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steps to christ by ellen g white contents forward 1 god s love for man 2 the sinner s need of christ 3 repentance 4 confession 5 consecration 6 faith and acceptance 7 the test of discipleship 8 growing up into christ 9 the work and the life 10 a knowledge of god 11 the privilege of prayer 12 what to do with doubt 13 rejoicing in the lord 5 9 17 23 37 43 49 57 67 77 85 93 105 115 foreword few books attain a distribution reckoned in millions or exert so great an influence in the uplifting of humanity as has steps to christ in countless editions this little volume has been printed in more than seventy languages bringing inspiration to hundreds of thousands of men and women throughout the world even those who dwell in the remote corners of the earth from the appearance of the first edition in 1892 the publishers have been called upon to add printing to printing to meet the immediate and sustained demand from the reading public the author of this work ellen g white 1827-1915 was a religious speaker and writer well known on three continents born near portland maine she spent her early life in the new england states and then her travels and labors led her to the rapidly expanding central and western areas of the united states the years 1885 to 1887 she devoted to work in the leading countries of europe where she often addressed large audiences and continued her writing subsequently she spent nine active years in australia and new zealand from her pen have come forty-five volumes large and small in the fields of theology education health and the home and practical christianity several with a distribution exceeding the million-copy mark of these steps to christ is the most popular and widely read the title of the book tells its mission it points the reader to jesus christ as the only one who is able to meet the needs of the soul it directs the feet of the doubting and halting to the pathway of peace it leads the seeker after righteousness and wholeness of character step by step along the way of christian living to that experience where he can know the fullness of blessing which is found in the complete surrender of self it reveals to him the secret of victory as it unfolds in simplicity the saving grace and the keeping power of the great friend of all mankind this edition marks a forward step in standardizing the paging of the book in forthcoming englishlanguage printings with no change in the text but with a format spelling and capitalization in keeping with the times this little compendium of devotion will continue on its mission but now in such form regardless of the size of the type or page as to conform to the new index to the writings of ellen g white jacob of old when oppressed with the fear that his sin had cut him off from god lay down to rest and he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven the connection between earth and heaven was thus revealed to him and words of comfort and hope were spoken to the wanderer by him who stood at the top of the shadowy stairs that the heavenly vision may be repeated to many as they read this story of the way of life is the sincere wish of the publishers and-the trustees of the ellen g white publications please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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chapter 1 god s love for man nature and revelation alike testify of god s love our father in heaven is the source of life of wisdom and of joy look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness not only of man but of all living creatures the sunshine and the rain that gladden and refresh the earth the hills and seas and plains all speak to us of the creator s love it is god who supplies the daily needs of all his creatures in the beautiful words of the psalmist the eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing psalm 145:15 16 god made man perfectly holy and happy and the fair earth as it came from the creator s hand bore no blight of decay or shadow of the curse it is transgression of god s law the law of love that has brought woe and death yet even amid the suffering that results from sin god s love is revealed it is written that god cursed the ground for man s sake genesis 3:17 the thorn and the thistle the difficulties and trials that make his life one of toil and care were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful in god s plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation that sin has wrought the 10 page number of original printed book world though fallen is not all sorrow and misery in nature itself are messages of hope and comfort there are flowers upon the thistles and the thorns are covered with roses god is love is written upon every opening bud upon every spire of springing grass the lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green all testify to the tender fatherly care of our god and to his desire to make his children happy the word of god reveals his character he himself has declared his infinite love and pity when moses prayed show me thy glory the lord answered i will make all my goodness pass before thee exodus 33:18 19 this is his glory the lord passed before moses and proclaimed the lord the lord god merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin exodus 34:6 7 he is slow to anger and of great kindness because he delighteth in mercy jonah 4:2 micah 7:18 god has bound our hearts to him by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth through the things of nature and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know he has sought to reveal himself to us yet these but imperfectly represent his love though all these evidences have been given the enemy of good blinded the minds of men so that they looked upon god with fear they thought of 11 him as severe and unforgiving satan led men to conceive of god as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice one who is a severe judge a harsh exacting creditor he pictured the creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men that he may visit judgments upon them it was to remove this dark shadow by revealing to the world the infinite love of god that jesus came to live among men 10.3 the son of god came from heaven to make manifest the father no man hath seen god at any time the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father he hath declared him john 1:18 neither knoweth any man the father save the son and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him matthew 11:27 when one of the disciples made the request show us the father jesus answered have i been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me philip he that hath seen me hath seen the father and how sayest thou then show us the father john 14:8 9 in describing his earthly mission jesus said the lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised luke 4:18 this was his work he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by satan there were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house for he had passed through them and healed all their sick his work gave evidence of his divine anointing love mercy and compassion were revealed in every act of 12 his life his heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men he took man s nature that he might reach man s wants the poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach him even little children were attracted to him they loved to climb upon his knees and gaze into the pensive face benignant with love jesus did not suppress one word of truth but he uttered it always in love he exercised the greatest tact and thoughtful kind attention in his intercourse with the people he was never rude never needlessly spoke a severe word never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul he did not censure human weakness he spoke the truth but always in love he denounced hypocrisy unbelief and iniquity but tears were in his voice as he uttered his scathing rebukes he wept over jerusalem the city he loved which refused to receive him the way the truth and the life they had rejected him the saviour but he regarded them with pitying tenderness his life was one of self-denial and thoughtful care for others every soul was precious in his eyes while he ever bore himself with divine dignity he bowed with the tenderest regard to every member of the family of god in all men he saw fallen souls whom it was his mission to save please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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such is the character of christ as revealed in his life this is the character of god it is from the father s heart that the streams of divine compassion manifest in christ flow out to the children of men jesus the tender pitying saviour was god manifest in the flesh 1 timothy 3:16 13 it was to redeem us that jesus lived and suffered and died he became a man of sorrows that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy god permitted his beloved son full of grace and truth to come from a world of indescribable glory to a world marred and blighted with sin darkened with the shadow of death and the curse he permitted him to leave the bosom of his love the adoration of the angels to suffer shame insult humiliation hatred and death the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed isaiah 53:5 behold him in the wilderness in gethsemane upon the cross the spotless son of god took upon himself the burden of sin he who had been one with god felt in his soul the awful separation that sin makes between god and man this wrung from his lips the anguished cry my god my god why hast thou forsaken me matthew 27:46 it was the burden of sin the sense of its terrible enormity of its separation of the soul from god it was this that broke the heart of the son of god but this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the father s heart a love for man not to make him willing to save no no god so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son john 3:16 the father loves us not because of the