Chapter 2—“And Beside This”
Preview
Have you ever wondered how Peter chose the eight Christian char-
acteristics listed in
2 Peter 1:5-7
? It’s interesting to note the apostle
Paul’s influence (see
Galatians 5:22, 23
) in Peter’s list: steadfastness,
self-control, knowledge. Notice
2 Peter 3:14-16
. There is a lesson
here for us. Peter, who had once been openly critical of Paul, was now
his friend and admirer.
Second Peter is an autobiographical book. Peter’s advice is appeal-
ing precisely because he had lived it himself. In this current selection,
Ellen White develops each virtue in this famous ladder of Christian
progress. You will see each characteristic applied practically
.
Perhaps nowhere else in the Bible do we have such a comprehen-
sive summary of Christian education and child development. Ellen
White is careful not to make Peter’s counsel into a formula to be
mastered by force of will. Instead, each virtue is dealt with as an
aspect of personality development. Ellen White’s comments represent
a nutshell description of the process of character development or of
the philosophy of Adventist child care and education
.
Sermon
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temper-
ance 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
[16]
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lack-
eth these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten
that he was purged from his old sins. 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
15