Divine Attributes Accompany Faith - 2 Peter 1:5-8

...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 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.

Faith is the foundation for a host of divine attributes. And though it is possible to strive for some of these attributes without having faith, it is impossible to develop robust faith without effort to develop these attributes. For example, I can strive for patience without striving for faith, and I know many who do not claim to have faith who have a great deal of patience. But if I'm honestly striving for faith, I must also be striving for all of the necessary accompanying attributes.

The other attributes; virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity become an appendage or even a manifestation of our faith. They are intricate parts of the entire superstructure of which our faith is the core. They must all grow together or the structure may be unbalanced or may not grow at an optimal rate.

So it's all or nothing. A true seeker of faith must put everything on the table, hold nothing back, and the Lord will add all things to them. If we understand correctly, we understand that not only is total commitment involved, but total reliance is essential; Understanding that while our own efforts are necessary, it is only through His grace that faith is truly realized.