great propitiation but he provided the propitiation because he loves us christ was the medium through which he could pour out his infinite love upon a fallen world god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 corinthians 5:19 god suffered with his son in the agony of gethsemane the death of 14 calvary the heart of infinite love paid the price of our redemption jesus said therefore doth my father love me because i lay down my life that i might take it again john 10:17 that is my father has so loved you that he even loves me more for giving my life to redeem you in becoming your substitute and surety by surrendering my life by taking your liabilities your transgressions i am endeared to my father for by my sacrifice god can be just and yet the justifier of him who believeth in jesus none but the son of god could accomplish our redemption for only he who was in the bosom of the father could declare him only he who knew the height and depth of the love of god could make it manifest nothing less than the infinite sacrifice made by christ in behalf of fallen man could express the father s love to lost humanity god so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son he gave him not only to live among men to bear their sins and die their sacrifice he gave him to the fallen race christ was to identify himself with the interests and needs of humanity he who was one with god has linked himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken jesus is not ashamed to call them brethren hebrews 2:11 he is our sacrifice our advocate our brother bearing our human form before the father s throne and through eternal ages one with the race he has redeemed the son of man and all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of god and share the joy of holiness 15 the price paid for our redemption the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly father in giving his son to die for us should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through christ as the inspired apostle john beheld the height the depth the breadth of the father s love toward the perishing race he was filled with adoration and reverence and failing to find suitable language in which to express the greatness and tenderness of this love he called upon the world to behold it behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of god 1 john 3:1 what a value this places upon man through transgression the sons of man become subjects of satan through faith in the atoning sacrifice of christ the sons of adam may become the sons of god by assuming human nature christ elevates humanity fallen men are placed where through connection with christ they may indeed become worthy of the name sons of god such love is without a parallel children of the heavenly king precious promise theme for the most profound meditation the matchless love of god for a world that did not love him the thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of god the more we study the divine character in the light of the cross the more we see mercy tenderness and forgiveness blended with equity and justice and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite and a tender pity surpassing a mother s yearning sympathy for her wayward child 17 chapter 2 the sinner s need of christ man was originally endowed with noble powers and a wellbalanced mind he was perfect in his being and in harmony with god his thoughts were pure his aims holy but through disobedience his powers were perverted and selfishness took the place of love his nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him in his own strength to resist the power of evil he was made captive by satan and would have remained so forever had not god specially interposed it was the tempter s purpose to thwart the divine plan in man s creation and fill the earth with woe and desolation and he would point to all this evil as the result of god s work in creating man in his sinless state man held joyful communion with him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge colossians 2:3 but after his sin he could no longer find joy in please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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holiness and he sought to hide from the presence of god such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart it is not in harmony with god and finds no joy in communion with him the sinner could not be happy in god s presence he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings could he be permitted to enter heaven it would have no joy for him the spirit of unselfish love that reigns there every heart responding to the heart of infinite love would touch no answering chord in his soul his thoughts his interests his motives would be alien to 18 those that actuate the sinless dwellers there he would be a discordant note in the melody of heaven heaven would be to him a place of torture he would long to be hidden from him who is its light and the center of its joy it is no arbitrary decree on the part of god that excludes the wicked from heaven they are shut out by their own unfitness for its companionship the glory of god would be to them a consuming fire they would welcome destruction that they might be hidden from the face of him who died to redeem them it is impossible for us of ourselves to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken our hearts are evil and we cannot change them who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one the carnal mind is enmity against god for it is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be job 14:4 romans 8:7 education culture the exercise of the will human effort all have their proper sphere but here they are powerless they may produce an outward correctness of behavior but they cannot change the heart they cannot purify the springs of life there must be a power working from within a new life from above before men can be changed from sin to holiness that power is christ his grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul and attract it to god to holiness the saviour said except a man be born from above unless he shall receive a new heart new desires purposes and motives leading to a new life he cannot see the kingdom of god john 3:3 margin the idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that 19 exists in man by nature is a fatal deception the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned marvel not that i said unto thee ye must be born again 1 corinthians 2:14 john 3:7 of christ it is written in him was life and the life was the light of men the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved john 1:4 acts 4:12 it is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of god to see the benevolence the fatherly tenderness of his character it is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of his law to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love paul the apostle saw all this when he exclaimed i consent unto the law that it is good the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good but he added in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair i am carnal sold under sin romans 7:16 12 14 he longed for the purity the righteousness to which in himself he was powerless to attain and cried out o wretched man that i am who shall deliver me from this body of death romans 7:24 margin such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands and in all ages to all there is but one answer behold the lamb of god which taketh away the sin of the world john 1:29 many are the figures by which the spirit of god has sought to illustrate this truth and make it plain to souls that long to be freed from the burden of guilt when after his sin in deceiving esau jacob fled from his father s home he was weighed down with a sense 20 of guilt lonely and outcast as he was separated from all that had made life dear the one thought that above all others pressed upon his soul was the fear that his sin had cut him off from god that he was forsaken of heaven in sadness he lay down to rest on the bare earth around him only the lonely hills and above the heavens bright with stars as he slept a strange light broke upon his vision and lo from the plain on which he lay vast shadowy stairs seemed to lead upward to the very gates of heaven and upon them angels of god were passing up and down while from the glory above the divine voice was heard in a message of comfort and hope thus was made known to jacob that which met the need and longing of his soul a saviour with joy and gratitude he saw revealed a way by which he a sinner could be restored to communion with god the mystic ladder of his dream represented jesus the only medium of communication between god and man this is the same figure to which christ referred in his conversation with nathanael when he said ye shall see heaven open and the angels of god ascending and descending upon the son of man john 1:51 in the apostasy man alienated himself from god earth was cut off from heaven across the gulf that lay between there could be no communion but through christ earth is again linked with heaven with his own merits christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the source of infinite power 21 but in vain are men s dreams of progress in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity if they neglect the one source of hope and help for the fallen race every good gift and every perfect gift james 1:17 is from god there is no true excellence of character apart from him and the only way to god is christ he says i am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me john 14:6 the heart of god yearns over his earthly children with a love stronger than death in giving up his son he has poured out to us all heaven in one gift the saviour s life and death and intercession the ministry of angels the pleading of the spirit the father working above and through all the unceasing interest of heavenly beings all are enlisted in behalf of man s redemption please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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oh