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The Ladder of Christian Progress, April 1
Christian Growth
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.
2 Peter
1:5-8
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.
All these successive steps are not to be kept before the mind’s eye,
and counted as you start; but fixing the eye upon Jesus, with an eye
single to the glory of God, you will make advancement....
By taking one step after another, the highest ascent may be climbed,
and the summit of the mount may be reached at last. Do not become
overwhelmed with the great amount of work you must do in your lifetime,
for you are not required to do it all at once. Let every power of your being
go to each day’s work, improve each precious opportunity, appreciate
the helps that God gives you, and make advancement up the ladder
of progress step by step. Remember that you are to live but one day
at a time, that God has given you one day, and heavenly records will
show how you have valued its privileges and opportunities. May you so
improve every day given you of God that at last you may hear the Master
say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
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