24
Peter’s Counsel to Parents
Plan of addition and multiplication
To those who are preparing for heaven I wish to say, In the Christian
life we are to work upon the plan of addition. If we are faithful in
working on this plan, God works for us on the plan of multiplication.
We are not to deviate from virtue or fail to cherish and cultivate all
the graces of the Spirit. To enable us to be partakers of the divine
nature, God has given us exceeding great and precious promises. These
promises are mentioned in the following verses:
“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
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (
2 Peter 1:5-8
).
Add virtue
“Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue.” Let not those who
profess to have faith in Christ fail of having virtue. They are under
obligation to place themselves where they will reveal to others the
virtue of His character.
A high standard to attain
God has called us to glory and virtue. We have no right to assim-
ilate with the world—dressing, talking, and living as worldlings do.
God has given us a high standard to reach. To enable man to reach
this standard, God sent into the world His only begotten Son. In our
behalf Christ made an infinite sacrifice. He laid aside His kingly crown
and royal robe, clothed His divinity with humanity, and came into our
world to teach men and women the laws of life and salvation, which
they must carry out to the letter in order to have everlasting life in the
kingdom of glory.
Satan claimed that it was impossible for human beings to keep
God’s law. In order to prove the falsity of this claim, Christ left His
high command, took upon Himself the nature of man, and came to
the earth to stand at the head of the fallen race, in order to show that
humanity could withstand the temptations of Satan. On this earth