Chapter 134—The Pledge of Obedience
He took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the
people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be
obedient.
Exodus 24:7
.
The covenant that God made with His people at Sinai is to be our refuge
and defense....This covenant is of just as much force today as it was when
the Lord made it with ancient Israel....
This is the pledge that God’s people are to make in these last days. Their
acceptance with God depends on a faithful fulfillment of the terms of their
agreement with Him. God includes in His covenant all who will obey Him.
To all who will do justice and judgment, keeping their hand from doing any
evil, the promise is, “Even unto them will I give in mine house and within
my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give
them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off” (
Isaiah 56:5
).
The Father sets His love upon His elect people who live in the midst
of men. These are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of
His own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through
the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as His obedient
children. Upon them is manifested the free grace of God, the love wherewith
He hath loved them. Everyone who will humble himself as a little child,
who will receive and obey the Word of God with a child’s simplicity will be
among the elect of God.
To make God’s grace our own, we must act our part. The Lord does not
propose to perform for us either the willing or the doing. His grace is given
to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.
Let the human agent compare his life with the life of Christ.... Let him
imitate the example of Him who lived out the law of Jehovah, who said, “I
have kept my father’s commandments.” Those who follow Christ will be
continually looking into the perfect law of liberty, and through the grace
given them by Christ, will fashion the character according to the divine
requirements.
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