Without God . . .

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

God calls His people to be wise, moral, patient, enduring, and loving. But first . . . before any books are read or classes are taught, there must be faith in the God of the universe!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) Respect and obedience to God is the initial point of all knowledge. The morally deficient (the fool) says there is no God. They despise all things concerning God and ignore the fact that He is!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)Faith is not in money, homes, cars, or other human beings. Faith is in the God we yet cannot see but whom we viewed a glimpse of through the person of Jesus Christ. Believers experience Him in the person of the Holy Spirit. One day we will all stand before Him . . . then, for those that have faith in Him, our faith will have true sight!(1 Peter 1:6-9)