November 7 Climbing the Heavenward Ladder Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5). We are not living for the applause of the world; we are living for the future, immortal inheritance. We are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. When sorrow takes hold of your soul, when you are persecuted and afflicted, lift up your head; for your redemption draweth nigh. You are to have a life that measures with the life of God. You are not to seek to meet the worlds standard, but to be commandment keepers, to be members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, and to enjoy eternal riches. Climb the ladder of progress heavenward. Christ is the ladder, whose base is on the earth, and whose topmost round reaches to the highest heaven. God is above the ladder, and His glory is shining on every round. You must climb the ladder by clinging to Christ, and finally reach His everlasting kingdom.[15] Let no one imagine that it is an easy thing to overcome the enemy and that he can be borne aloft to an incorruptible inheritance without effort on his part. To look back is to grow dizzy; to let go the hold is to perish. Few appreciate the importance of striving constantly to overcome. They relax their diligence and, as a result, become selfish and self-indulgent. Spiritual vigilance is not thought to be essential. Earnestness in human effort is not brought into the Christian life. There will be some terrible falls by those who think they stand firm because they have the truth, but they have it not as it is in Jesus. A moments carelessness may plunge a soul into irretrievable ruin. One sin leads to the second, and the second prepares the way for the third, and so on. We must, as faithful messengers of God, plead with Him constantly to be kept by His power. If we swerve a single inch from duty, we are in danger of following on in a course of sin that will end in perdition. There is hope for every one of us, but only in one way, and that is by binding ourselves to Christ, and exerting every energy to attain to the perfection of His character.[16]
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:59:06 +0000
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