Letter 43
51
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance pa-
tience; 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. But he that lacketh these
things is blind, and cannot see afar off, “and hath forgotten that he
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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
you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in
remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established
in the present truth” (
2 Peter 1:5-12
).
Youth to be living witnesses for Christ
If our youth would take heed to and practice the rules laid down
in this chapter, what an influence they would exert on the side of
righteousness, whether they were at _____, or in our institutions, or
in any place of responsibility. They would see this truth, and their
lifework would be successful. They would realize the need of being
much in prayer, of being rooted and grounded in the truth, so that
by precept and example they might be living witnesses for Christ.
They would then be like Paul, who after his conversion was a channel
through which bright beams of light were shed upon the great plan
of salvation. They would be workers together with God in reshaping
moral character, and would be instruments through which the image
of God might be retraced in man. They would respond to the working
of the Holy Spirit, and become one with Christ in God. No longer
would the law which they have transgressed be a yoke of bondage, but
it would be the law of liberty, the freedom of sonship. Having repented
toward God, having exercised faith in Christ, they have experienced
forgiveness, and esteem the law of God above gold, yea, above fine
gold.