One More Rung To Climb

Ladder of Spirituality

2 Peter 1:2-9

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

The ladder of spriritual growth.

GOAL--to be participants of the divine nature (v. 4)

The Force that is Necessary to Climb----Diligence (v.5)

THE RUNGS OF THE LADDER

1. Faith = believe--John 3:16

2. Virtue = chaste, power, moral excelence

3. Knowledge = gained by the truth--2 P. 3:18

4. Self Control = moderate

5. Patience = perserverance

6. Fear of God = devotion, piety

7. Brotherly Affection = kindness, unity

8. Love = unpretentious

THE PROMISE-- if these things abound in your life, you will not be without fruit (v.8)

THE CURSE-- if these things are lacking in your life (v.9), God has a bone to pick with you.

1. You have become blind spiritually

2. You have forgotten what sins God has purged out of your life.

Pray back through and keep climbing the ladder.