Needs to Improve

This is everybody’s grade: “Needs to improve. Wherever we are, the effort to improve is called for. I have trouble remembering the specifics, but I think the grading system in my earliest primary grades was not “A” down to “F” but something else. I think they were “E” for excellent, “S” for satisfactory, and “N” for needs to improve. It was a kinder, gentler labeling of the student’s progress. There is an element of our Christian walk that involves self-examination. It is reinforced by the themes in the New Testament.

In the Epistles of Paul, James, Peter, and John we find encouragement toward a better way of living. The Epistle for the Third Sunday in Lent, Year A is a portion of Romans, chapter five. Here we get one of St. Paul’s lists of things that go with one’s growth in grace and human effort. I have always wanted to compare this passage with similar ones from 2 Peter and Philippians. Let’s do a simple comparison. First, let us read through the three passages, noticing especially the listed qualities that go with following Christ. Look for the named elements that should show up in a person who is attentive to Christ’s presence within them.

Romans 5:2-5 …we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

2 Peter 1:4-7 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

Philippians 4:7-8  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

In each passage there are results named for the person, cooperating with the Spirit:

Romans – endurance, character, hope, being unashamed, and Spirit-poured love,

2 Peter – excellence, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love;

Philippians – true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise.

In Roman's material, Paul indicates that one quality flows to the next, beginning from the Spirit meeting us with grace within our affliction or tribulation. The stated result is sharing in the glory of God.

Similarly, in the 2 Peter material, the Apostle asserts that we are on our way to becoming participants of the divine nature. The Christian cultivates a quality and then lets it support another positive quality. Peter points out that we put it in place; he asserts, “…you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge,” and so on.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he says that peace, so unfathomable, it could only be God’s peace, will flow into our being. This peace comes as we make the effort to think deeply about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Have you mastered all these divine processes and progressions? If so, would you please teach me how to do the same? I beg you because I am looking myself over and seeing that I need to improve.