let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that heaven is expending to reclaim the lost and bring them back to the father s house motives stronger and agencies more powerful could never be brought into operation the exceeding rewards for right-doing the enjoyment of heaven the society of the angels the communion and love of god and his son the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart s loving service to our creator and redeemer and on the other hand the judgments of god pronounced against sin the inevitable retribution the 22 degradation of our character and the final destruction are presented in god s word to warn us against the service of satan shall we not regard the mercy of god what more could he do let us place ourselves in right relation to him who has loved us with amazing love let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into his likeness and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels to harmony and communion with the father and the son 23 lord exclaimed i have sinned in that i have betrayed the innocent blood matthew 27:4 the confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment the consequences that were to result to him filled him with terror but there was no deep heartbreaking grief in his soul that he had betrayed the spotless son of god and denied the holy one of israel pharaoh when suffering under the judgments of god acknowledged his sin in order to escape further punishment but returned to his defiance of heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed these all lamented the results of sin but did not sorrow for the sin itself but when the heart yields to the influence of the spirit of god the conscience will be quickened and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of god s holy law the foundation of his government in heaven and on earth the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world illumines the secret chambers of the soul and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest john 1:9 conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart the sinner has a sense of the righteousness of jehovah and feels the terror of appearing in his own guilt and uncleanness before the searcher of hearts he sees the love of god the beauty of holiness the joy of purity he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with heaven the prayer of david after his fall illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin his repentance was sincere and deep there was no effort to palliate 25 his guilt no desire to escape the judgment threatened inspired his prayer david saw the enormity of his transgression he saw the defilement of his soul he loathed his sin it was not for pardon only that he prayed but for purity of heart he longed for the joy of holiness to be restored to harmony and communion with god this was the language of his soul blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man unto whom the lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile psalm 32:1 2 have mercy upon me o god according to thy loving-kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions for i acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me purge me with hyssop and i shall be clean wash me and i shall be whiter than snow create in me a clean heart o god chapter 3 repentance how shall a man be just with god how shall the sinner be made righteous it is only through christ that we can be brought into harmony with god with holiness but how are we to come to christ many are asking the same question as did the multitude on the day of pentecost when convicted of sin they cried out what shall we do the first word of peter s answer was repent acts 2:37 38 at another time shortly after he said repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out acts 3:19 repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it we shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness until we turn away from it in heart there will be no real change in the life there are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves but this is not repentance in the bible sense they lament the suffering rather than the sin such was the grief of esau when he saw that the birthright was lost to him forever balaam terrified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword acknowledged his guilt lest he should lose his life but there was no genuine repentance for sin no conversion of purpose no abhorrence of evil judas iscariot after betraying his 24 please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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and renew a right spirit within me cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit deliver me from bloodguiltiness o god thou god of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness psalm 51:1-14 a repentance such as this is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish it is obtained only from christ who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men 26 just here is a point on which many may err and hence they fail of receiving the help that christ desires to give them they think that they cannot come to christ unless they first repent and that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins it is true that repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins for it is only the broken and contrite heart that will feel the need of a saviour but must the sinner wait till he has repented before he can come to jesus is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner and the saviour the bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of christ come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden and i will give you rest matthew 11:28 it is the virtue that goes forth from christ that leads to genuine repentance peter made the matter clear in his statement to the israelites when he said him hath god exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour for to give repentance to israel and forgiveness of sins acts 5:31 we can no more repent without the spirit of christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without christ 26.2 christ is the source of every right impulse he is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin every desire for truth and purity every conviction of our own sinfulness is an evidence that his spirit is moving upon our hearts jesus has said i if i be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me john 12:32 christ must be revealed to the sinner as the saviour dying for the sins of the world and as we behold the lamb of 27 god upon the cross of calvary the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of god leads us to repentance in dying for sinners christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible and as the sinner beholds this love it softens the heart impresses the mind and inspires contrition in the soul it is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways and give up some of their evil habits before they are conscious that they are being drawn to christ but whenever they make an effort to reform from a sincere desire to do right it is the power of christ that is drawing them an influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul and the conscience is quickened and the outward life is amended and as christ draws them to look upon his cross to behold him whom their sins have pierced the commandment comes home to the conscience the wickedness of their life the deep-seated sin of the soul is revealed to them they begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of christ and exclaim what is sin that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of its victim was all this love all this suffering all this humiliation demanded that we might not perish but have everlasting life the sinner may resist this love may refuse to be drawn to christ but if he does not resist he will be drawn to jesus a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins which have caused the sufferings of god s dear son 28 the same divine mind that is working upon the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an inexpressible craving for something they have not the things of the world cannot satisfy their longing the spirit of god is pleading with them to seek for those things that alone can give peace and rest the grace of christ the joy of holiness through influences seen and unseen our saviour is constantly at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to the infinite blessings that may be theirs in him to all these souls who are vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world the divine message is addressed let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely revelation 22:17 you who in heart long for something better than this world can give recognize this longing as the voice of god to your soul ask him to give you repentance to reveal christ to you in his infinite love in his perfect purity in the saviour s life the principles of god s law love to god and man were perfectly exemplified benevolence unselfish love was the life of his soul it is as we behold him as the light from our saviour falls upon us that we see the sinfulness of our own hearts we may have flattered ourselves as did nicodemus that our life has been upright that our moral character is correct and think that we need not humble the heart before god like the common sinner but when the light from christ shines into our souls we shall see how impure we are we shall discern the selfishness of motive the enmity against god that 29 has defiled every act of life then we shall know that our own righteousness is indeed as filthy rags and that the blood of christ alone can cleanse us from the defilement of sin and renew our hearts in his own likeness one ray of the glory of god one gleam of the purity of christ penetrating the soul makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character it makes apparent the unhallowed desires the infidelity of the heart the impurity of the lips the sinner