These words are full of instruction, and strike the keynote of victory. The apostle presents before the believers the ladder of Christian progress, every step of which represents advancement in the knowledge of God, and in the climbing of which there is to be no standstill. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of the ladder. We are saved by climbing round after round, mounting step after step, to the height of Christ’s ideal for us. Thus He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. {AA 530.1}
“This is life eternal,” Christ said, “that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
And the prophet Jeremiah declared: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23, 24.
What does it entail?
1 Pet 1:22
None need fail of attaining, in his sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Saviour showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory. {AA 531.2}
What is our part?
Rom 12:1-2
Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God’s word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to pray to the Saviour to heal the disorders of his sin-sick soul. He has not the wisdom or the strength to overcome; these belong to the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help. {AA 532.1}
The work of transformation from unholiness to holiness is a continuous one. Day by day God labors for man’s sanctification, and man is to co-operate with Him, putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits. He is to add grace to grace; and as he thus works on the plan of addition, God works for him on the plan of multiplication. Our Saviour is always ready to hear and answer the prayer of the contrite heart, and grace and peace are multiplied to His faithful ones. Gladly He grants them the blessings they need in their struggle against the evils that beset them. {AA 532.2}
May I also add this?
My husband shared these verses with me in what I needed to know my purpose and to teach to our children. I believe these verses can connect with what it means for us to be partakers.
Purpose of life
Once a week I go over the following scriptures with my children. I pay a life insurance that will last about one year if my wife can find a way to stay within budget. I leave the rest to God. He is the “LORD of hosts” and every beast in the forest is his and he owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” according to Psalm 50.10.
The following scriptures are a type of spiritual life insurance in case I die. My children are happy and ignorant. My son Ared loves to take a shower and swim in a bathtub . He is happy about this. I usually must rush him out every morning because I have to get to work. I take a quick shower and worry about the water bill even though it has not changed since I spent good money to fix the pipes. My daughter Naad loves to snuggle with her father even though I am busy with other subjects in the house. I want to leave them the legacies of faith, prayer and the word of God. When things go bad, they will hopefully have a “rock of ages” who will sustain them. May they never feel alone when I am long gone.
The purpose of life is found in the faith of Jesus. His God is my God. His Father is my Father. Jesus was the only begotten of the Father. The faith of Jesus is that he took God at his word and did it. He worships his Father because he is his God. I follow the religion of Jesus. Galatians 2:20 KJV
[20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And what is this religion of Jesus who is the Son of man that grew up in wisdom and stature?
Micah 6:8 KJV
[8] He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Hosea 6:6 KJV
[6] For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
The knowledge of God is found in Exodus 34.5-7; John 17.3 and Proverbs 2.5 and 6.
Hosea 12:6 KJV
[6] Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 KJV
[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Indeed, life is more than just getting food, clothing and shelter.
God gave us his son Jesus to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption so that we may be able to live life with family, neighbors and God in power, love and a sound mind. See 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Timothy 1:7.
We seek the following in his kingdom. Romans 14:17 KJV
[17] For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Titus 2:11-14 KJV
[11] For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [14] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 3:3-8 KJV
[3] For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. [4] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, [5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [8] This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
May my children be the last day kids who possess their souls and endure to the end. May they keep two things given from heaven. That word “keep” can also be seen as “To tend; to have the care of according to the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary.
And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Gen 2.15
Revelation 14:12 KJV
[12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We are a prophetic people. Let us keep this in thought.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV
[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
The second advent
The ultimate hope is to be ready for the soon return of Jesus. We will see and hear Jesus. He will come with a shout, the voice of God and the trump of God. He will come in the clouds. He will empty all of heaven. The angels and those captives he freed from the grave at his resurrection. Elijah, Enoch and Moses will be with him. He go from east to west. He will send his angels to gather his saints. He will resurrect the righteous sleeping dead. Then those who remain alive shall be changed. We will join the resurrected and Jesus in the air.
Those who endure to the end of old earth’s history must go through the great tribulation until the visible glory, audibly loud second advent of our Lord Jesus. The wicked will be dead and we will spend a thousand years in the New Jerusalem in heaven.
Let us be ready. This is not our world.
John 14:1-3 KJV
[1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And 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.
Matthew 24:27-31 KJV
[27] For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [28] For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. [29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Revelation 20:4-6 KJV
[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Jeremiah 25:30-33 KJV
[30] Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes , against all the inhabitants of the earth. [31] A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord . [32] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. [33] And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
The land which God promised to Abraham and his seed according to Genesis 12:1, 7; 13:15-17; 15:7, 18 and 17:8 was a TYPE of the world . Romans 4:13 KJV
[13] For the promise, that he should be the HEIR OF THE WORLD, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Galatians 3:7-9 KJV
[7] Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. [8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying , In thee shall all nations be blessed. [9] So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
They will be blessed to be part of the first resurrection. They will avoid the second death.
Revelation 20:6 KJV
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Why is there a second death for the wicked? They die at the second advent. The wicked die twice. The people of God will be kings and priests of God.
