66
Counsels for the Church
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
. “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make
your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
verses
[51]
10, 11
.
Here is a course by which we may be assured that we shall never
fall. Those who are thus working upon the plan of addition in obtaining
the Christian graces have the assurance that God will work upon the
plan of multiplication in granting them the gifts of His Spirit
Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, or a day. It is
a continual growth in grace. We know not one day how strong will be
our conflict the next. Satan lives, and is active, and every day we need
to cry earnestly to God for help and strength to resist him. As long
as Satan reigns we shall have self to subdue, besetments to overcome,
and there is no stopping place, there is no point to which we can come
and say we have fully attained.
The Christian life is constantly an onward march. Jesus sits as a
refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly re-
flected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation.
A great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God. Here we see where the great labor rests. There is a
constant work for the Christian. Every branch in the parent vine must
derive life and strength from that vine, in order to yield fruit
Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon
and bless them while they are trampling upon one of His requirements.
The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice
of the Spirit and separates the soul from God. Whatever may be
the ecstasies of religious feeling, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that
disregards the divine law. God will honor those only who honor Him
14
The Sanctified Life, 94-95
15
Testimonies for the Church 1:340
16
SL 92