In his sinless state,
man held joyful
communion with Him
"in whom are hid
all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge."
Colossians 2:3.
But after his sin,
he could no longer
find joy in holiness,
and he sought to
hide from the presence
of God. Such is
still the condition
of the unrenewed
heart. It is not
in harmony with
God, and finds no
joy in communion
with Him. The sinner
could not be happy
in God's presence;
he would shrink
from the companionship
of holy beings.
Could he be permitted
to enter heaven,
it would have no
joy for him. The
spirit of unselfish
love that reigns
there --every heart
responding to the
heart of Infinite
Love --would touch
no answering chord
in his soul. His
thoughts, his interests,
his motives, would
be alien to those
that actuate the
sinless dwellers
there. He would
be a discordant
note in the melody
of heaven. Heaven
would be to him
a place of torture;
he would long to
be hidden from Him
who is its light,
and the center of
its joy. It is no
arbitrary decree
on the part of God
that excludes the
wicked from heaven;
they are shut out
by their own unfitness
for its companionship.
The glory of God
would be to them
a consuming fire.
They would welcome
destruction, that
they might be hidden
from the face of
Him who died to
redeem them.
It is impossible
for us, of ourselves,
to escape from the
pit of sin in which
we are sunken. Our
hearts are evil,
and we cannot change
them. "Who can bring
a clean thing out
of an unclean? not
one." "The carnal
mind is enmity against
God: for it is not
subject to the law
of God, neither
indeed can be."
Job 14:4; Romans
8:7. Education,
culture, the exercise
of the will, human
effort, all have
their proper sphere,
but here they are
powerless. They
may produce an outward
correctness of behavior,
but they cannot
change the heart;
they cannot purify
the springs of life.
There must be a
power working from
within, a new life
from above, before
men can be changed
from sin to holiness.
That power is Christ.
His grace alone
can quicken the
lifeless faculties
of the soul, and
attract it to God,
to holiness.
- Marvel Not That I Said Unto Thee,
- Ye Must Be Born Again
- The Saviour said, "Except a man be born from above," unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3, margin. The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." 1 Corinthians 2:14; John 3:7. Of Christ it is written, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men"--the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." John 1:4; Acts 4:12.
It is not enough
to perceive the
loving kindness
of God, to see the
benevolence, the
fatherly tenderness,
of His character.
It is not enough
to discern the wisdom
and justice of His
law, to see that
it is founded upon
the eternal principle
of love. Paul the
apostle saw all
this when he exclaimed,
"I consent unto
the law that it
is good." "The law
is holy, and the
commandment holy,
and just, and good."
But he added, in
the bitterness of
his soul-anguish
and despair, "I
am carnal, sold
under sin." Romans
7:16, 12, 14. He
longed for the purity,
the righteousness,
to which in himself
he was powerless
to attain, and cried
out, "O wretched
man that I am! who
shall deliver me
from this body of
death?" Romans 7:24,
margin. Such is
the cry that has
gone up from burdened
hearts in all lands
and in all ages.
To all, there is
but one answer,
"Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh
away the sin of
the world." John
1:29.
Many are the figures
by which the Spirit
of God has sought
to illustrate this
truth, and make
it plain to souls
that long to be
freed from the burden
of guilt. When,
after his sin in
deceiving Esau,
Jacob fled from
his father's home,
he was weighed down
with a sense of
guilt. Lonely and
outcast as he was,
separated from all
that had made life
dear, the one thought
that above all others
pressed upon his
soul, was the fear
that his sin had
cut him off from
God, that he was
forsaken of Heaven.
In sadness he lay
down to rest on
the bare earth,
around him only
the lonely hills,
and above, the heavens
bright with stars.
As he slept, a strange
light broke upon
his vision; and
lo, from the plain
on which he lay,
vast shadowy stairs
seemed to lead upward
to the very gates
of heaven, and upon
them angels of God
were passing up
and down; while
from the glory above,
the divine voice
was heard in a message
of comfort and hope.
Thus was made known
to Jacob that which
met the need and
longing of his soul--a
Saviour. With joy
and gratitude he
saw revealed a way
by which he, a sinner,
could be restored
to communion with
God. The mystic
ladder of his dream
represented Jesus,
the only medium
of communication
between God and
man.
- The Heart Of God Yearns
- Over His Earthly Children
- This is the same figure to which Christ referred in His conversation with Nathanael, when He said, "Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:51. In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made, so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man. Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power.
But in vain are
men's dreams of
progress, in vain
all efforts for
the uplifting of
humanity, if they
neglect the one
Source of hope and
help for the fallen
race. "Every good
gift and every perfect
gift" (James 1:17)
is from God. There
is no true excellence
of character apart
from Him. And the
only way to God
is Christ. He says,
"I am the way, the
truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto
the Father, but
by Me." John 14:6.
- Let Us Contemplate The Amazing
- Sacrifice That Has Been Made For Us!
- The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour's life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,--all are enlisted in behalf of man's redemption.
Oh, let us contemplate
the amazing sacrifice
that has been made
for us! Let us try
to appreciate the
labor and energy
that Heaven is expending
to reclaim the lost,
and bring them back
to the Father's
house. Motives stronger,
and agencies more
powerful, could
never be brought
into operation;
the exceeding rewards
for right doing,
the enjoyment of
heaven, the society
of the angels, the
communion and love
of God and His Son,
the elevation and
extension of all
our powers throughout
eternal ages--are
these not mighty
incentives and encouragements
to urge us to give
the heart's loving
service to our Creator
and Redeemer?
And, on the other
hand, the judgments
of God pronounced
against sin, the
inevitable retribution,
the degradation
of our character,
and the final destruction,
are presented in
God's word to warn
us against the service
of Satan.
Shall we not regard
the mercy of God?
What more could
He do? Let us place
ourselves in right
relation to Him
who has loved us
with amazing love.
Let us avail ourselves
of the means provided
for us that we may
be transformed into
His likeness, and
be restored to fellowship
with the ministering
angels, to harmony
and communion with
the Father and the
Son.
Happiness Digest
- Chapter 2 (also
titled The Sinner's
Need of Christ)
- Pp. 17-22
If you liked this
chapter and want
to see the
whole book, click
on:
Happiness Digest
Preparing For Eternity
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