“Prayer builds the ladder; faith makes you climb.” (author unknown)
Do you like climbing ladders? How about in your walk with Christ?
The Bible provides something scholars call “ladders of faith,” in which one idea builds on the previous one. One well-known example is Romans 5:3-4.
“We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Here, Paul writes that followers of Christ can find victory in trials because they produce perseverance that eventually leads to hope. Tribulation is the bottom of the ladder, and hope is the top. God, who loves order, uses this structure to help us understand His step-by-step process for achieving righteousness.
The steps must be completed in order. If one skips a step, the outcome will be very different, and we will not be true disciples.
From Virtue to Love
Another ladder of faith is found in 2 Peter 1:5-7.
“Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
Having just told us that only God’s divine power provides “all things pertaining to life and godliness” (v3), Peter goes on to instruct us how to stand strong and increase our faith when others try to lead us astray.
The Greek word for “add” in verse five means “to give lavishly and generously.” In other words, we must be lavish in our devotion to pursuing righteousness, beginning with virtue.
“To virtue knowledge.” In spiritual terms, a virtuous life means having outstanding morals and practicing godly behavior (honesty, kindness, humility). Through daily practice, God reveals more of Himself and opens our hearts to receiving more spiritual knowledge.
“To knowledge self-control.” As our knowledge grows, we realize the importance of controlling our sin. We cannot let it rule over us. God warned Cain of this when he was tempted to kill his brother, Abel.
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Gen 4:7)
It is essential that we do not let sin overcome us.
“To self-control perseverance.” Control over sin is not easy, yet it happens every day. It is a solid guarantee despite the false teaching of “sinless perfectionism,” which is the belief that believers cannot sin once they come to faith. God knows this, which is why He repeatedly tells us in His word to repent and persevere in our faith (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23, 14:27).
“To perseverance godliness.” Perseverance leads to greater godliness and more Christ-like behavior. God is always trying to move us toward righteousness, to become more like His Son, the Lord Jesus.
“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” Throughout the Bible, the law of the Lord has always been love (Dt. 6:5-6; Mt 22:37-39; 1 Cor 13:13; 1 Jn 4:7-5:4). Therefore, godliness produces an innate sense of kindness toward others, resulting in selfless love.
Climbing the Ladder Correctly
The steps on the ladder of increased faith cannot be taken out of order. We cannot begin with kindness and expect it to lead to virtuous living or love. Likewise, studying the Bible and being very knowledgeable about it does not necessarily result in self-control over sin. One must lead to the other in order.
Why? Peter answers in verses eight and nine.
“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (2 Pt 1:8-9)
Climbing Peter’s ladder not only moves us toward godliness but also leads us toward abundant knowledge of God, i.e., we will be more effective witnesses of the gospel.
But Peter also warns us. If we do not abide in God and practice these attributes, it may be because we have forgotten our salvation, which is another way of saying that we have walked away from God. Following God requires daily diligent practice.
The Sermon on the Mount Ladder
A third well-known ladder of faith is found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. It is not commonly called a ladder, as in Romans 5 and 2 Peter, but it is nevertheless a step-by-step instruction. We know this third ladder as the Beatitudes.
One big difference between the Beatitudes and the other two ladders is that the Beatitudes do not necessarily need to be done in order, yet Jesus suggests they should.
Note that each Beatitude begins with “blessed are.” In Greek, the word for blessed is makarios, meaning “happy are” or “how overjoyed are.” We will be overjoyed as we climb this ladder.
Step #1, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (v3)
The first three Beatitudes are rooted in Isaiah 61, which Jesus read in the synagogue in Nazareth when He first publicly declared His deity (Lk 4:16-21). His first blessing is from verse one.
“The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners.” (Is 61:1)
The Old Testament describes the poor as those who cry out to God for help and feel a great need and dependence on Him.
Psalm 86:1-2, “Listen, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Protect my life, for I am faithful. You are my God. Save Your servant who trusts in You.”
In the New Testament, the poor are sinners who recognize their need for a savior and depend on God’s grace. Recognizing our sin is the beginning of our walk with Jesus, the first step of the blessed ladder.
Repentance and Self-Control
Step #2, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (v4)
Jesus’ second blessing echoes Isaiah 61:2-3.
“To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair.”
