January
16, 2003
THE
AMAZING LOVE OF GOD
"God
loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, that everyone
who has faith in Him may not die but have eternal life"
(John 3:16, NEB).
"There
are thousands today who need to learn the same truth that
was taught to Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent. They depend
on their obedience to the law of God to commend them to His
favor. When they are bidden to look to Jesus, and believe
that He saves them solely through His grace, they exclaim,
'How can these things be?'
"Like
Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same
way as the chief of sinners. [No other way] Than Christ, 'There
is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved' (Acts 4:12). Through faith we receive the grace
of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns nothing. It
is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate
His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent
without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of
Christ, 'Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince
and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins' (Acts 5:31). Repentance comes from Christ as truly as
does pardon.
"How,
then, are we to be saved? 'As Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness,' so the Son of man has
been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten
by the serpent may look and live. 'Behold! the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!' (John 1:29). The light
shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is
drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we
shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the
sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God
through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts
and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ.
The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him
who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the
law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say
with Christ, 'I delight to do Your will, O my God.' Psalm
40:8)."-- The Desire of Ages, pp. 175,
176. (to be continued)
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