"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 love.' [2 Peter 1:5-7]
To suppose that any man can be saved for general
correctness of moral character without any reference
to his faith would be a dreadful mistake. The
words "add-to your
faith" prove that the faith must
first be had as an essential foundation or starting point; and that all the
shining list of Christian virtues
are things to be added to it. Correct faith is as needful as correct conduct. (Remember what an excellent man was Cornelius; and yet he
had to hear words of doctrine and be baptized, to
place
himself in a salvable state. [Acts 10:2; 11:14] The exhortation
is addressed to those who have obtained
like precious faith with the apostles; [vs.
1] Having believed
the gospel of the kingdom, as preached
by the apostles, and having been baptized, they are now, as the commission requires, exhorted to the duties which follow baptism. Matthew
28:19] These two features of the commission giving the one kind of instruction before and the other after baptism; the apostles constantly observed. Thus, Peter begins and ends this
list of virtues by urging them upon those who had
been baptized. And Paul desired Titus tod
"affirm,
constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works." [Titus 3:8]
James too has warned his brethren that
"faith without works
is dead." [James 2:20]
And thus, the beloved disciple, after assisting in planting
many churches, when he found himself too old to
travel and visit them any longer, wrote to them as to his own dear children,
saying,
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in truth." [3 John
4
No wonder it gave John so much joy to hear this, for our
labor in preaching the gospel is, to a great extent,
lost unless the converts, after baptism,
continue to "walk in the
truth." We naturally feel an interest
in the success and prosperity of any
undertaking on which we have spent much
labour and care. Congregations
which have displayed great and
worthy zeal to have the gospel of the kingdom
preached,
and sinners converted, should show a
similar zeal to build up and keep those converts
in
their most holy faith, continually exhorting
them unto love and to good works;
the older brethren and sisters especially
taking care to live so as to set holy examples
to
the flock. [1
Peter 5:3;
Titus 2:7] The Master's
words, “What do you more
than others?" indicate that he requires
disciples lo be
"a peculiar people
zealous of good works." They are the conserving and illuminating element of society, the salt of the earth and the light of the
world. [Matthew
5:13, 14, 47]
"If you
continue in my word –
obey my word, then are you my disciples indeed." [John 8:31]
He that hears and does is likened unto a wise man that built
his house on a rock; unto good ground that brings forth an hundred fold; unto a fruitful
branch of a goodly vine. Matthew 7:24;
Luke 8:35;
John 14:2, 6] But he that does not is like a foolish man that built his
house on the sand; like thorny ground that chokes the seed; like a withered branch that is gathered and
burned. Therefore
"be you doers
of the word, and not hearers only." [James 1:22]
When the seven graces here enjoined, and all their kindred
virtues are possessed in due proportion they give
to the Christian a beautiful and symmetrical character.
1. Virtue. The gospel found the Gentiles fearfully sunk in
vice, as the first chapter of Romans proves.
Nor were the Jews, under Pharisaic teaching, free from rebuke in this respect.
But Christians, to whom
Peter was writing, had been
"called to glory and virtue” and had "purified
their souls in obeying the truth." [2 Peter 1:3; 1Peter 1:22]
They were tenderly exhorted,
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let
us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." [2 Corinthians 7:1]
If this word, aretē, be translated "fortitude,"
as some say, it then means that we must not only believe the gospel of the kingdom, but have the courage to
confess it before men;
for if ashamed of the Saviour's
words (among which were
"the glad tidings of the kingdom," [Luke 8:1]
He will be ashamed of us when he comes in glory. [Luke 9:26]
We should be
"valiant for the truth" [Jeremiah 9:3],
for "the fearful" are classed among the
unbelieving and abominable who shall be cast into the lake of fire. [Revelation 21:8]
This condemned fear is the fear of man, which
"brings a
snare;" [Proverbs
29:25]
not the fear of Yehovah, for
that
"is the beginning of wisdom." [Psalm 111:10]
Who would not rather burn at the stake for righteousness than in the lake of fire for
sin? The fear of man
causes persons to not only neglect religious duties, through dread of hurting
their fortunes or of making enemies, but even to abandon the faith.
