Faith (8-9-10)

2 Peter 1:5-7
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

In verses 1-4 we were shown several things about who God is and what He's done. And now we need to respond. The Word of God always demands a response. Verses 5-7 tell us the response that we need to have. "For this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith..." Let's start with that.
Step 1: Faith. Faith is the foundation. Hebrews 11:6 says:  "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." This faith is the knowledge of God, or the relationship talked about in the first four verses. Hebrews 11:1 -"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Basically the entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews talks about people who lived by faith. They lived not for themselves or this earth, but for God seeking heaven. They were "exiles on the earth".
Now then, faith must come before anything else. Because it doesn't matter what we do, if we're faithless it's impossible to please God.
Habakkuk 2:4 - "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17 - "the righteous man shall live by faith" 2 Corinthians 4:18 - "we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." That's faith.
Faith isn't just something we do once. It's a lifestyle. (apply all diligence)