The Signs of the Times
November 18, 1889
The Love of God
[Sermon at Chicago, ILL., April 9, 1889.]
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” ST November 18, 1889, par. 1
The love of God toward fallen man is incomprehensible. The apostle cannot find words to describe it, but he calls upon the world to “behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” The love of the infinite God for his rebellious children is the most wonderful thing that the universe knows, and it will be constantly unfolding throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. ST November 18, 1889, par. 2
I feel an intense interest that all should comprehend, as far as possible, the love of God. We cannot afford to draw away our attention from this subject, for in it is contained the mystery of God,—the plan of salvation. We may put to the stretch every power of our mind, and yet we shall not be fully able to comprehend the heights and depths of the love of God; for the human mind is not capable of understanding its full significance. It is our privilege, however, to obtain clearer and more distinct views of the plan of salvation. We should not be content with a superficial knowledge of this wonderful plan, but we should seek to behold it in all its greatness, that as far as possible we may understand the love of God. ST November 18, 1889, par. 3
It is our privilege to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. We should become better and better acquainted with the things of God. It is Satan's design to engage the attention of men with matters of worldly interest, so that they shall have no desire to contemplate the wonders of the love of God. ST November 18, 1889, par. 4
When our first parents transgressed the holy law of God, the Lord promised that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; the serpent was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. But he was to have no power to touch the head. Humanity was lost, and Christ appeared as the world's Redeemer, the seed to whom the promises were made. He died to redeem mankind. Those who believed in him excited the wrath of the evil one, for Satan claimed man as his property. Satan persecuted the people of God. He tortured them, and put them to death; but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in this steadfast faith a mightier one than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. Living faith connected the people of God with Him who only hath immortality. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory that was to be revealed at the appearing of Jesus. Paul suffered much. He was persecuted from city to city, in perils oft, in prison, in scourging, in bonds, in fastings, in wearinesses and painful watchings, but he looked beyond the sufferings of the present time to glory beyond, and said: “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” This is what God would have his people do. He would have us reckon and consider the rich reward of the eternal world, that we may appreciate the privileges that are brought within our reach through the plan of salvation. ST November 18, 1889, par. 5
Christ came to our world to become our sacrifice. He came to discover to our eyes the gems of truth, to place them in a new setting,—the frame-work of truth. He brought out of the treasure-house of God things new and old, that we might be able to trace down the links in the great plan of salvation. Through the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish dispensation, we are pointed forward to Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. When Christ came, it was to engage in the conflict with the enemy of God and man, on this earth, in the sight of the universe of heaven. But why was it necessary to wage the warfare in the sight of other worlds?—It was because Satan had been an exalted angel, and when he fell, he induced many angels to join him in his revolt against God's government. He worked in the minds of the angels as he works in the minds of men today. He made a pretension of loyalty to God, and yet he argued that angels should not be under law. He inculcated his ideas, his rebellion and enmity, and hatred of God's law originated in the minds of the angels in heaven through his influence. He caused the fall of man through the same temptations with which he had caused the fall of angels; and in the world where he proposed to work out his principles of rebellion, the battle had to be fought, that all might behold the real nature and results of disobedience to God's great moral standard. He represented God in a false light, clothing him with his own attributes. Christ came to represent the Father in his true character. He showed that he was not an arbitrary judge, ready to bring judgments upon men, and delighting in condemning and punishing them for their evil deeds. The Lord proclaimed his character to Moses in the mount. “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” ST November 18, 1889, par. 6
This was the description that God gave of his own character. Jesus came to represent the goodness and mercy and love of the Father, and Satan was filled with enmity toward the Son of God, and strove from his very birth to destroy him. He worked through wicked Herod to accomplish his design, but the Lord preserved the life of the young child Jesus, and thwarted the design of the evil one. Repeatedly the life of Christ was in peril. Many times even after the people had listened to his gracious words, and had seen the manifestation of his power in healing the sick and blessing those around him, they were ready to destroy him. He hated sin with a perfect hatred. It was the pure, spotless life of Jesus that stirred up the hatred of Satan and a profligate nation; for Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. The Jewish nation was filled with doubt and prejudice, and this led them to hate the Son of God. Because of their unbelief, they were on the enemy's side, under the control of the evil one. ST November 18, 1889, par. 7
(Concluded next week.)