Too fond of popularity or too
timid, they always drift with
the current, reminding one of the saying that dead fish float down the stream. In Turkey they would perhaps be Muslims. They
cannot "dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it
known." He would not be restrained from worshipping the true God by the dread of the lion's den; nor would
His three companions be constrained to idolatry by the errors of a
fiery furnace. Of holy fortitude, duly combined with and tempered by all the other graces, the blessed Saviour's
life on earth is a perfect illustration. [1 Peter 2:21]
2. Knowledge. Some
"being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them," [Ephesians 4:18]
will be
"destroyed for lack of knowledge." [Hosea 4:6]
This does not mean worldly "science," but a
knowledge of the Scriptures, enabling us to understand for ourselves and to teach others
"what the will of the Lord is." [Ephesians 5:17]
Such knowledge enables its possessor to give a right
direction to his fortitude when he strives, it is "to enter in
at
the straight gate;" when he contends, it is "for the faith once delivered to the saints;" when
he provokes, it is "unto love and to good works."
He learns to rightly divide the
word of truth, comparing Scripture
with Scripture. He avoids
"foolish and unlearned questions, and strivings about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers." He is not carried about by
every wind of doctrine, nor persuaded into the belief of error by the smooth words and fair speeches, nor the
high-sounding titles and arrogant pretensions of men. And with
all this he is not haughty nor puffed up against
those brethren
who
have not made the same attainments as himself,
because
any such disposition is restrained by his brotherly kindness, which he is also
careful to cultivate. 3. Temperance. The Greek word implies moderation,
continence, self-control. There are many kinds of
intemperance.
‘Ne quid nimis’, not anything too far, is with remembering.
"Every man that strives for the mastery is temperate
in all things." [1
Corinthians 9:25]
Now if the self-denial, abstemiousness, and severe exercises of the ancient contestants in
public games were cheerfully endured
to obtain a corruptible crown,
the failure to obtain which would only be a temporary
disgrace,
how much more cheerfully ought we to
endure all things to obtain an incorruptible crown,
the failure to obtain which will bring
"shame and everlasting
contempt." [Daniel
12:2].
Paul's contest was not a beating of air, for in himself he
found a more substantial antagonist;
"I
keep my body under and bring it in subjection." We must
"mortify," that is,
put to death evil propensities,
or they will be likely to put us to death. Many, to all their faith, fortitude,
and knowledge have neglected to add
temperance; and so, at last have sunk to a drunkard's grave. O! the
inexpressible wretchedness produced
by that one vice! The
heart-rending scenes and blighted home circles which the demon of drunkenness, has caused are enough to make it universally hated as a
foe to the human race. It is well-known that it blunts the moral
sensibilities, dulls the intellect, empties the purse, ruins the health,
and at last excludes its victim from the joys of
a
blissful eternity, for no drunkard
"shall inherit the kingdom of God." [1 Corinthians 6:10.
The fact that the doses of alcoholic drinks require in so many cases to be continually increased in quantity
appears
to me an indication that as common beverages they
must be unwholesome; for water,
milk, and even tea or coffee do not
require to be increased in that unnatural
way. Fishes are not drowned
in water, nor troubles in strong
drink, for
"at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an
adder."
[Proverbs 23:29, 30, 32]
But the Church is the only "Temperance society"
needed by a Christian. If the influences of
religion do not restrain one from insobriety, I see not how any
outside organization
can.
4. Patience.
"In your patience possess your your souls.” [Luke 21:19]
"You have
need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will
come." [Hebrews
10:36, 37]
"Let patience have her perfect work." [James 1:4]
"The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is, in the
sight of God, of great price." [1
Peter 3:4]
"You have
heard of the patience of Job." [James 5:11]
It ought to be a sufficient encouragement to know that the
Lord has said,
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." [Hebrews 8:5]
In trials and troubles 'tis heaven's design
Our dross to consume, our gold to refine.
5. Godliness. This grace throws a sacred lustre over the entire conduct, and
"Is profitable unto all things, having promise of the
life that now is, and of that which is to come."
[1 Timothy 4:8]
Piety and devotion are some of its meanings. It leads us to take delight in frequent prayer. The
wording of the Lord's
prayer indicates that it is to be used, not yearly, monthly, or weekly, but daily; "Give
us this day our daily bread." When the Saviour said that
men "ought always to
pray and not to faint," He gave
two illustrations, one teaching
perseverance and the other humility in prayer. [Luke 18:1-14]
We should not be content with mere prayerful thoughts at irregular times, but should observe
both the spirit and
posture
of prayer, by at least once everyday kneeling
and
offering up, through the
Messiah,
our thanks and
supplications
to our Heavenly Father. That kneeling is the
most usual posture is evident from
the fact that Paul uses
the expression, "I bow my knees," as but another way of saying, "I pray." [Ephesians 3”14] Thus Peter,
Paul,
Daniel, Solomon, and even the adorable Redeemer
himself used to pray. [Acts 9:40; 21:5; Daniel 6:10; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Luke 22:41] David and Daniel prayed "three times a day." [Daniel 6:10; Psalm 4:17] Godliness prompts us to a regular
attendance at the Lord's supper, to commemorate with
ever-grateful hearts the sufferings
which He endured for our sakes.
