Foreword

This year, Sabbath school students around the world have been studying Christian Character, based on Peter’s ladder of progress found in 2 Peter 1:5-7, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” We are reminded that these beautiful qualities of character are achieved in their purity only by our cooperating with the power of God, “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: 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” (verses 3, 4).

In progressing up this ladder, examining all that is implied along the way, our studies during this last quarter will place great emphasis on the uppermost rungs –brotherly kindness and finally, charity. What a wonderful quality is charity! The people of the world may speak of love, but their love is usually based on some kind of selfish motives. The Greek language uses various words which are translated as love, including phileo which is love among family and friends, eros, romantic love between a husband and wife, and agape, which is totally unselfish love that one gives to others in service, expecting nothing in return. This agape love is what reigns in Heaven and is a sure sign of the moving of the Holy Spirit in human hearts–the most powerful testimony that can be made of our Lord’s mission to this planet.

We need much more of this agape love known as charity. In fact, “the greatest cause of our inefficiency as a people is lack of faith and of love. These principles are essential for our prosperity as a people.”–Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, p. 14.

“The greatest of all gifts, all talents, is true, Christlike love. It is the brightest evidence of the power of religion. By it, a daily witness for Christ is borne to the world. The Lord calls upon His churches to manifest this love.”–The Signs of the Times, October 2, 1901.

Brethren and sisters, let us each cultivate these choicest qualities of Christian character, that by God’s grace we may indeed ascend to the uppermost rungs of this ladder in our daily life!