Steps to Spiritual Success

"But the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4: 18). 

Our purpose in this lesson is to point out the road to success in the divine life. It is to be remembered, as there are necessary steps to success in the business and literary life, so there are in the spiritual life. And hence these steps must be made, or failure will be the outcome.

We now proceed to mention a few of the essential steps to success in the divine life. The first step is, keep a fixed purpose. Every soul that would excel in God must aim at some certain point on piety's high hill; and then purpose in his heart to attain it at any cost, though the path to it may lead through trouble, sorrow, disappointment and much persecution. Hence, without this fixed purpose he will soon grow discouraged and give up. Again, he must not only purpose attaining to the goal which he sees before the vision of his soul, but must also form a fixed purpose to obey and live up to his personal, God-given convictions. There are hundreds to-day to reason and explain away our God-given convictions, but only a few to encourage and exhort us to live up to them. Hence, for this reason, if souls would obey and live up to their God-given convictions they must take a firm stand against almost every being on earth, or else they will be influenced by some less spiritual soul to renounce their convictions and compromise. It is said of holy Enoch, "he purposed in his heart to walk with God even from the days of his youth." It is said of Daniel, "he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat, nor with the wine which he drank" (Dan. 1:8).

2. The next thing necessary to succeed in the divine life is to keep God first in all things. Yes, in every plan, in every business arrangement, we should put Him first. If we move from one community to another, we should first consider and see if it will in any way dampen our love for God and His services. This is the thing that wrecked Lot's family and almost cost him his soul; i. e., he moved away from divine services and religious influences. How many souls have fallen by the way, even in this our day, because they moved away from the church to where they could not attend the meetings regularly. Their excuse was they wanted to have a garden and raise chickens, but it was done at the expense of their souls, for they grew cold and careless from not attending the prayer-meetings and mid-week services. And, secondly, the children grew up into infidelity as the result of not getting to church and Sabbath-school. O, friend, if you would make a success in this life, you must ever keep God uppermost in every detail of life.

3. The next very important thing is keeping all on the altar. O, what a vital point! This is the axis on which your whole religious experience revolves. For us to take back one thing we gave to God, or draw back in our consecration on any line whatever, brings us to a standstill spiritually, and we can never proceed an inch until we again lay all on the altar. How many souls have lost their experiences right here. They put all on the altar for time and eternity to become saved, but after they were saved and had gone on for a time they began to grow less conscientious; hence they began to take things back which they laid on the altar of God when they got saved. So from that time they began to retrograde in their experience, and thus in a little while they were committing the most awful sin without any scruples whatever. O, how careful we should all be to be right at this point, for our experience will leak out quicker at this point (I believe) than at any other. We should have a set time to balance our spiritual books, to see if we are carefully keeping all on the altar, and walking in all past and present light.

4. The next thing necessary is to continue to cultivate a spiritual appetite-a relish for God and the things of God. O, how easy it is to lose the relish for worship, for secret prayer; for reading the Word, etc. Now the way to cultivate this relish is: 1. To have a set time for meditation and prayer. 2. To be a constant attendant at the religious services, but especially the prayer and the testimony services, and not only to be present but take an active part at each service. There are many dear ones who die spiritually right at this point, viz., failing to testify and pray in public. 3. By being a constant reader of good, sound, wholesome holiness literature. It will prove of great help to read the lives and works of such holy men and women as Wesley, Fletcher, Knox, Bramwell, Carvosso, Hester Ann Rogers, Madam Guyon, and others; to read of the experiences of these holy souls who, as it were, reached piety's high hill, will greatly intensify the soul's desires to reach it also. Praise God! O, what lofty desires it kindles in the soul for God and the fulness of love! Reading the life of the sainted Fletcher seems to awake every passion of the soul and puts into it a ceaseless craving for the fulness of God. As Mr. Wesley says,

"My heart breaks out in strong desire

Thy perfect bliss to prove;

My longing heart is all on fire,

To be dissolved in love." 

5. The next thing necessary to succeed in the divine life is for one to keep cut loose from an undue amount of temporal things. O, how temporal things entangle the mind and dampen the cravings of the soul for the things from above! They are so subtle they adulterate the mind and bias the affections, and hinder its flight to the mount of God. O, holy soul, beware of the earthly entanglements, such as fine houses, fine furniture, fine horses and carriages, fine clothes, large responsibilities, etc.! All these things tend to draw our minds back to earthly things, and hinder our rapid flight to perfection's lofty height.

6. The next thing necessary to excel in the divine life is to ever keep a rigid self-discipline, for it is to be remembered that self is our greatest foe, and even after the sinful self-life is crucified there is a legitimate self that must ever be kept under or else we become castaways.

7. The next helpful thing to success is to never resent an injury nor an affront. No matter what is done or said to us we should never resent or retaliate, but "offer the other cheek." It is said of Jesus, our blessed example, "When He was reviled He reviled not again."

8. The next help to success in the divine life is: Be always open for reproof. Take it mildly and humbly. Even when you are not in fault, never manifest an argumentative or talkative spirit in trying to clear yourself. Choose rather to be misunderstood than manifest an argumentative spirit. If you are misunderstood, bear it mildly. It will all be brought to light some day as to who was right, even if not until judgment day; that will be in plenty of time to get your reward. O, holy soul, move softly with God!

9. The next necessary thing to divine success is, ever remember that no matter how far up the road of perfection you get, you stand only by simple childlike faith. Many forget this part as they move up the divine highway, and commence to lean on feelings and blessings rather than upon God, with the same simple trust for everything, like they did when first saved. And the result is they lose that clearness, that freshness, that victory of faith, and evenness of experience. O, holy soul! beware of leaning upon feelings, blessings, visions and impression, but ever obey and trust God with simple dry faith, and you will be kept from an unsettled and vacillating experience.

10. The next thing necessary to succeed in the divine life is: Be a man or woman of few words. Always keep a close watch over all of your words. Do not practise how much you can say, but how little. The apostle says: "Study to be quiet." Many words, to a holy life, are like taking the cork out of a gasoline can; it soon evaporates. Solomon says: "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin." Jesus says: "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matt. 12:36, 37).