Moral Excellence (8-10-10)

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.

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence..." So, step 1 of our response is faith. Step 2 is moral excellence. So what is moral excellence? The king James and the new king James use the word virtue. The NIV uses the word goodness. All three are good translations. It simply means the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.
When a person doesn't live by the Spirit, the natural thing to do is just the opposite. Rather than the fruit of the Spirit, they do the deeds of the flesh talked about in Galatians chapter five.
Galatians 5:19-21 - "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
But once a person receives the faith (step 1) They put off the old man with his deeds (avoiding what is wrong) and put on the new man (doing what's right) who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.(Colossians 3)
 If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation (2 cor 5:17). The first thing to change in us once we get saved is the desire to do what's right.
Joseph had this moral excellence. It didn't matter what could happen, he was committed to doing what was right.

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence..."