| The Christian Life | October 1942 |
“If Ye Do These Things”
“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 Savior Jesus Christ.”—II Peter 1:10,11
THE five words in our text to which we wish to call special attention are, “If ye do these things.” Before considering them, however, let us notice four interesting points in the context. The first one is, “make your calling and election sure.” In an Insurance Trade Journal there recently appeared a picture with the title, “One hand for yourself and one hand for the ship.” It showed sailors out on a large sail boat in a high wind putting a reef in the sail and thus shortening the amount of sail unfolded to the wind. With one hand, each one was holding on tight to the long slender tapering spar set crosswise of the mast, while with the other hand each was folding a part of the sail and tying it around the spar. In the high wind and the heavy sea it would be easy to be brushed off and therefore one would need always to make sure that one hand was free to hold on to the mast in such dangerous jolts.
The sailors had this expression, “One hand for yourself and one hand for the ship,” as their slogan. This illustrates how each one of us has two sets of duties. One set includes our service for others—laying down our lives for the brethren, witnessing for the truth, serving our local ecclesia and, where we can, the church at large. The other set of duties include watching our hearts to see that there is no bitterness or selfishness or pride there. “One hand for self” means to make our calling and election sure and to watch that we, ourselves, are not brushed away from the Lord and His spirit of love. “One hand for the ship” means that we should be “always abounding in the work of the Lord.”—I Cor. 15:58
The second interesting point in the context is the expression, “give diligence.” It means that we should put forth much effort and thought “to make our calling and election sure.” Sometime ago there appeared in. the newspapers an article on the need of plenty of vegetables as a part of our daily diet. It then imagines someone saying, “I don’t care much for vegetables. After I have eaten my meat, potatoes and bread, all I care for is one or two small spoonfuls of vegetables. What can I do about it?” The article answers, “Eat your vegetables first.” When you are hungry, you will enjoy the taste of the vegetables and you will be sure to have room enough in your stomach.
Likewise if we give our first consideration to spiritual :things such as prayer, watchfulness, attendance at meetings, the reading and study of the truth, etc., then we will find them a source of great joy and blessing to us, our daily cares lighter, and, also, we will find the time for them.
The third interesting point in the context is the assurance of an abundant entrance. A sister once made, the remark, “Oh, I would like so much to get into that heavenly kingdom, even if I have to sneak in through the back door.” But there will be no “sneaking in” through the back door. It will be an abundant entrance. Jesus tells us in John 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Surely when Jesus, the Heavenly Bridegroom, welcomes His bride to her heavenly home, it will be a royal welcome, witnessed by all the heavenly hosts.
When a man has a box of shaving blades, each enclosed in a wrapper with the picture and name of a reliable maker on it, he knows that when he is ready for a new blade, the one inside of such a wrapper will be a blade of the highest quality and will give satisfactory service. Likewise each one of the bride class in the resurrection will have the Father’s name of approval on him. (See Rev. 14:1.) Each one will be “conformed [in character] to the image of God’s Son”. (Rom. 8:29) Therefore our Heavenly Father knows that all those comprising that class will be so lovable in character that He looks forward with delight to fellowship with them throughout all eternity. Our Heavenly Father tells us that He will “joy over thee with singing.” (Zeph. 3:17) Imagine God being so delighted with us that He is represented as bursting out in song. Surely that can mean nothing short of an abundant entrance into His everlasting Kingdom.
The fourth interesting point in the context is the expression, “everlasting kingdom.” This implies that the joys and thrills and blessed experiences which will be ours when we attain unto the first resurrection, will not sometime come to an abrupt end, but will be ours throughout all eternity—“and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”—I Thess. 4:17
At a lecture on astronomy, a speaker showed how the “dipper” looked when first discovered by man. Then she showed it as it is now, looking just like a dipper. Then she showed it as it will be 120,000 years from now, looking more like a shovel than a dipper. As the writer listened to this expression of 120,000 years he tried to realize how long a period it will be. And yet, when that long span of time is completed, the everlasting Kingdom with its absorbing privileges and joys will still be in existence and ours still to enjoy for eternity.