s please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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acts of disloyalty in making void the law of god are exposed to his sight and his spirit is stricken and afflicted under the searching influence of the spirit of god he loathes himself as he views the pure spotless character of christ when the prophet daniel beheld the glory surrounding the heavenly messenger that was sent unto him he was overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and imperfection describing the effect of the wonderful scene he says there remained no strength in me for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and i retained no strength daniel 10:8 the soul thus touched will hate its selfishness abhor its self-love and will seek through christ s righteousness for the purity of heart that is in harmony with the law of god and the character of christ paul says that as touching the righteousness which is in the law as far as outward acts were concerned he was blameless philippians 3:6 but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned he saw himself a sinner judged by the letter of the law as 30 men apply it to the outward life he had abstained from sin but when he looked into the depths of its holy precepts and saw himself as god saw him he bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt he says i was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and i died romans 7:9 when he saw the spiritual nature of the law sin appeared in its true hideousness and his self-esteem was gone god does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude there are degrees of guilt in his estimation as well as in that of man but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men no sin is small in the sight of god man s judgment is partial imperfect but god estimates all things as they really are the drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven while pride selfishness and covetousness too often go unrebuked but these are sins that are especially offensive to god for they are contrary to the benevolence of his character to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the uncalled universe he who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of christ but pride feels no need and so it closes the heart against christ and the infinite blessings he came to give the poor publican who prayed god be merciful to me a sinner luke 18:13 regarded himself as a very wicked man and others looked upon him in the same light but he felt his need and with his burden of 31 guilt and shame he came before god asking for his mercy his heart was open for the spirit of god to do its gracious work and set him free from the power of sin the pharisee s boastful self-righteous prayer showed that his heart was closed against the influence of the holy spirit because of his distance from god he had no sense of his own defilement in contrast with the perfection of the divine holiness he felt no need and he received nothing if you see your sinfulness do not wait to make yourself better how many there are who think they are not good enough to come to christ do you expect to become better through your own efforts can the ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil jeremiah 13:23 there is help for us only in god we must not wait for stronger persuasions for better opportunities or for holier tempers we can do nothing of ourselves we must come to christ just as we are but let none deceive themselves with the thought that god in his great love and mercy will yet save even the rejecters of his grace the exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross when men urge that god is too good to cast off the sinner let them look to calvary it was because there was no other way in which man could be saved because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human race to escape from the defiling power of sin and be restored to communion with holy beings impossible for them again to become partakers 32 of spiritual life it was because of this that christ took upon himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinner s stead the love and suffering and death of the son of god all testify to the terrible enormity of sin and declare that there is no escape from its power no hope of the higher life but through the submission of the soul to christ the impenitent sometimes excuse themselves by saying of professed christians i am as good as they are they are no more self-denying sober or circumspect in their conduct than i am they love pleasure and self-indulgence as well as i do thus they make the faults of others an excuse for their own neglect of duty but the sins and defects of others do not excuse anyone for the lord has not given us an erring human pattern the spotless son of god has been given as our example and those who complain of the wrong course of professed christians are the ones who should show better lives and nobler examples if they have so high a conception of what a christian should be is not their own sin so much the greater they know what is right and yet refuse to do it beware of procrastination do not put off the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through jesus here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss i will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life but there is a terrible danger a danger not sufficiently understood in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of god s holy spirit in choosing to live in sin for such this delay really is sin however 33 small it may be esteemed can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss what we do not overcome will overcome us and work out our destruction adam and eve persuaded themselves that in so small a matter as eating of the forbidden fruit there could not result such terrible consequences as god had declared but this small matter was the transgression of god s immutable and holy law please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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and it separated man from god and opened the floodgates of death and untold woe upon our world age after age there has gone up from our earth a continual cry of mourning and the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain as a consequence of man s disobedience heaven itself has felt the effects of his rebellion against god calvary stands as a memorial of the amazing sacrifice required to atone for the transgression of the divine law let us not regard sin as a trivial thing every act of transgression every neglect or rejection of the grace of christ is reacting upon yourself it is hardening the heart depraving the will benumbing the understanding and not only making you less inclined to yield but less capable of yielding to the tender pleading of god s holy spirit 33.2 many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy and yet be again and again impressed they think that after doing despite to the spirit of grace after casting their influence on the side of satan in a moment of terrible extremity they can change their course but this is not so easily done the experience 34 the education of a lifetime has so thoroughly molded the character that few then desire to receive the image of jesus even one wrong trait of character one sinful desire persistently cherished will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul s aversion to god the man who manifests an infidel hardihood or a stolid indifference to divine truth is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown in all the bible there is not a more fearful warning against trifling with evil than the words of the wise man that the sinner shall be holden with the cords of his sins proverbs 5:22 christ is ready to set us free from sin but he does not force the will and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil and we do not desire to be set free if we will not accept his grace what more can he do we have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection of his love behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts 2 corinthians 6:2 hebrews 3:7 8 man looketh on the outward appearance but the lord looketh on the heart the human heart with its conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow the wandering wayward heart which is the abode of so much impurity and deceit 1 samuel 16:7 he knows its motives its very intents and purposes go to him with your soul all stained as it is like the psalmist throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye exclaiming search me o god and know my heart try me and know 35 my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting psalm 139 23 24 many accept an intellectual religion a form of godliness when the heart is not cleansed let it be your prayer create in me a clean heart o god and renew a right spirit within me psalm 51:10 deal truly with your own soul be as earnest as persistent as you would be if your mortal life were at stake this is a matter to be settled between god and your own soul settled for eternity a supposed hope and nothing more will prove your ruin study god s word prayerfully that word presents before you in the law of god and the life of christ the great principles of holiness without which no man shall see the lord hebrews 12:14 it convinces of sin it plainly reveals the way of salvation give heed to it as the voice of god speaking to your soul as you see the enormity of sin as you see yourself as you really are do not give up to despair it was sinners that christ came to save we have not to reconcile god to us but o wondrous love god in christ is reconciling the world unto himself 2 corinthians 5:19 he is wooing by his tender love the hearts of his erring children no earthly parent could be as patient with the faults and mistakes of his children as is god with those he seeks to save no one could plead more tenderly with the transgressor no human lips ever poured out more tender entreaties to the wanderer than does he all his promises his warnings are but the breathing