What graces are we to add in our character building?
Answer
"Add to your faith, virtue [courage] ; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance [self-control]
; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness charity." Verses 5-7.
NOTES - Faith is the first rung in the Christian ladder, the first step Godward. "He that comes to
God must believe!' Heb. 11: 6. But an inoperative faith is useless. 'Faith without works is dead!' James
2:20. To be of value, there must be coupled with faith that virtue, or courage of conviction, which impels to
action.
To courage there needs to be added knowledge; otherwise, like the stumbling Jews, one may have
a zeal, "but not according to knowledge.' Rom. 10:2. Fanaticism is the result of such courage, or zeal.
Knowledge, therefore, is an essential to healthy Christian growth. To knowledge there needs to be added
temperance, or self -control----self -government. See Acts 24: 25, American Standard Version, and margin
of Revised Version. To know to do good, and not to do it, is as useless as is faith without works. See James
4: 17. Instead of temperance, the Twentieth Century New Testament invariably says self-control.
Patience naturally follows temperance. It is well-nigh impossible for an intemperate person to be
patient. Having gained control of oneself, and become patient, one is in a condition to manifest godliness,
or God-likeness. Having become godly, kindness toward the brethren, or brotherly kindness, naturally
follows. Charity, or love for all, even our enemies, is the crowning grace, the highest step, the eighth rung,
in the Christian ladder. The arrangement in this enumeration of graces is by no means accidental or
haphazard, but logical and sequential, each following the other in natural, necessary order. The finger of
Inspiration is seen here.
What precious promise did Jesus make to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion?
9. What prophetic period extends to the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the investigative judgment?
16. Could the offerings commanded by the ceremonial law satisfy or make perfect the conscience of the believer?
After the crucifixion, what day was kept by the women who followed Jesus?
What, according to the prophecy of Daniel, was to characterize the time of the end?
To whose authority are the angels subject?
Where will all the saints then go?
Questions & Answers are from the book Bible Readings for the Home Circle