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.
2 Peter 1:5–7, LSB
Because of our Lord Jesus Christ choosing us as His own, we have been freed from the power of sin and death. This is what Peter is speaking about in this letter and he is calling us to seek to be more in our lives. Though we cannot save ourselves and add anything to our salvation, we are not excused from living a life that is not honoring to God. We are meant to seek something better and be witnesses to the glory of our Lord. God desires for us to shine out His light in our lives. As followers of Christ, we are meant to appear differently. This is where our lives are to be salted. Our faith is meant to shine out with moral excellence or virtue, and this will guide us in all other areas. The way we relate and how we relate to one another will be changed. We will be changed. In a world filled with division, we can stand in unity. Those who wish not to participate will feel awkward and we must not change our behavior for them, but let our behavior influence the behavior of others. Too often we allow the world to shape how we act, but we are being reminded we are not meant to be shaped by the world, but by Christ. We will stand apart from the world and they may not participate with us, but we can influence those who are being called by our Lord so that they may know the peace He brings through the peace we live in our lives.