FIVE LITTLE WORDS
In the expression (II Pet. 1:10), “if ye do these things,” “these things” refer to faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, mentioned in the preceding verses. It tells us to add to each of these virtues because they all must be “in us and abound” if we are to make our calling and election sure. We are to be built up in Christian character in a rounded out manner along all the lines of the virtues mentioned.
Faith. In Romans 5:1,2, we read, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” This shows how the step of faith in the precious blood of Jesus Christ gave us peace with God. He no longer treats us as enemies because we are now justified, reckoned perfect. This text also shows us that it is by faith that we take the next step of consecration. It takes faith to believe that God has invited us to such a high calling, that He will give us His Holy Spirit, begetting us to the divine nature and that He will fulfill His promises to give us the help and providences and guidance to enable us to carry out our consecration.
After making this consecration, our text shows that our faith enables us to rejoice in the hope of our future reward. This faith and hope become a two-pronged anchor in the storms of life—the trials and difficulties we have all along the way. We are told that “the just shall live by faith.” (Heb. 10:38) We find that in proportion to our faith we are strong and vigorous as new creatures. In that same proportion, we have the joy and peace God has promised to His faithful people. Our spiritual life is dependent upon our faith.
Before we became new creatures our scale of values was one of sight. Earthly aims, hopes and ambitions carried considerable weight with us. But now that we are new creatures we have a new scale of values. It is the scale of “faith.” These earthly aims, hopes and ambitions on the new scale become less important to us. Like the Apostle Paul, we can say, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18) We have the “spirit of a sound mind” because we now weigh these things from the standpoint of God’s Word, the standpoint of faith.—II Tim. 1:7
As we get better acquainted with our God and His Word, our faith grows stronger day by day.
Virtue, translated “fortitude” in the Diaglott: It is defined as mental strength to endure suffering or adversity with courage. The Apostle Paul was a man of great fortitude. Note his statement in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things [‘bonds and afflictions’] move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
How sad it is to hear some one say, “I feel like throwing up everything.” Such an attitude indicates a lack of this important quality of fortitude—“strength of mind to meet or endure unfalteringly pain, adversity, or peril.” (Standard Dictionary) To make good as Christians we need strong will power rightly directed. One of Aesop’s fables tells how the wind and the sun had a contest to see which one could make a certain traveler take off his coat. The wind tried first. His method was to blow very hard, but the traveler only fastened his coat so much the tighter. Then the sun had his turn. He turned on his warmth and the man began to perspire. Then he unbuttoned his coat. But as he was still warm, he took off the coat and carried it on his arm. The sun had won where the wind had failed.
Sometimes the devil uses the winds of adversity to get us to take off our coat of loyalty to God. When this fails, he tries just the opposite course of ease and prosperity and flattery. It is strange to see how for years when they were poor some have been faithful to the Lord, and then, when they earned more money and could enjoy more of the luxuries of life, they found so many excuses for not attending the meetings, or engaging in witness work. They find time for long, expensive, sightseeing vacations but no time to attend any of the general conventions. The sun of prosperity causes them to take off their coat of loyalty to God and to lose their fortitude.
Knowledge: Knowledge becomes an element of character only when it is applied as a course of action. As we see the steps of consecration, prayer, attending meetings, witnessing, overcoming, etc., and, also, as we learn how best to take these steps, this knowledge becomes profitable only to the extent that we act upon it. And this knowledge includes a personal acquaintance with God and His character of love; hence it not only prompts us to have a greater love for Him but leads us to desire to be like Him in all of His attributes. We not only see more clearly the “beauty of holiness” in Him, but we are also led to pray for more and more of His Holy Spirit.
Temperance, translated “self-control” in the Diaglott: In I Cor. 9:27 we read, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” The old creature says I want to do this or I want to do that, but the New Creature says I am “boss” here and I intend to use this body in the Lord’s service.
