The Ladder Of Faith

“Add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV) 

Our Choir, years ago, sang a song about ‘climbing Jacob’s Ladder’.  This was a reference to Jacob’s experience recorded in Genesis 28, when he journeyed to visit his mother’s relatives, where he also met his future wife.  On his way he slept in the open with a stone for a pillow and dreamed of a ladder that reached into heaven with angels of God ascending and descending.  In his dream God was at the top of the ladder and made fabulous promises to Jacob about blessings for his descendents. 

There is another passage in the Bible, labelled by Commentaries, The Ladder of Faith, which contains great and precious promises for us today.  Read it in 2 Peter 1:3-8, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Faith is the first step on the ladder because without the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins, the desire to be good is over-ridden by selfish desires.  Once this desire to please God is there, we need to add the knowledge of what pleases him.  We step up to the mark and through self-control we learn patience and perseverance.  This leads to godliness, or trying to be like God.  When we are like God, we learn brotherly kindness, and from this we experience and learn the true love of God. 

We have our feet firmly now on the first rung of the Ladder of Faith–let’s climb steadily to become effective and productive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Prayer

Father, help us to climb the ladder to godliness as we learn through daily Bible Study your Way of Love.

Amen 

Study by Nancy Silcox