of unutterable love when satan comes to tell you that you are a 36 great sinner look up to your redeemer and talk of his merits that which will help you is to look to his light acknowledge your sin but tell the enemy that christ jesus came into the world to save sinners and that you may be saved by his matchless love 1 timothy 1:15 jesus asked simon a question in regard to two debtors one owed his lord a small sum and the other owed him a very large sum but he forgave them both and christ asked simon which debtor would love his lord most simon answered he to whom he forgave most luke 7:43 we have been great sinners but christ died that we might be forgiven the merits of his sacrifice are sufficient to present to the father in our behalf those to whom he has forgiven most will love him most and will stand nearest to his throne to praise him for his great love and infinite sacrifice it is when we most fully comprehend the love of god that we best realize the sinfulness of sin when we see the length of the chain that was let down for us when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice that christ has made in our behalf the heart is melted with tenderness and contrition 37 chapter 4 confession he that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy proverbs 28:13 the conditions of obtaining mercy of god are simple and just please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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and reasonable the lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin we need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages or perform painful penances to commend our souls to the god of heaven or to expiate our transgression but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy the apostle says confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed james 5:16 confess your sins to god who only can forgive them and your faults to one another if you have given offense to your friend or neighbor you are to acknowledge your wrong and it is his duty freely to forgive you then you are to seek the forgiveness of god because the brother you have wounded is the property of god and in injuring him you sinned against his creator and redeemer the case is brought before the only true mediator our great high priest who was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin and who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity hebrews 4:15 those who have not humbled their souls before god in acknowledging their guilt have not yet 38 fulfilled the first condition of acceptance if we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins abhorring our iniquity we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin and if we have never sought we have never found the peace of god the only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth explicit instruction is given concerning this matter confession of sin whether public or private should be heartfelt and freely expressed it is not to be urged from the sinner it is not to be made in a flippant and careless way or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin the confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the god of infinite pity the psalmist says the lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit psalm 34:18 true confession is always of a specific character and acknowledges particular sins they may be of such a nature as to be brought before god only they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them or they may be of a public character and should then be as publicly confessed but all confession should be definite and to the point acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty in the days of samuel the israelites wandered from god they were suffering the consequences of 39 sin for they had lost their faith in god lost their discernment of his power and wisdom to rule the nation lost their confidence in his ability to defend and vindicate his cause they turned from the great ruler of the universe and desired to be governed as were the nations around them before they found peace they made this definite confession we have added unto all our sins this evil to ask us a king 1 samuel 12:19 the very sin of which they were convicted had to be confessed their ingratitude oppressed their souls and severed them from god confession will not be acceptable to god without sincere repentance and reformation there must be decided changes in the life everything offensive to god must be put away this will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin the work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgment relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow isaiah 1:16 17 if the wicked restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not die ezekiel 33:15 paul says speaking of the work of repentance ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of yourselves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge in all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter 2 corinthians 7:11 40 when sin has deadened the moral perceptions the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed and unless he yields to the convicting power of the holy spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin his confessions are not sincere and in earnest to every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course declaring that if it had not been for certain circumstances he would not have done this or that for which he is reproved after adam and eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit they were filled with a sense of shame and terror at first their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence of death when the lord inquired concerning their sin adam replied laying the guilt partly upon god and partly upon his companion the woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and i did eat the woman put the blame upon the serpent saying the serpent beguiled me and i did eat genesis 3 12 13 why did you make the serpent why did you suffer him to come into eden these were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin thus charging god with the responsibility of their fall the spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of adam confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine spirit and will not be acceptable to god true repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy like the poor publican not lifting up so much as his eyes unto heaven he will cry god be 41 merciful to me a sinner and those who do acknowledge their guilt will be justified for jesus will plead his blood in behalf of the repentant soul 43 please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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chapter 5 consecration god s promise is ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart jeremiah 29:13 the whole heart must be yielded to god or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to his likeness by nature we are alienated from god the holy spirit describes our condition in such words as these dead in trespasses and sins the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint no soundness in it we are held fast in the snare of satan taken captive by him at his will ephesians 2:1 isaiah 1:5 6 2 timothy 2:26 god desires to heal us to set us free but since this requires an entire transformation a renewing of our whole nature we must yield ourselves wholly to him the warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought the yielding of self surrendering all to the will of god requires a struggle but the soul must submit to god before it can be renewed in holiness the government of god is not as satan would make it appear founded upon a blind submission an unreasoning control it appeals to the intellect and the conscience come now and let us reason together is the creator s invitation to the beings he has made isaiah 1:18 god does not force the will of his creatures he cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given a mere forced submission would prevent all real development of mind 44 or character it would make man a mere automaton such is not the purpose of the creator he desires that man the crowning work of his creative power shall reach the highest possible development he sets before us the height of blessing to which he desires to bring us through his grace he invites us to give ourselves to him that he may work his will in us it remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin to share the glorious liberty of the sons of god in giving ourselves to god we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from him hence the saviour says whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple luke 14:33 whatever shall draw away the heart from god must be given up mammon is the idol of many the love of money the desire for wealth is the golden chain that binds them to satan reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class the life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others but these slavish bands must be broken we cannot be half the lord s and half the world s we are not god s children unless we are such entirely there are those who profess to serve god while they rely upon their own efforts to obey his law to form a right character and secure salvation their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of christ but they seek to perform the duties of the christian life as that which god requires of them in order to gain heaven such religion is worth nothing when christ dwells in the heart the soul will 45 be so filled with his love with the joy of communion with him that it will cleave to him and in the contemplation of him self will be forgotten love to christ will be the spring of action those who feel the constraining love of god do not ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of god they do not ask for the lowest standard but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their redeemer with earnest desire they yield all and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek