Etymologically, the term “virtue” has a root word in Latin, “vir” meaning “man”. At first, virtue meant manliness or courage. Over time, it was regarded as meaning moral excellence. Virtue can also mean excellence in general. Virtue also refers to any preeminence, intellectual, governance, military etc.
It connotes merit or excellence within a social context. To the Greek philosophers, it means “the fulfilment of a thing”. When anything in nature properly fulfils its purpose, fulfilment is referred to as a “virtue”.
Virtue can also be used for fertile land; the land is “excellent” or virtuous because it is doing what it is programmed for. We have the virtue of a soldier’s courage and being a good citizen.
Virtue in Greek and Hebrew
In the Old Testament Hebrew, virtue is *chayil* meaning strength, power, valour or worthiness as used in Ruth 3: 11 and Prov. 31: 10. The New Testament uses the Greek words, *arete* meaning “excellence” or “valour” as in 2 Peter 1: 5; Phil. 4: 8 and *dunamis* as in Mark 5: 30 Kjv where Jesus announced that “virtue” (God’s miraculous power) had gone out of Him.
Virtue and the Greek Philosophers
The Greek philosophers had been debating the subject of virtue some 500 years before Christ was born. In Athens, Greece, great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle debated at the peak of the Greecian culture, on what virtues are.
The Socratic dictum, “virtue is Knowledge” has been the subject of discussion by Western philosophers for some 2000 years. This dictum was interpreted to mean that, “The morally correct action is the result of knowledge; conversely, wrongdoing is the result of ignorance”.
Socrates believed that virtue is the key to happiness, a satisfying and meaningful life. He believed that wisdom is the source of all good and ignorance is the source of all evil.
However, for a child of God, all these belong to the Edenic fruit of the knowledge of good and evil based on human foundation outside Christ. Before Christ’s incarnation, the affirmation of Naaman, the Syrian army commander is true that “There is no God in all the earth but in Israel”. 2 Kings 5: 15.
Martin Luther Learnt His Lesson
Luther was brought up in the strict Roman Catholic teachings making self-efforts to make himself virtuous. Like others, he put on rags and stood at roadsides to beg to acquire the virtue of humility and the merit of penance.
Penance is the self-inflicted punishment to pay for sins since Roman Catholic theology believes that the blood of Jesus is not enough. In their theology, the church, not the Bible, is the final authority.
So despite fasting, praying and other struggles, Luther was still haunted by the sense of his sinfulness. He saw God as a God of terror who could strike him dead anytime as a sinner. Being a theology lecturer at the Wittenberg University, Germany, He taught both the Old and New Testaments.
His teachings were based on Roman Catholic theology. He studied the book of Psalms several times without God’s revelational knowledge.
In frustration, he once said, “The more I sought for God in the book of Psalms, the more it seems to me that I have met the devil himself”.
Alas, a breakthrough came later as he studied and meditated on the book of Romans. God opened his eyes this time to what he had never seen before as he read Romans 1:17. God illuminated the text, “The just shall live by faith” and suddenly the true meaning of “justification by faith” was born.
Jesus Christ and His Divine Virtue
Pilate pointed the children of Israel to Christ at the Praetorium, the Judgement hall saying, “Behold the Man”. (John 19: 5) We must point Christ to the whole world as the only human being who had truly lived virtuously.
Through His life of unparalleled virtue and infinitely sacrificial death, Jesus Christ was the first man to demonstrate a spiritual God-type of virtue on earth; the greatest the universe has ever seen.
All the virtues that the philosophers teach and practise are the result of human efforts and reasoning; they are not spiritual virtues. Nevertheless, the human virtues seen in Christ as He walked on and outside the streets of Israel were not natural, human attributes but divine virtues of God Himself.
He lived physically as a man but with the character of God. This is why His disciples and many others kept asking, “Who is this man?” Luke 5: 21, Mark 4: 41.
They knew from His virtues and supernatural manifestations that He was an extraordinary man. The Temple guards sent to arrest Him could not do so; they returned exclaiming, “Never man spake like this man”. Kjv. John 7: 46.
