the quality that enables us to endure through trials, hardships, and the testing of our faith. The journey to living the abundant life is neither smooth nor free from obstacles. It’s perseverance that helps us to press on, even when the going gets tough, trusting that God’s purposes are being worked out in us. This steadfastness deepens our character, refines our faith, and prepares us for the greater things God has in store.

6. Godliness: Reflecting God’s Nature: As we persevere, our lives begin to reflect a godliness that is not simply about religious observances but about embodying the character of Christ. Godliness in the context of the abundant life means living in constant awareness of God’s presence, seeking to think, act, and love like Jesus. It’s a holistic transformation that affects every aspect of our being, drawing us closer to the heart of God and making us more effective in our service to Him and to others.

7. Brotherly Kindness: Compassionate Connection: Out of the wellspring of godliness flows brotherly kindness. This virtue extends the transformation happening within us outward, in the way we relate to our fellow believers and to our wider community. Brotherly kindness is the tangible expression of God’s love through us—it’s patience, compassion, empathy, and a willingness to bear one another’s burdens. In practicing brotherly kindness, we mirror the interconnectedness and mutual support that characterizes the body of Christ. This nurturing of relationships within the community is crucial for sustaining the journey towards the abundant life.

8. Love: The Culmination and Highest Virtue: Finally, atop this ladder of virtues stands love, the most excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31). Love is both the motivation for and the goal of living the abundant life God has ordained. It is the perfect expression of all the virtues that precede it, for true love encompasses faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness. Love in this fullness is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditionally committed to the well-being of others, mirroring the love God has for us. It seeks not its own benefit but rather the flourishing of others, embodying the very essence of Christ’s commandment to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).

In today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, where fake news and deep fakes blur the lines between truth and falsehood, our understanding and achieving the eight steps that Peter has outlined has never been more crucial. Ephesians 4:14-15 says, ^“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

With much love in Him always,

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