a profession of christ without this deep love is mere talk dry formality and heavy drudgery do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all to christ ask yourself the question what has christ given for me the son of god gave all life and love and suffering for our redemption and can it be that we the unworthy objects of so great love will withhold our hearts from him every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of his grace and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved can we look upon him whom our sins have pierced and yet be willing to do despite to all his love and sacrifice in view of the infinite humiliation of the lord of glory shall we murmur because we can enter into life only through conflict and self-abasement the inquiry of many a proud heart is why need i go in penitence and humiliation before i can have the assurance of my acceptance with god i point you to christ he was sinless and more than this he was the prince of heaven but in man s 46 behalf he became sin for the race he was numbered with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors isaiah 53:12 but what do we give up when we give all a sin-polluted heart for jesus to purify to cleanse by his own blood and to save by his matchless love and yet men think it hard to give up all i am ashamed to hear it spoken of ashamed to write it god does not require us to give up anything that it is for our best interest to retain in all that he does he has the wellbeing of his children in view would that all who have not chosen christ might realize that he has something vastly better to offer them than they are seeking for themselves man is doing the greatest injury and injustice to his own soul when he thinks and acts contrary to the will of god no real joy can be found in the path forbidden by him who knows what is best and who plans for the good of his creatures the path of transgression is the path of misery and destruction it is a mistake to entertain the thought that god is pleased to see his children suffer all heaven is interested in the happiness of man our heavenly father does not close the avenues of joy to any of his creatures the divine requirements call upon us to shun those indulgences that would bring suffering and disappointment that would close to us the door of happiness and heaven the world s redeemer please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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accepts men as they are with all their wants imperfections and weaknesses and he will not only cleanse from sin and grant redemption through his blood but 47 will satisfy the heart-longing of all who consent to wear his yoke to bear his burden it is his purpose to impart peace and rest to all who come to him for the bread of life he requires us to perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which the disobedient can never attain the true joyous life of the soul is to have christ formed within the hope of glory many are inquiring how am i to make the surrender of myself to god you desire to give yourself to him but you are weak in moral power in slavery to doubt and controlled by the habits of your life of sin your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand you cannot control your thoughts your impulses your affections the knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity and causes you to feel that god cannot accept you but you need not despair what you need to understand is the true force of the will this is the governing power in the nature of man the power of decision or of choice everything depends on the right action of the will the power of choice god has given to men it is theirs to exercise you cannot change your heart you cannot of yourself give to god its affections but you can choose to serve him you can give him your will he will then work in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the spirit of christ your affections will be centered upon him your thoughts will be in harmony with him desires for goodness and holiness are right as 48 far as they go but if you stop here they will avail nothing many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be christians they do not come to the point of yielding the will to god they do not now choose to be christians through the right exercise of the will an entire change may be made in your life by yielding up your will to christ you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers you will have strength from above to hold you steadfast and thus through constant surrender to god you will be enabled to live the new life even the life of faith 49 filled with selfishness and sin you long to be forgiven to be cleansed to be set free harmony with god likeness to him-what can you do to obtain it it is peace that you need heaven s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul money cannot buy it intellect cannot procure it wisdom cannot attain to it you can never hope by your own efforts to secure it but god offers it to you as a gift without money and without price isaiah 55:1 it is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it the lord says though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool isaiah 1:18 a new heart also will i give you and a new spirit will i put within you ezekiel 36:26 you have confessed your sins and in heart put them away you have resolved to give yourself to god now go to him and ask that he will wash away your sins and give you a new heart then 50 believe that he does this because he has promised this is the lesson which jesus taught while he was on earth that the gift which god promises us we must believe we do receive and it is ours jesus healed the people of their diseases when they had faith in his power he helped them in the things which they could see thus inspiring them with confidence in him concerning things which they could not see leading them to believe in his power to forgive sins this he plainly stated in the healing of the man sick with palsy that ye may know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins then saith he to the sick of the palsy arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house matthew 9:6 so also john the evangelist says speaking of the miracles of christ these are written that ye might believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and that believing ye might have life through his name john 20:31 from the simple bible account of how jesus healed the sick we may learn something about how to believe in him for the forgiveness of sins let us turn to the story of the paralytic at bethesda the poor sufferer was helpless he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years yet jesus bade him rise take up thy bed and walk the sick man might have said lord if thou wilt make me whole i will obey thy word but no he believed christ s word believed that he was made whole and he made the effort at once he willed to walk and he did walk he acted on the word of christ and god gave the power he was made whole 51 in like manner you are a sinner you cannot atone for your past sins you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy but god promises to do all this for you through christ you believe that promise you confess your sins and give yourself to god you will to serve him just as surely as you do this god will fulfill his word to you if you believe the promise believe that you are forgiven and cleansed god supplies the fact you are made whole just as christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed it is so if you believe it chapter 6 faith and acceptance as your conscience has been quickened by the holy spirit you have seen something of the evil of sin of its power its guilt its woe and you look upon it with abhorrence you feel that sin has separated you from god that you are in bondage to the power of evil the more you struggle to escape the more you realize your helplessness your motives are impure your heart is unclean you see that your life has been please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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do not wait to feel that you are made whole but say i believe it it is so not because i feel it but because god has promised jesus says what things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them mark 11:24 there is a condition to this promise that we pray according to the will of god but it is the will of god to cleanse us from sin to make us his children and to enable us to live a holy life so we may ask for these blessings and believe that we receive them and thank god that we have received them it is our privilege to go to jesus and be cleansed and to stand before the law without shame or remorse there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in christ jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit romans 8:1 henceforth you are not your own you are bought with a price ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of christ as of a lamb without blemish and 52 without spot 1 peter 1:18 19 through this simple act of believing god the holy spirit has begotten a new life in your heart you are as a child born into the family of god and he loves you as he loves his son now that you have given yourself to jesus do not draw back do not take yourself away from him but day by day say i am christ s i have given myself to him and ask him to give you his spirit and keep you by his grace as it is by giving yourself to god and believing him that you become his child so you are to live in him the apostle says as ye have therefore received christ jesus the lord so walk ye in him colossians 2:6 some seem to feel that they must be on probation and must prove to the lord that they are reformed before they can claim his blessing but they may claim the blessing of god even now they must have his grace the spirit of christ to help their infirmities or they cannot resist evil jesus loves to have us come to him just as we are sinful helpless dependent we may come with all our weakness our folly