Claim. Pledge 2’s four roles — filial child in the family, patriot in the nation, saint in the world, divine son/daughter in heaven and earth — form a strict ascending sequence in which each role expands the scope of love by one level.
Elaboration. SMM defines the four roles by the expanding scope of investment: “In a family, those who are willing to offer even their lives for the sake of their parents are filial sons or daughters. Those determined to live sacrificing their lives for their nations are patriots. Those who are resolved to save the human race and who are willing to go the way of death several times over for the world … are saints, and those living and dying for the sake of heaven and earth are divine sons and daughters” (2.2. Perfect the dutiful family way, 275-136 1995.12.4). He preserves the hierarchy of pride: “A filial son or daughter follows the way of a patriot; a patriot follows the way of a saint; a saint follows the way of a divine son or daughter, and a divine son or daughter follows in God’s footsteps” (280-117 1996.11.11). Each step’s qualification is sacrifice of the smaller for the larger — including sacrificing one’s own family for the nation, and the nation for the world.
See also. csg-investing-and-sacrificing-defines-each-of-the-four-roles, csg-owners-of-cheon-il-guk-fulfill-four-dutiful-roles