This virtue kindles in us a fervent zeal for the
advancement
of religion and the prosperity of the
cause of the Messiah; weaning us from worldliness
and placing our affections on holy
things; leading us to
"abhor that which
is evil and cleave unto that which is good." It implies also a performance of the duties we owe to our fellow creatures.
6. Brotherly kindness (Greek, ‘philadelphia’). In other passages this word is
translated "brotherly love,"
or "love of the brethren." Love of
kind is common to men and
brutes. Even "birds of a feather flock
together." Both in
sound and sense we can trace a relationship between kin, kind, kindness. It is human to be humane. Love to the brethren is evidence of our
discipleship.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if you have love one to
another." [John 13:34, 35]
It is evidence that we have entered the Christian life. “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He
that loveth not his brother
abides in
death." It is an evidence
that we love God.
"Whosoever
has this world's good, and
sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion
rom
him, how dwellsh the
love of God in him?" [1 John
3:14, 17]
"He that loves not
his brother whom he has seen,
how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
[1 John 4:20]
It is the Saviour's new commandment
"A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another." [John 13:34]
It prompts us to
"bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of the Messiah." [Galatians 6:2]
No need of "benevolent societies" for the members
of a congregation where brotherly love abounds. They need
not
go to those worldly institutions as though the called-out Assembly of God was not sufficient for the temporal as well as
the
eternal needs of man. Loving brethren will speak often one to another and will not be likely to forsake the
assembling
of themselves together.
"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren
to dwell together in unity!" [Malachi 3:16]
"Let brotherly love continue." [Psalm 133:1; Hebrews 10:25; 13:1]
7. Charity, or rather "love" as the A. B. U.
renders it. Thus, Peter exhorts us to love not our brethren only, but, as Paul expresses it, to
“increase and abound in love, one toward another, and toward all
men." [Matthew
5:46; 1 Thessalonians 3:12]
This is not the mere giving of alms, for a person may give all his goods to feed the poor, and
"have not charity" or love;
in which case his almsgiving "profits
nothing."
Nor is it a blindness to the errors and false
doctrines of others for charity or love
"rejoices not
in iniquity but rejoices in
the truth." [1
Corinthians 13:3, 6]
The two duties;
charity
and earnestly contending for the faith; would not be enjoined upon us if they were
incompatible
and contrary to one another. None have been
more perfect examples of true love than the Messiah and his apostles, and yet they died contending against errors of doctrine and practice.
Thousands of the early disciples were slain for their unflinching advocacy of the true faith, but if they had worn
the modern garb of a
false "love” might they not have compromised with
their opponents, and thus lived as completely at
peace with them as the greatest moral coward or
popularity seeker of the
nineteenth century? All classes
of those who er might
be fellowshipped by sacrificing the truths and duties which the Bible teaches; but this, instead of resembling the Messiah and his apostles, would resemble Pilate and Herod, who made friends with one another in condemning the Messiah. If the word of God is held in proper value
and esteem, there must be disputes and divisions among men. [Matthew 10:34] What
remedy is there for it in the
present condition of the world, which is not
infinitely worse than the
disease? A total indifference about
all the teachings of the
Bible would indeed end all disputes about it; but
that
indifference would be
punished by the consuming wrath
of God, in the day of judgment. It is a loving action to warn one
who
is in danger, even if you get no thanks for
it. The Psalmist calls the reproof of the righteous a kindness and an excellent oil, and Solomon
says,
"As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear."
[Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 25:12]
We must
avoid casting pearls before swine, however. [Matthew 7: 6] After the Jews in a certain place had heard and rejected the
word, Paul said,
"It was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life,
lo, we turn to the Gentiles." [Acts 13:45, 46]
And so, after
one has manifested hatred and contempt for
"the word of the kingdom," let us turn to others, in
hopes
of finding better and more
hospitable soil for that precious
word. [Matthew
13:19]
"Love works no evil to his neighbour." [Romans 13:10]
Hence the
Christian refuses to arm himself
with carnal weapons and slay his
fellow man upon the battlefield. The
disciples were reproved for
quoting an instance under
a former dispensation to justify them in slaying
their
enemies. Every Christian should be
imbued with the same disposition as
his Master who did
"not come to destroy men's lives but to save
them" [Luke 9:56]
"let this mind be in you which was also in the Messiah Jesus." [Philippians 2:5; 1 John 2:6]; 2 Timothy 2:24]
"Render unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's," - refers
to taxes. [Matthew
22:21]
The coin bore
the image of Caesar and was to be rendered
to him, but the Christian bears the image of God, has been "bought with a
price," and his body belongs
to God by an infinitely better right than the money to Caesar; hence he is to glorify
God in his body, and to
render his body, blood, and life to God
alone. [1
Corinthians 6:19,
20; Romans 12:1] Love is beautifully analyzed by Paul in [1 Corinthians
13] It is the crowning of Christian virtues, and is the only
acceptable principle of obedience, whether under the law or the
gospel.
