God has called us, and His calling is an effective one. He is at work, creating in us the very thing He requires from us. He commands us, and His grace enables us to keep His commandments. 

And yet, Scripture never separates God’s work in us from the effort we are required to put forth in order to grow in grace. And so we come to our text in 1 Peter 1:5 - 8 and we find a list of 7 virtues that form a Ladder of Christlikeness. One step precipitates then next as these qualities develop out of the others. Thus, we are called to practice our faith with energy and intensity.