Divine Will Cultivation Doctrine
The doctrine that possessing the Divine Will is insufficient without active cultivation — “It is not enough to possess – but to be able to possess. What good is it for a man to possess a land, if he does not take the care of sowing, cultivating it, keeping it… it is not possessing which renders man rich and happy, but being able to cultivate well what he possesses” — the five instruments by which the DW gift is cultivated being pains, mortifications, vigilance, patience, and God’s own privation of consolation; the parables of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and the pounds (Luke 19:11–27) govern the structure, as the servant who received the gift but did not make it productive lost what he had, while those who cultivated gained more. The scriptural ground additionally includes 2 Timothy 1:6 (fan into flame the gift of God that is in you — the active tending of the received gift), 2 Peter 1:3–8 (supplement your faith with virtue, your virtue with knowledge — the chain of active additions to the divine gift), Hebrews 12:11 (no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful; later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness — the instruments’ painful character as productive), and John 15:2 (every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful — divine privation as the instrument that increases cultivation). (E)
Anchors: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27; 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Peter 1:3-8; Hebrews 12:11; John 15:2; Philippians 2:12-13 — Appearances: 3. Full Registry entry.