"You
shall
love the Lord - Yehovh
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it, you
shall love your neighbour
as yourself. On
these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets." [Matthew
22:37, 40]
I have scarcely given more than a few seed-thoughts on the
duties and graces of the Christian life. If we
believe and advocate the gospel, and illustrate it
in our lives, we will
fully accomplish our mission, for others
beholding our good works will
glorify our Heavenly Father [Matthew
5:16], we will put to silence the ignorance of foolish men [1 Peter 2:15], and finally obtain an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Messiah." O glorious destiny! O blissful fruition of all our hopes and labours! Therefore, brethren and sisters,
"keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Messiah unto eternal life;" [Jude 21]
"be you
steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that
your labour is not in vain in the Lord." [1 Corinthians 15:58]
And sinner, why do you linger in a land of dragons? I beseech you to escape for your life to the gate of safety that kindly stands ajar for thee. In the
book of life there is yet
room for your name, and the
door of mercy is not yet closed.
O let me urge you to enter that door and have
your
name enrolled in that book ere it be
too late. I've heard that on one
occasion a speaker was dwelling on the
danger of being shut out from
salvation, and illustrating it by the
closing of the ark; and as he described
the great doors moving on their
hinges, about to be closed, a lady in
the audience intensely thinking of the
scene cried out in anguish, Oh ! do not close
the door until my husband gets in ! And is
there not some one here to-day who is safe in the Ark but has
a dear friend or relative still standing without
and liable to be swept away
by the coming waves of God's wrath? Ask them
to begin to-day to seek the kingdom
of God. I'll excuse you if you get
up and go across the house to ask them.
Let the mother speak to the daughter
at her side, the father to his son,
the wife to her husband; for the Lord
will have a whole family to be
saved;
"come
you and all your house into the ark.'' Soon the door will
no longer stand
open, the called-out Assembly of
God will be caught away to meet the Lord, as the
ark was borne away on the waters. No
more invitations then, no more sermons,
no more loving friends pleading with you to be
saved,
and to behold the Lamb of God. All this will
be passed, the hour of judgment will have
come and sinners of
all
classes great and small, high and low, will run
terror stricken to rocks and mountains crying out
"Fall
on us and hide us from the face of Him
- Yehovah that sits on
the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for
the great day of His wrath is come and who shall be able to stand."
To the youthful, God says, "Remember now your Creator in the days of thy youth;"
to the aged, "Why stand ye here idle all the
day?" See! the sun in the west; your white locks are blooming for the grave! O will you not go now, at the
eleventh hour, and work in the vineyard?
Better go late as this than
not go at all.
Think not that you are naturally immortal, and that if you
persist in sin you can outlive your future
punishment, serve out your term, and finally enter the joys of the redeemed.
Flatter not yourself with
such vain hopes; for that which is immortal cannot die, "but the soul that
sins it shall die"; hence the soul of the sinner is
not immortal. [Ezekiel
18:4, 20]
There will never be another
moment
of joy for those who die in
their sins. Therefore, "make
haste and delay not to keep
the commandments of Yehovah.' [Psalm 119:60]
He commands you to believe the gospel of the kingdom, and
then "be baptized and wash away your sins." [Mark 1:14, 15; Acts 12:16]
Surely "His commandments are not grievous,” but his yoke is easy and his - Jesus burden light.” [1 John 5:3]
[From "Songs of Zion."]
Behold an open door!
It stands ajar for thee!
For thee, poor sinner, to secure
Blessed
immortality.
The Saviour calls from sin,
And hides you enter there;
'Tis life, and light, and joy within,
And bliss beyond compare.
When closed by His command,
Your tears may stain the sill,
But yet that
door will ever stand
Fast barr'd against you still.
'Tis mercy's only gate
That leads to life and home;
Then hasten, ere it be too late,
And flee from " wrath to come."
Written in the 1800’s by Wiley Jones an elder in the called-out Assembly and edited by Bruce Lyon
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