Matthew 19:28 KJV
[28] And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
1 Corinthians 6:2 KJV
[2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Revelation 1:6 KJV
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
“I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them” Revelation 20:4a.
They reign with Christ a thousand years judging the dead.
Why a thousand years? What happens to the devil during the thousand years?
Revelation 20:2-3 KJV
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, [3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Where are the people of God from on earth?
Revelation 7:9 KJV
[9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Why will the devil not be able to deceive the nations?
The saints will be in heaven and the wicked will be dead. The saints will judge as priests and king the wicked dead. The wicked dead will take part in the second resurrection.
May 29, 2021 @ 4:58 am
May I also add this?
My husband shared these verses with me in what I needed to know my purpose and to teach to our children. I believe these verses can connect with what it means for us to be partakers.
Purpose of life
Once a week I go over the following scriptures with my children. I pay a life insurance that will last about one year if my wife can find a way to stay within budget. I leave the rest to God. He is the “LORD of hosts” and every beast in the forest is his and he owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” according to Psalm 50.10.
The following scriptures are a type of spiritual life insurance in case I die. My children are happy and ignorant. My son Ared loves to take a shower and swim in a bathtub . He is happy about this. I usually must rush him out every morning because I have to get to work. I take a quick shower and worry about the water bill even though it has not changed since I spent good money to fix the pipes. My daughter Naad loves to snuggle with her father even though I am busy with other subjects in the house. I want to leave them the legacies of faith, prayer and the word of God. When things go bad, they will hopefully have a “rock of ages” who will sustain them. May they never feel alone when I am long gone.
The purpose of life is found in the faith of Jesus. His God is my God. His Father is my Father. Jesus was the only begotten of the Father. The faith of Jesus is that he took God at his word and did it. He worships his Father because he is his God. I follow the religion of Jesus. Galatians 2:20 KJV
[20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
And what is this religion of Jesus who is the Son of man that grew up in wisdom and stature?
Micah 6:8 KJV
[8] He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Hosea 6:6 KJV
[6] For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
The knowledge of God is found in Exodus 34.5-7; John 17.3 and Proverbs 2.5 and 6.
Hosea 12:6 KJV
[6] Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 KJV
[33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Indeed, life is more than just getting food, clothing and shelter.
God gave us his son Jesus to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption so that we may be able to live life with family, neighbors and God in power, love and a sound mind. See 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Timothy 1:7.
We seek the following in his kingdom. Romans 14:17 KJV
[17] For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Titus 2:11-14 KJV
[11] For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [14] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 3:3-8 KJV
[3] For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. [4] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, [5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [8] This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
May my children be the last day kids who possess their souls and endure to the end. May they keep two things given from heaven. That word “keep” can also be seen as “To tend; to have the care of according to the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary.
And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Gen 2.15
Revelation 14:12 KJV
[12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We are a prophetic people. Let us keep this in thought.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV
[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
The second advent
The ultimate hope is to be ready for the soon return of Jesus. We will see and hear Jesus. He will come with a shout, the voice of God and the trump of God. He will come in the clouds. He will empty all of heaven. The angels and those captives he freed from the grave at his resurrection. Elijah, Enoch and Moses will be with him. He go from east to west. He will send his angels to gather his saints. He will resurrect the righteous sleeping dead. Then those who remain alive shall be changed. We will join the resurrected and Jesus in the air.
Those who endure to the end of old earth’s history must go through the great tribulation until the visible glory, audibly loud second advent of our Lord Jesus. The wicked will be dead and we will spend a thousand years in the New Jerusalem in heaven.
Let us be ready. This is not our world.
John 14:1-3 KJV
[1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so , I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And 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.
Matthew 24:27-31 KJV
[27] For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [28] For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. [29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Revelation 20:4-6 KJV
[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Jeremiah 25:30-33 KJV
[30] Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes , against all the inhabitants of the earth. [31] A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord . [32] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. [33] And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
The land which God promised to Abraham and his seed according to Genesis 12:1, 7; 13:15-17; 15:7, 18 and 17:8 was a TYPE of the world . Romans 4:13 KJV
[13] For the promise, that he should be the HEIR OF THE WORLD, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Galatians 3:7-9 KJV
[7] Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. [8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying , In thee shall all nations be blessed. [9] So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
They will be blessed to be part of the first resurrection. They will avoid the second death.
Revelation 20:6 KJV
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Why is there a second death for the wicked? They die at the second advent. The wicked die twice. The people of God will be kings and priests of God.
Matthew 19:28 KJV
[28] And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
1 Corinthians 6:2 KJV
[2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Revelation 1:6 KJV
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
“I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them” Revelation 20:4a.
They reign with Christ a thousand years judging the dead.
Why a thousand years? What happens to the devil during the thousand years?
Revelation 20:2-3 KJV
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, [3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Where are the people of God from on earth?
Revelation 7:9 KJV
[9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Why will the devil not be able to deceive the nations?
The saints will be in heaven and the wicked will be dead. The saints will judge as priests and king the wicked dead. The wicked dead will take part in the second resurrection.