Only by exercising temperance, self-control, can the New Creature grow in Christlikeness. We read in Proverbs 25:28, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” If we are easily swayed, easily upset, our influence with others as “ambassadors for Christ” is very small. The story is told of a lecturer at a Chautauqua Circus who came out on the platform and explained how to exercise self-control and to be always calm and composed and pleasant. He gave rules on how not to lose your temper and to be always at ease. The one who told the story was just a boy at the time this lecture was given. He remembered how, just before this man gave the lecture, he had flown into a tantrum because his shoes had been mislaid in the dressing-room tent where the boy was working to earn his admission ticket. To the boy, the man’s actions spoke louder than his words.
Patience—cheerful endurance: We need both fortitude and patience because one can have fortitude without having kindness and forbearance. “Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Heb. 10:36) If we are honest and sincere, we see the many faults and failings we ourselves have. As we realize this, we see how much patience God has to exercise toward us and this, in turn, should lead us to be patient with others.
Godliness: This is a hearty, cheerful, loving conformity to God’s will. It is a heart attitude such as expressed by Jesus in John 18:11, “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?” One who thus fully buries His will in God’s will can know no disappointment.
Brotherly Kindness: It is a love for the brethren because they are in the same family and have, the same aims and similar experiences. In John 13:34, we read, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye love one another.” This love for the brethren when put into action, helps both the giver and the recipient. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”—Proverbs 27:17
Love: The Greek word is agape and means unselfish, whole-hearted love. One element of love is the appreciation of others because of their holiness. This appreciation is in proportion to its object. Hence, we are to love God supremely because He is the embodiment of all that is loving and kind and just. The same is true of Jesus. As we see the brethren manifesting the same spirit in their hearts and lives, we learn to appreciate them more and more. Even our enemies may have some good qualities that we can see and appreciate. We should always be ready to do good to others and to sympathize with them. For those who have not the same advantages as we have, we should manifest the love of compassion and helpfulness.
Let us now consider the word “do”—“If ye do these things.” The Lord has given us certain means of grace, certain methods to follow, by which we can develop Christian character and thus “do” these things. They are (1) prayer, (2) attending meetings regularly, (3) meditation and study, (4) witnessing, and (5) watchfulness. Each day we should seek to get out of each experience all we can of the happiness of doing God’s will and of manifesting more and more of His spirit.
How it would distress a good violinist to see a child take a hammer and start smashing a Stradivarius violin! Likewise when we see some Christians wasting precious time in foolish worldliness or failing to overcome in their trials, how it pains us. Instead of producing the sweet music of love and patience and meekness from their violins—their opportunities and experimental activities or experiences—all they obtain is grumbling and disappointments.
The doing of these things should be all the time and not only on certain occasions. We note how the militia and some lodges or orders come out in their uniforms for the dress parades, but at other times do not wear them. So there are some who profess to be “soldiers” of Jesus Christ when a pilgrim comes, or when there is a convention, but you seldom see them at any other time.
“If ye do these things.” It is not enough that you associate with others who are doing these things. We are on trial as individuals, not as groups. We cannot ride into the Kingdom on some one else’s pass.
“If ye do these things.” We are on trial before the great Judge who can read our inmost thoughts. If, by His grace and His Holy Spirit and by our cooperation and continual effort, we finish our course with a Christlike character of love, then we will receive the high reward of joint-heirship with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom. If our consecration life has been an inferior one, and we fail to be the joyful, willing sacrificers that we should be, we cannot reasonably expect the “full reward” promised. All then that may be received from our gracious and benevolent God is the much inferior reward of a place among the Great Company on the spirit plane. But even this is based upon our final victory over self and self-interest.
If we persistently do that which, in the beginning at least, we recognized to be wrong, we may be headed for the, second death. Our final destiny depends upon the doing of these things—if ye do these things, and not merely think upon them.
Recently a magazine on a solid black cover showed a small golden crown and nothing else. This made the crown shine out in marked contrast. The solid black made one think of our baptism into Christ’s death. The crown made one think of the “hope” of the Christian. The two together, in such sharp contrast, beautifully symbolized the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:10, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”