Steadfast Unto the End.
In the second letter addressed by peter to those who had obtained "like precious faith" with himself, the apostle sets forth the divine plan for the development of Christian character.He writes:
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."These words are full of instruction, and strike the keynote of victory.The apostle presents before the believers the ladder of Christian progress, every step of which represents advancement in the knowledge of God, and in the climbing of which there is to be no standstill.Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of the ladder.We are saved by climbing round after round, mounting step after step, to the height of Christ's ideal for us.Thus He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.
God has called His people to glory and virtue, and these will be manifest in the lives of all who are truly connected with Him.Having become partakers of the heavenly gift, they are to go unto perfection, being "kept by the power of God through faith." 1 Peter 1:5.It is the glory of God to give His virtue to His children.He desires to see men and women reaching the highest standard; and when by faith they lay hold of the power of Christ, when they plead His unfailing promises, and claim them as their own, when with an importunity that will not be denied they seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be made complete in Him.
Having received the faith of the gospel, the next work of the believer is to add to his character virtue, and thus cleanse the heart and prepare the mind for the reception of the knowledge of God.This knowledge is the foundation of all true education and of all true service.It is the only real safeguard against temptation; and it is this alone that can make one like God in character.Through the knowledge of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, are given to the believer "all things that pertain unto life and godliness." No good gift is withheld from him who sincerely desires to obtain the righteousness of God.
"This is life eternal," Christ said, "that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." John 17:3.And the prophet Jeremiah declared: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."Jeremiah 9:23, 24.Scarcely can the human mind comprehend the breadth and depth and height of the spiritual attainments of him who gains this knowledge.
None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character.By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ's character.In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character.
This is God's assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory.
Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law.But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition.The holiness that God's word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth.Man's obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ's righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience.The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault.Constantly he is to pray to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul.He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help.
The work of transformation from unholiness to holiness is a continuous one.
Day by day God labors for man's sanctification, and man is to co-operate with Him, putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits.He is to add grace to grace; and as he thus works on the plan of addition, God works for him on the plan of multiplication.Our Saviour is always ready to hear and answer the prayer of the contrite heart, and grace and peace are multiplied to His faithful ones.Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them.
