No man, woman, or youth can attain to Christian perfection and neglect the study of the word of God. By carefully and closely searching his word we shall obey the injunction of Christ, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." This search enables the student to closely observe the divine Model, for they testify of Christ. The Pattern must be inspected often and closely in order to imitate it. As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer, he discovers in himself defects of character; his unlikeness to Christ is so great that he sees he cannot be a follower without a very great change in his life. Still he studies, with a desire to be like his great Exemplar; he catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master; by beholding he becomes changed. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." It is not in looking away from him, and in losing sight of him, that we imitate the life of Jesus; but in dwelling upon and talking of him, and seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character; seeking to approach through earnest, persevering effort, through faith and love, the perfect Pattern. The attention being fixed upon Christ, his image, pure and spotless, becomes enshrined in the heart as "the chief among ten thousand and the one altogether lovely." Even unconsciously we imitate that with which we are familiar. By having a knowledge of Christ, his words, his habits, his lessons of instruction, and by borrowing the virtues of the character which we have so closely studied, we become imbued with the spirit of the Master which we have so much admired.

Ingen mand, kvinde eller ung kan opnå en kristen fuldkommelse og forsømme studiet af Guds ord. Vær omhyggelig og nøje i at ransage hans ord for vi skal lyde Kristi formaning, I gransker Skrifterne, fordi I mener, at I har evigt liv i dem; og netop dem vidner om mig. Denne granskning sætter den studerende i stand til at iagttage den guddommelige Model nøje, for de vidner om Kristus. Mønsteret må ofte efterses og undersøges nøje for at efterligne det. Dersom én bliver bekendt med Forløserens historie, opdager han karaktermangler i sig selv; hans ulighed til Kristus er så stor at han ser at han ikke kan blive en efterfølger uden en meget stor forandring i hans liv. Han studer stadig, med et ønske om at blive som hans store Eksempel; han fanger hans Mesters blik og ånd; ved beskuelse bliver han forandret. Idet vi ser hen til Jesus, troens banebryder og fuldender." Det er ikke ved at se bort fra ham, og miste ham af syne, at vi efterligner Jesu liv; men ved at dvæle ved ham og tale om ham, og søge at forfine smagen og ophøje karakteren; søge at nærme sig det fuldkomne Forbillede ved alvorligt og vedholdende arbejde, gennem tro og kærlighed. Opmærksomheden fæstnes på Kristus, hans billede, er rent og pletfrit, bliver det gemt i hjertet som ”den største blandt ti tusinder og oden helt igennem elskelige.” Helt ubevidst efterligner vi det som vi er fortrolig med. Ved at have kundskab til Kristus, hans ord, hans vaner, hans belæringslektier, og ved at gå tæt ind på karakterdyder, som vi har studeret så nøje, bliver vi gennemsyret med Mesterens ånd, som vi har beundret så meget.