our sinfulness and fall at his feet in penitence it is his glory to encircle us in the arms of his love and to bind up our wounds to cleanse us from all impurity here is where thousands fail they do not believe that jesus pardons them personally individually they do not take god at his word it is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin put away the suspicion that god s promises are not meant for you they are for every 53 repentant transgressor strength and grace have been provided through christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul none are so sinful that they cannot find strength purity and righteousness in jesus who died for them he is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness he bids them live and not die god does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another his thoughts are thoughts of mercy love and tenderest compassion he says let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our god for he will abundantly pardon i have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins isaiah 55:7 44:22 i have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the lord god wherefore turn yourselves and live ye ezekiel 18:32 satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances of god he desires to take every glimmer of hope and every ray of light from the soul but you must not permit him to do this do not give ear to the tempter but say jesus has died that i might live he loves me and wills not that i should perish i have a compassionate heavenly father and although i have abused his love though the blessings he has given me have been squandered i will arise and go to my father and say i have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants the parable tells you how 54 the wanderer will be received when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him luke 15:18-20 but even this parable tender and touching as it is comes short of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenly father the lord declares by his prophet i have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving-kindness have i drawn thee jeremiah 31:3 while the sinner is yet far from the father s house wasting his substance in a strange country the father s heart is yearning over him and every longing awakened in the soul to return to god is but the tender pleading of his spirit wooing entreating drawing the wanderer to his father s heart of love with the rich promises of the bible before you can you give place to doubt can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return longs to forsake his sins the lord sternly withholds him from coming to his feet in repentance away with such thoughts nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly father he hates sin but he loves the sinner and he gave himself in the person of christ that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory what stronger or more tender language could have been employed than he has chosen in which to express his love toward us he declares can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will i not forget thee isaiah 49:15 look up you that are doubting and trembling 55 for jesus lives to make intercession for us thank god for the gift of his dear son and pray that he may not have died for you in vain the spirit invites you today come with your whole heart to jesus and you may claim his blessing as you read the promises remember they are the expression please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and 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of unutterable love and pity the great heart of infinite love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins ephesians 1:7 yes only believe that god is your helper he wants to restore his moral image in man as you draw near to him with confession and repentance he will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness 57 galatians 5:22 23 they will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts but by the faith of the son of god they will follow in his steps reflect his character and purify themselves even as he is pure the things they once hated they now love and the things they once loved they hate the proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart the vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive the drunken become sober and the profligate pure the vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside christians will seek not the outward adorning but the hidden man of 59 the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit 1 peter 3:3 4 there is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation if he restore the pledge give again that he had robbed confess his sins and love god and his fellow men the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life when as erring sinful beings we come to christ and become partakers of his pardoning grace love springs up in the heart every burden is light for the yoke that christ imposes is easy duty becomes a delight and sacrifice a pleasure the path that before seemed shrouded in darkness becomes bright with beams from the sun of righteousness the loveliness of the character of christ will be seen in his followers it was his delight to do the will of god love to god zeal for his glory was the controlling power in our saviour s life love beautified and ennobled all his actions love is of god the unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it it is found only in the heart where jesus reigns we love because he first loved us 1 john 4:19 r.v in the heart renewed by divine grace love is the principle of action it modifies the character governs the impulses controls the passions subdues enmity and ennobles the affections this love cherished in the soul sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around there are two errors against which the children of god-particularly those who have just come to trust in his grace-especially need to guard the first already dwelt upon is that of looking to their 60 own works trusting to anything they can do to bring themselves into harmony with god he who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility all that man can do without christ is polluted with selfishness and sin it is the grace of christ alone through faith that can make us holy the opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in christ releases men from keeping the law of god that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of christ our works have nothing to do with our redemption but notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance but the service of love the law of god is an expression of his very nature it is an embodiment of the great principle of love and hence is the foundation of his government in heaven and earth if our hearts are renewed in chapter 7 the test of discipleship if any man be in christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new 2 corinthians 5:17 a person may not be able to tell the exact time or place or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion but this does not prove him to be unconverted christ said to nicodemus the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit john 3:8 like the wind which is invisible yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt is the spirit of god in its work upon the human heart that regenerating power which no human eye can see begets a new life in the soul it creates a new being in the image of god while the work of the spirit is silent and imperceptible its effects are manifest if the heart has been renewed by the spirit of god the life will bear witness to the fact while we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with god while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works our lives will reveal whether the grace of god is dwelling within us a change will be seen in the character the habits the pursuits the contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are the character is revealed not 58 by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts it is true that there may be an outward correctness of deportment without the renewing power of christ the love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil a selfish heart may perform generous actions by what means then shall we determine whose side we are on who has the heart with whom are our thoughts of whom do we love to converse who has our warmest affections and our best energies if we are christ s our thoughts are with him and our sweetest thoughts are of him all we have and are is consecrated to him we long to bear his image breathe his spirit do his will and please him in all things those who become new creatures in christ jesus will bring forth the fruits of the spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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the likeness of god if the divine love is implanted in the soul will not the law of god be carried out in the life when the principle of love is implanted in the heart when man is renewed after the image of him that created him the newcovenant promise is fulfilled i will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will i write them hebrews 10:16 and if the law is written in the heart will it not shape the life obedience the service and allegiance of love is the true sign of discipleship thus the scripture says this is the love of god that we keep his commandments he that saith i know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him 1 john 5:3 2:4 instead of releasing man from obedience it is faith 61 and faith only that makes us partakers of the grace of christ which enables us to render obedience we do not earn salvation by our obedience for salvation is the free gift of god to be received by faith but obedience is the fruit of faith ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him 1 john 3:5 6 here is the true test if we abide in christ if the love of god dwells in us our feelings our thoughts our purposes our actions will be in harmony with the will of god as expressed in the precepts of his