Chapter 36—No Caste in Christ
[
This article appeared in
The Review and Herald, December 22,
1891
.]
The highest angel in heaven had not the power to pay the ransom
for one lost soul. Cherubim and seraphim have only the glory with
which they are endowed by the Creator as His creatures, and the
reconciliation of man to God could be accomplished only through a
mediator who was equal with God, possessed of attributes that would
dignify, and declare him worthy to treat with the infinite God in man’s
behalf, and also represent God to a fallen world. Man’s substitute and
surety must have man’s nature, a connection with the human family
whom he was to represent, and, as God’s ambassador, he must partake
of the divine nature, have a connection with the Infinite, in order to
manifest God to the world, and be a mediator between God and man.
These qualifications were found alone in Christ. Clothing His
divinity with humanity, He came to earth to be called the Son of man
and the Son of God. He was the surety for man, the ambassador for
God—the surety for man to satisfy by His righteousness in man’s
behalf the demands of the law, and the representative of God to make
manifest His character to a fallen race.
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The world’s Redeemer possessed the power to draw men to Him-
self, to quiet their fears, to dispel their gloom, to inspire them with
hope and courage, to enable them to believe in the willingness of God
to receive them through the merits of the divine Substitute. As subjects
of the love of God we ever should be grateful that we have a mediator,
an advocate, an intercessor in the heavenly courts, who pleads in our
behalf before the Father.
We have everything we could ask to inspire us with faith and
trust in God. In earthly courts, when a king would make his greatest
pledge to assure men of his truth, he gives his child as a hostage, to
be redeemed on the fulfillment of his promise; and behold what a
pledge of the Father’s faithfulness; for when He would assure men of
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