The Signs of the Times
October 10, 1900
His Wonderful Love
God created Adam and Eve, and placed them in charge of the Garden of Eden, where everything was beautiful to look upon, and the fruit pleasant to the taste. He said to them, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” They were forbidden to eat the fruit of this tree. This seems a small thing, but it was a test of their obedience and of their trust and confidence in God. God told them that if they disobeyed, death would be the result. Their happiness depended on obedience. ST October 10, 1900, par. 1
By obedience Adam would have lost nothing which it was for his good to retain. But, notwithstanding this, he disobeyed. The temptation to transgress was presented by Eve, who, having herself eaten of the forbidden fruit and realized no immediate harm, offered some of it to Adam, telling him of the great advantages of which they were deprived by not being allowed to eat of it. ST October 10, 1900, par. 2
Thus sin was brought into the world. God closed against the disobedient pair the gates of Paradise, placing an angel with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. Man must not now eat of the fruit of the life-giving tree; for sin must not be immortalized. One star of hope illumined the dark and dismal future. God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Thus was given the promise of the Redeemer. ST October 10, 1900, par. 3
God pitied the fallen race. He “so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ came to bring life and immortality to those dead in trespasses and sins. Who is he that carries such a weight of responsibility?—“There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ST October 10, 1900, par. 4
Christ declared, “Before Abraham was, I am.” By this declaration He laid open the resources of His infinite nature, imparting in His words assurance of peace and pardon for the guilty race. He spoke with the assurance that He was able to take up and lay down His life as He chose, to secure the salvation of those who have fallen into Satan's snare. ST October 10, 1900, par. 5
Christ spoke with the authority of greatness, as with a clear, distinct voice He said: “I am the light of the world.” “I am the bread of life.” “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” “I am the Good Shepherd.... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” ST October 10, 1900, par. 6
John calls our attention to the love that God has bestowed on us. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” Altho for ages sin has been accumulating, altho through falsehood and artifice Satan has cast the black shadow of his interpretation upon the Word of God, yet the Father's mercy and love have not ceased to flow earthward in rich currents. If human beings would open the windows of the soul heavenward, in appreciation of the divine gifts, a flood of healing virtue would pour in, leading men to exclaim, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ST October 10, 1900, par. 7
To enlarge our views of God's goodness, Christ calls upon us to behold the works of His hands. “Behold the fowls of the air,” He says; “they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ... For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” ST October 10, 1900, par. 8
Tho men have sinned grievously, they are not forsaken. The Hand that upholds the world, upholds and strengthens the weakest and most sinful human being. The great Master Artist, whose skill is infinitely beyond the skill of any human being, who gives to the lily of the field its delicate and beautiful tints, and who cares for the little sparrow, cares also for His children. ST October 10, 1900, par. 9
The care bestowed by Heaven on any given object is proportionate to the place occupied by this object in the scale of creation. If the flower is given a beauty that outvies the glory of Solomon, what can be the estimate that God places on His purchased heritage? Christ points us to the care bestowed on the things that wither in a day, to show us how much love God must have for the beings created in His own image. He desires every mind to grasp this precious truth. He opens before us the volume of providence, and bids us behold the names written therein. In this volume every human being has a page, on which are written the events of his life. And from the mind of God these names are never absent for a moment. Wonderful indeed are God's love and care for the beings He has created. ST October 10, 1900, par. 10
In behalf of man God has poured out the whole treasury of heaven, and in return He claims and expects our entire affections. For us He gave up His only-begotten Son to a life of rejection, abuse, insult, and mockery. ST October 10, 1900, par. 11
All this God did that man might become filled with the divine love and benevolence. Thus He would assure sinners that sins of the greatest magnitude can be forgiven if the transgressor seeks for pardon, surrendering himself, body, soul, and spirit, to be transformed by the grace of God, and changed into His likeness. ST October 10, 1900, par. 12
Christ imparted His divine benediction, with a copiousness which showed that all power in heaven and earth have been given to Him with which to bless and strengthen humanity. All the treasures of eternity are at His command. There is no restriction of His beneficence. To all, high and low, rich and poor, who receive Him by faith as the Son of God, He is a very present help. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, that in word and deed He might reveal God. ST October 10, 1900, par. 13
Having brought into the world the great treasures of heaven, owned and created by the eternal God, Christ can give to all eternal life. With His humanity He touches humanity, and with His divinity He firmly grasps divinity. Into man, prostrated, diseased, enfeebled, He can breathe the breath of life, making him a partaker of the divine nature. ST October 10, 1900, par. 14
Mrs. E. G. White