November 20If ye do these things, ye shall never fall — 2 Pet. 1:10.
The contingency is not in the doing of these things perfectly, and regardless of the righteousness of Christ to cover our transgressions and compensate for our daily shortcomings; but if, added to our faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ, we have cultivated all these graces to the extent of our ability, we shall not fall. When we have done all that we can do, we are still unprofitable servants, not daring to trust in our own righteousness, but in the ample robe which is ours by faith in Christ, while, with consistent "diligence," we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that the righteousness of Christ is only applied to such as desire to forsake sin and pursue that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord"—Z '97, 148 (R 2154). Doing these things implies three distinct activities: first, adding--i.e., developing the graces mentioned above; second, being in you--i.e., exercising these graces after they are developed; and third, abounding--i.e., using these graces, so that they act properly toward one another, and in such action control all our other graces and our affections, thoughts, words and acts. These three activities faithfully performed develop perfection of character in Christlikeness. Through these three modes of character activity and development one is kept from falling from God's special favor, and is enabled ultimately to come off more than conqueror through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us make a most faithful use of this, the most important of all character development instructions—P '30, 183. Parallel passages: Ex. 19:5; 2 Pet. 3:18; Jude 1:24; Mal. 3:2; Matt. 10:22; Mark 13:13; 1 Cor. 15:2, 58; Gal. 6:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Rev. 2:10; 16:15; Jas. 1:22-25; Psa. 24:3, 4. Hymns: 136, 197, 95, 267, 346, 145, 1. Poems of Dawn, 130: Keep Striving. Tower Reading: Z '15, 133 (R 5677). Questions: Have I been doing "these things" this week? Why? How? What were the results? |
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KEEP STRIVING
KEEP striving: The winners are those who have striven
And fought for the prize that no idler hath won;
To the hands of the steadfast alone it is given,
And before it is gained, there is work to be done.
Keep climbing: The earnest and steadfast have scaled
The height where the pathway was rough to the feet;
But the faint-hearted faltered, and faltering, failed,
And sank down by the wayside in helpless defeat.
Keep hoping: The clouds hide the sun for a time,
But sooner or later they scatter and flee,
And the path glows like gold to the toilers who climb
To the heights where men look over landscape and sea.
Keep onward—right on, till the prize is attained;
Front the future with courage, and obstacles fall.
By those, and those only, the victory's gained
Who look not to self, but to God above all.
KEEP striving: The winners are those who have striven
And fought for the prize that no idler hath won;
To the hands of the steadfast alone it is given,
And before it is gained, there is work to be done.
Keep climbing: The earnest and steadfast have scaled
The height where the pathway was rough to the feet;
But the faint-hearted faltered, and faltering, failed,
And sank down by the wayside in helpless defeat.
Keep hoping: The clouds hide the sun for a time,
But sooner or later they scatter and flee,
And the path glows like gold to the toilers who climb
To the heights where men look over landscape and sea.
Keep onward—right on, till the prize is attained;
Front the future with courage, and obstacles fall.
By those, and those only, the victory's gained
Who look not to self, but to God above all.