Upon recognizing our sin, a contrite heart mourns over it. We grieve not only for our own sin but also for others. It is an attitude of repentance, especially in knowing the freedom that exists when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Step #3, “Blessed are the humble/meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (v5)
Steps one and three are closely related. Some Bible translations say “humble,” and others say “meek.” Being humble means being brokenhearted before the Lord because of sin. We trust the Lord and surrender to His will and authority regardless of our circumstances.
Similarly, meekness is not weakness, as some believe. Rather, it is the exercise of Spirit-led self-control over sin.
The phrase “will inherit the earth” is a direct quote from Psalm 37:11.
“But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.”
It also parallels Isaiah 61:7.
“So they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs.”
Eternal life with the Lord awaits those who recognize their sin, repent, trust, and pursue self-control over sin.
Climbing Toward Righteousness
Step #4, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (v6)
The next step of the ladder is to hunger and thirst daily for righteous living. Notice that Jesus passively says, “They will be filled,” indicating that we cannot do it ourselves. Only God can satisfy our deep desires to have a right relationship with Him; Only He can impart that level of righteousness.
“Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.” (Rom 10:3)
Jesus repeats Himself in Matthew 5:19-20 (calling the fourth Beatitude the least of His commandments) and then again in 5:48.
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.” (v20)“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (v48)
When we attempt to achieve righteousness on our own, we oppose God’s holiness and risk spiritual blindness. Therefore, God promises to bless those who continue to recognize sin, repent, and work to resist it (Jam 4:7).
However, we cannot achieve perfect righteousness without the power of the Holy Spirit. This is vital to understanding Jesus’ theology in the Sermon on the Mount. Some teachers falsely twist this Beatitude to suggest that we can achieve righteousness only through our own efforts, but Ephesians 2:8-9 outright refutes this.
Perfect righteousness is a divine gift that we receive from God alone. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for it.
Keep Climbing
Step #5, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (v7)
Living righteously through the power of the Holy Spirit softens our hearts and changes us into more of His likeness. An essential component of it is mercy. God promises to show us mercy when we forgive others. Paul emphasizes this point in Ephesians 4:32.
“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”
Paul uses a play on words here. The Greek word for kind is “chrestos,” while the Greek word for Christ is “Christos.” Putting them together, Jesus is kindness, and kindness is Jesus. They are interchangeable. When we show mercy, we show Christ’s kindness in the same manner as He shows it to us.
Step #6, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (v8)
Those who are pure in heart are authentically righteous. They have followed the Holy Spirit’s promptings and pursued it (see Step #4). Complete purity will not occur until we stand in the Lord’s presence; however, Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:8 indicate we can be radically transformed even in our lifetimes.
God promises that those who persist in pursuing righteousness and purity will see God. One day, we will literally see His glory. Because of Jesus, our access to God will far surpass anything the Old Testament saints were allowed to experience (Ex 33:18, 20-23).
Step #7, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (v9)
Out of hearts of mercy and pursued purity comes the next step in the ladder—seeking peace with others. We must be quick to apologize and seek to make things right again. We must also refuse the temptation to seek revenge; instead, we must serve, love, and pray for our enemies.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:44-45)
A transformed life shows evidence of God’s mercy, peace, and love.
The Top Rung of the Ladder
Step #8, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (v10)
Unfortunately, not everyone likes or appreciates a life surrendered to God. We are often ridiculed or persecuted for our faith. Therefore, the purest form of righteousness on this side of heaven often results in sacrifice rather than reward, making this the topmost step of this ladder.
This step is what Jesus wants for all of us—those who are willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the gospel rather than evading hardship and persecution. Jesus calls those willing to sacrifice true disciples. They are the ones to whom belongs the kingdom of heaven (Jesus).
“If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.” (Mt 16:24-25)
Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. It is a lifetime commitment that requires much of us. According to the biblical ladders, it begins with acknowledging our sin, repenting, and daily pursuing righteousness (i.e., an entire lifestyle change led by the Holy Spirit), leading to intentional acts of mercy, love, and peace. It also includes personal virtue, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance, no matter the circumstances (2 Pt 1:5-7).
Ultimately, our pursuit includes sacrifice, sometimes even at the cost of our lives. This is the purest form of righteousness. But even when we endure these hardships, we can be assured that they will eventually produce in us a character that reflects God, a commitment to Him, and an unshakeable hope of heaven (Rom 5:3-4).
God is a god of order. He established these ladders of faith for us as a type of instruction manual. If we faithfully follow them step by step, we will become true disciples rooted in the promise of standing in His presence and seeing the fullness of His glory one day.
Are you ready to start climbing?
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