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The Youth’s Instructor

223/477

July 29, 1897

The Gift of God's Grace

EGW

The grace of Christ is not confined to a few. The message of mercy and forgiveness brought from heaven by Christ was to be heard by all. Our Saviour says, “I am the light of the world.” His blessings are universal, reaching to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. Christ came to break down every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of his temple that every soul, whether Jew or Gentile, might be a free worshiper, and have access to God. The Saviour thus unveiled the character of God, and revealed him as merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. YI July 29, 1897, par. 1

In the instruction of Christ to Moses, to be given to his people, restrictions were placed upon their association with idolatrous nations. YI July 29, 1897, par. 2

But Israel misinterpreted the teachings of Christ, just as many in our time misinterpret the communications which the Lord makes to them. Those things that please them they receive and put great stress upon; but those things that should be taken home and put into practise in the daily life, the things that should make a deep impression upon the character, are set aside as unessential. YI July 29, 1897, par. 3

This had been increasing until the whole law had become burdensome, overlaid with traditions and commandments of men. The Jews did not realize their duty to let their light shine forth to the world in good works. Their sacrificial types, prefiguring redemption, were so indistinct that to many they were a stumbling-block. Ceremonies and traditional rites composed their temple worship. Jerusalem was their heaven, and they were actually jealous lest the Lord should show mercy to the Gentile world. Thus they revealed that they did not understand their true relation to God, that they did not discern the divine character. And after a time, God no longer revealed himself in their temple. All that was spiritual and divine was perverted, and finally removed. YI July 29, 1897, par. 4

This was the condition of the nation when Christ made his first advent. He came to set things in order. His whole work was, by precept and example, to draw aside the veil which concealed God from man, and attract their attention to him, “high and lifted up,” surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand of his angels, all waiting to minister to the human family. YI July 29, 1897, par. 5

Through varied channels the heavenly messengers are in active communication with every part of the world; and when man calls upon the Lord with a true and earnest heart, God is represented as bending from his throne above. He listens to every yearning cry, and answers, “Here am I.” He raises up the distressed and oppressed. He bestows his blessings on the evil as well as on the good. YI July 29, 1897, par. 6

In every precept that Christ taught, he was expounding his own life. God's holy law was magnified in this living representative. He was the revealer of the infinite mind. He uttered no uncertain sentiments or opinions, but pure and holy truth. “Every one that is of the truth,” he said, “heareth my voice.” He has built no walls so high that the nations of the earth cannot be benefited by his light-bearers, his representatives. He invites men to take a close view of God in himself, in the infinite love therein expressed. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He so loved the world that he could give nothing less. Having undertaken the work of man's redemption, the Father would spare nothing, however dear, which was essential for the completion of his work. He would make opportunities for men; he would pour upon them his blessings; he would heap favor upon favor, gift upon gift, until the whole treasury of heaven was open to those whom he came to save. Having collected all the riches of the universe, and laid open all the resources of his divine nature, God gave them all for the use of man. They were his free gift. What an ocean of love is circulating, like a divine atmosphere, around the world! What manner of love is this, that the eternal God should adopt human nature in the person of his Son, and carry the same into the highest heaven! YI July 29, 1897, par. 7

All the heavenly intelligences were watching with intense interest the warfare that was going on upon the earth,—the earth that Satan claimed as his dominion. Every moment was big with eternal realities. How would the conflict end? The angels looked for the justice of God to be revealed, his anger to be aroused against the prince of darkness and his sympathizers. But lo, mercy prevailed. When the Son of God might have come to the world to condemn, he came as righteousness and peace, to save not merely the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but all the world, every son and daughter of Adam who would believe on him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. What an exhibition of the love of Jehovah! This is love without a parallel. YI July 29, 1897, par. 8

The angels saw the conditions to which the Son of God must submit. He must give his life for the life of the world. He must do a work which Infinity alone is capable of accomplishing. He took humanity, uniting the offender with his divine nature, and made his own soul an offering for sin. With his long human arm the Son of God encircled the whole human family, while with his divine arm he grasped the throne of the Infinite. His own individual presence was necessary, that in seeing him we might see the Father. He placed his throne, his spiritual kingdom, upon the earth. He revealed his special grace, and opened to our view the wonders of heavenly things. He imparted his own divine Spirit to humanity, thus exalting humanity in the scale of moral worth with God. YI July 29, 1897, par. 9

Mrs. E. G. White