2 Peter 1:5-8 English Standard Version
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The reason today’s title is “Why” is to point to the opening words. “For this reason” tells us why we should make the effort. The preceding verses explain why.
2 Peter 1:3-4 English Standard Version
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
At the core of this reason is the love shown to us. It might not say that directly but the core of any effort to enhance or improve life there is love. The greater the love the greater the effort. God Himself, in the form of His Son gave up His place with the Father to come and be the Way to life with our creator.
Being partakers in His divine nature is everything that both grants us access to those precious promises and allows us to exercise those promises in the life we live with Christ. It is His glory and His excellence that is exercised in us by His very presence.
The motivation to do all these things Peter speaks to in verses 5 thru 8 has to be the love and gratitude we experience in His presence. We should be mindful of that and not take this relationship for granted.