2 Peter 1:6, 7

Notes

"Tribulation worketh patience." Nothing but tribulation can develop patience. When everything goes smoothly, there is no call for patience, and the person who has none can get along very well. And when there is no demand for patience, it is certain that none can be developed. Some people say that it is not true that tribulation works patience; they say that trials and difficulties make them impatient. But that is an error. It is impossible that trials should plant impatience in the heart. All they do in the case of one who manifests ill-temper, is to bring to light the fact that he is destitute of patience, and to develop impatience into greater magnitude. But then why does his patience increase rather than diminish with the continuance of trials? Simply because he has not the foundation upon which to build patience. Without a groundwork of faith, it is impossible that tribulation should work patience. And the Bible does not say that they will do so under any other circumstances. See Rom. 5:1-5. But the one who has firm faith will believe, and believing will realize that "all things work together for good to them that love God," and so he will gladly endure trials.

"And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." This is literally true, not of a few persons merely, but of all who are followers of Christ, and not simply in times of persecution, but all the time. This does not mean that we shall all or any of us be called to go to the stake, the block, or the gallows for the brethren; it means that our lives should be considered as not belonging to us, but to the Lord, and that therefore they should be used in his service. Christ is the great Example. He "went about doing good." When he was weary with toil, and faint with hunger, he found rest and refreshment in laboring to lift up the fallen. He "pleased not himself." He sought only the welfare and pleasure of others. It is such service as this that calls for self-denial of the same class as that which would lead one actually to lay down his life for another. Without such a self-sacrificing spirit as the ruling principle of one's life, one would not actually lay down his life for another, if it were required; or if he should do so, the sacrifice would not be acceptable to God. See 1 Cor. 13:3. Daily dying is the order with one who is a true follower of Christ. This does not mean self-denial that is accompanied by a wry face, it means service of which no one is cognizant—necessary labor performed when weary, with the same cheerfulness as when fresh. It is that quiet service which finds its reward in the fact that God knows.

How may we esteem others better than ourselves? Easily enough; simply by looking only at the good qualities of others, and by seeing ourselves just as God sees us. The Holy Spirit, by means of its sword, the word of God, lays bare our own deceitful hearts, and lets us see them just as they appear to God. To be sure, for the sins that we find there we may readily secure pardon; nevertheless having seen what manner of actions our hearts naturally produce, and knowing that but for the grace of God they would never produce any other, we should learn humility. Now our brother may be in reality as bad as we, or even worse; but since it is not given us to know the secrets of his heart, the things which we can see in our own hearts—that is, the evil passions which, if not repressed, would result in the wickedest acts—are far worse than what we can see in our brother's actions. And so we can, in lowliness of mind, esteem others better than ourselves.

Without godliness, there can be no brotherly kindness. For (1) we must first be adopted into the family of God before we can have brethren to whom to exercise Christian kindness. And (2) it is from the love of God that we learn to love one another; and we cannot know the love of God except as it becomes a part of our being. Brotherly kindness is simply the natural outflow of the love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit—that Spirit whose presence in us marks us as children of God.

The measure of love which the newly converted man feels, is only a sample of the love which he ought to feel after he has been a long time in the way. Brotherly love which grows less after the beginning of one's Christian experience, is not such love as will give an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That is not an instance of progress toward Heaven, but of having one's feet set in the right way and then turning around and going back toward the world. The Christian should "abound yet more and more" in faith and love and every grace.