holy law little children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 1 john 3:7 righteousness is defined by the standard of god s holy law as expressed in the ten precepts given on sinai that so-called faith in christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to god is not faith but presumption by grace are ye saved through faith but faith if it hath not works is dead ephesians 2:8 james 2:17 jesus said of himself before he came to earth i delight to do thy will o my god yea thy law is within my heart psalm 40:8 and just before he ascended again to heaven he declared i have kept my father s commandments and abide in his love john 15:10 the scripture says hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked 1 john 2:3-6 because christ also 62 suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 1 peter 2:21 the condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been just what it was in paradise before the fall of our first parents perfect obedience to the law of god perfect righteousness if eternal life were granted on any condition short of this then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled the way would be open for sin with all its train of woe and misery to be immortalized it was possible for adam before the fall to form a righteous character by obedience to god s law but he failed to do this and because of his sin our natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous since we are sinful unholy we cannot perfectly obey the holy law we have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of god but christ has made a way of escape for us he lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet he lived a sinless life he died for us and now he offers to take our sins and give us his righteousness if you give yourself to him and accept him as your saviour then sinful as your life may have been for his sake you are accounted righteous christ s character stands in place of your character and you are accepted before god just as if you had not sinned more than this christ changes the heart he abides in your heart by faith you are to maintain this connection with christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to him and so long as you do this he will work in you to will and to do 63 according to his good pleasure so you may say the life which i now live in the flesh i live by the faith of the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me galatians 2:20 so jesus said to his disciples it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you matthew 10:20 then with christ working in you you will manifest the same spirit and do the same good works works of righteousness obedience so we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast we have no ground for self-exaltation our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of christ imputed to us and in that wrought by his spirit working in and through us when we speak of faith there is a distinction that should be borne in mind there is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith the existence and power of god the truth of his word are facts that even satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny the bible says that the devils also believe and tremble but this is not faith james 2:19 where there is not only a belief in god s word but a submission of the will to him where the heart is yielded to him the affections fixed upon him there is faith faith that works by love and purifies the soul through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of god and the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be now delights in its holy precepts exclaiming with the psalmist o how love i thy law it is my meditation all the day psalm 119:97 and the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who 64 walk not after the flesh but after the spirit romans 8:1 there are those who have known the pardoning love of christ and who really desire to be children of god yet they realize that their character is imperfect their life faulty and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the holy spirit to such i would say do not draw back in despair we shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes but we are not to be discouraged even if we are overcome by the enemy we are not cast off not forsaken and rejected of god no christ is at the right hand of god who also maketh intercession for us said the beloved john these things write i unto you that ye please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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sin not and if any man sin we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous 1 john 2:1 and do not forget the words of christ the father himself loveth you john 16:27 he desires to restore you to himself to see his own purity and holiness reflected in you and if you will but yield yourself to him he that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of jesus christ pray more fervently believe more fully as we come to distrust our own power let us trust the power of our redeemer and we shall praise him who is the health of our countenance the closer you come to jesus the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes for your vision will be clearer and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to his perfect nature this is evidence that satan s delusions have lost their 65 power that the vivifying influence of the spirit of god is arousing you no deep-seated love for jesus can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness the soul that is transformed by the grace of christ will admire his divine character but if we do not see our own moral deformity it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of christ the less we see to esteem in ourselves the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our saviour a view of our sinfulness drives us to him who can pardon and when the soul realizing its helplessness reaches out after christ he will reveal himself in power the more our sense of need drives us to him and to the word of god the more exalted views we shall have of his character and the more fully we shall reflect his image 67 came to give john 3:3 margin as with life so it is with growth it is god who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit it is by his power that the seed develops first the blade then the ear after that the full corn in the ear mark 4:28 and the prophet hosea says of israel that he shall grow as the lily they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine hosea 14:5 7 and jesus bids us consider the lilies how 68 they grow luke 12:27 the plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort but by receiving that which god has furnished to minister to their life the child cannot by any anxiety or power of its own add to its stature no more can you by anxiety or effort of yourself secure spiritual growth the plant the child grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life air sunshine and food what these gifts of nature are to animal and plant such is christ to those who trust in him he is their everlasting light a sun and shield isaiah 60:19 psalm 84:11 he shall be as the dew unto israel he shall come down like rain upon the mown grass hosea 14:5 psalm 72:6 he is the living water the bread of god which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world john 6:33 in the matchless gift of his son god has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe all who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in christ jesus as the flower turns to the sun that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry so should we turn to the sun of righteousness that heaven s light may shine upon us that our character may be developed into the likeness of christ jesus teaches the same thing when he says abide in me and i in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me without me ye 69 can do nothing john 15:4 5 you are just as dependent upon christ in order to live a holy life as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness apart from him you have no life you have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness abiding in him you may flourish drawing your life from him you will not wither nor be fruitless you will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone they have trusted in christ for the forgiveness of sin but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright but every such effort must fail jesus says without me ye can do nothing our growth in grace our joy our usefulness all depend upon our union with christ it is by communion with him daily hourly by abiding in him that we are to grow in grace he is not only the author but the finisher of our faith it is christ first and last and always he is to be with us not only at the beginning and the end of our course but at chapter 8 growing up into christ the change of heart by which we become children of god is in the bible spoken of as birth again it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman in like manner those who are just converted to christ are as new-born babes to grow up to the stature of men and women in christ jesus 1 peter 2:2 ephesians 4:15 or like the good seed sown in the field they are to grow up and bring forth fruit isaiah says that they shall be called trees of righteousness the planting of the lord that he might be glorified isaiah 61:3 so from natural life illustrations are drawn to help us better to understand the mysterious truths of spiritual life not all the wisdom and skill of man can produce life in the smallest object in nature it is only through the life which god himself has imparted that either plant or animal can live so it is only through the life from god that spiritual life is begotten in the hearts of men unless a man is born from above he cannot become a partaker of the life which christ please copy and distribute this copyright free book this book and other free books are available at adventistonline.com.

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