Living In The Light

July 28, Keep Your Eyes On Jesus

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
—Hebrews 12:2 LL 222.1

God moves in His own way in preparing men and women to be laborers together with Him. The value of men and women is not to be estimated by the class of labor they perform. It is fixed by the Lord Jesus, who paid the same price for every soul. In charity, in simplicity, and integrity, all who have Christ formed within, the hope of glory, are workers together with God. They are God’s husbandry; they are God’s building. The heart in which the love of Christ abides, will constantly manifest more and more refinement, for the spring of the life is love to God and people. This is Christianity. This is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). This is the carrying out of God’s purpose. Divine harmony, worthy of the wisdom and mercy which God has manifested to men and women! True Christian growth tends upward to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. True culture, real refinement of thought and manners, is better obtained through the lessons in the school of Christ, than through the most labored, pains-taking effort to observe forms and set rules, when the heart is not under the holy discipline of the Spirit of God. LL 222.2

The follower of Jesus should be constantly improving in manners, in habits, in spirit, and labor. But this is done by keeping the eye, not on mere outward, superficial attainments, but on Jesus, the Model. A transformation takes place in mind, in spirit, in character. The Christian is educated in the school of Christ to cherish the graces of His Spirit in all meekness and lowliness of mind. He is fitting for the society of heavenly angels. LL 222.3

There is no caste with God. He ignores everything of the kind. All souls are of value with Him. Laboring for the salvation of the soul is employment worthy of the highest honor. It matters not what may be the form of our labor, or among what class, whether high or low In God’s sight these distinctions will not affect its true worth. The sincere, earnest, contrite soul, however ignorant, is precious in the sight of the Lord. He places His own signet upon men and women, not by their rank, not by their wealth, not by intellectual greatness, but by their oneness with Christ.— Gospel Workers (1892), pp. 315, 316. LL 222.4

Further Reflection: : How can Christians value all people as God does, regardless of their ethnic or socioeconomic status? LL 222.5