What Is Christian Virtue?
Various Bible versions call Christian virtue, goodness (Niv), good character (Msg), moral excellence (Nlt), worthiness (Ylt), excellence, resolution, or Christian energy (Ampl.)
Christian virtue has been defined as the habitual exercises and inclinations of the heart for good things. When a Christian lives a life that glorifies Christ, he is fulfilling his purpose and thus exhibits excellence.
Uncommon Virtues
Some have distinguished the virtues that are from the humanity of Christ as “Uncommon Virtues”. These are virtues we also have as a result of our union with Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit.
No unbeliever exercises this. Worldly virtues are natural with no roots in a relation with Christ. They have been described as virtues having shells but without souls.
Common Virtue
Just as the common grace differs from the saving grace, the common virtues differ from the uncommon virtue. God’s common grace is made available to all including the unbelievers. The common virtues are good but the Bible says that that which is not of faith is sin.
Rom. 14: 23. So the virtues of unbelieving sages, philosophers, and others were without faith in Christ and so sinful; they cannot save. The Bible also says that the righteousness of unbelievers is a filthy rag before God. Is. 64: 6.
Virtue and the Fruit of the Spirit
Christian virtue is Christ’s life, Christ’s goodness, and Christ’s excellence in us; it is the life expected of every regenerated or born-again child of God. This life is impossible to live except by the Holy Spirit.
Hence the biblical phrases from Gal. 5 namely: walk by the Spirit (vs 16), be led by the Spirit (vs 18), bear the fruit of the Spirit (vs 22) and live by the Spirit (vs 25) all show that without the Holy Spirit, our human virtue is empty.
Need to Live Christ
Apostle Paul declared that “To live is Christ, to die is gain”. Phil. 1: 21. He also says, “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live … but Christ lives in me”. Gal 2: 20. He talks of abiding in Christ. John 15: 7. Jesus is also our life as we learnt from Col. 3: 4. We can only manifest and live the life of virtue by *living Christ*.
As born-again children of God, we are in union with Christ. 1 Cor. 6: 17. Living Christ is living the life of Christ and Christ living His life in us. We and Christ have one spirit and one life.
Christ lives in us and externally, we live out Christ. The character and virtues of Christ are manifested in us as we are conscious of His being in us as our life; seeing ourselves and Christ living as one life (not two).
Explaining Some of the Virtues
Faith
Jesus has given us individually a measure of faith. This is a spiritual virtue to believe that God is true in the revelation of His word. This is not out of reason but a strong trust in the Lord’s authority and the authenticity of His word by knowing, His revelation in us. Rom. 12: 6. Kjv.
Hope
Hope is a very powerful virtue; it is not wishful thinking as some believe. The Bible tells us that faith is the substance of what you are hoping for. Hebrew 11: 1. Where you are hoping for nothing, faith becomes impossible. Hope sees the invisible. 2 Cor. 4: 18. You can only have faith in what you see in your spirit downloaded into your mind.
It has been said that one can do without breathing air for almost 5 minutes; close to 5 minutes, the brain begins to die. We can stay without water in the hot desert for 5 days only before death strikes. We can also do without food for 40 days like our Lord Jesus did when fasting in His humanity without starvation.
Starvation commences when all the food stored in the flesh is exhausted and the body begins to feed on itself, but a man without hope for one second dies; he loses all desire to live; hence a man without hope is a dead man.
Love
Nobody can love God without first understanding the love of God. Love for God is the virtue powered by God’s grace for a person to love God above everything for his own sake and love others for God’s sake. This is not based on human effort but is conferred by His divine grace.
Conclusion
Child of God, one of the greatest virtues is the wisdom to seek the Lord Jesus and His salvation. The greatest mistake anybody can make in life is to be busy minding his own business; thus ignoring God and His Son Jesus Christ.
King David tells us that the wicked shall be turned to hell and all nations that forget God. Psalm 9: 17. This is not our lot in Jesus name. Remain blessed. You can read the related posts on our Bible teaching page of the site.
Sunday School Commentary by Elder Samuel Omole. July 14, 2024
