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The Bread of Life Revives the Spiritual Nature, April 6
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die.
John 6:50
.
There is a great need of taking self in hand when we find ourselves watching to
make capital out of the missteps of a brother, a sister, or a friend. Although we do
not acknowledge that the object of defaming another is to exalt self, self-exaltation
is behind the practice of noting the shortcomings of others. Let every soul remember
it is best to be on guard, and to make straight paths for his own feet, lest the lame
... be turned out of the way. None of us are in danger of being too devotional, or
of possessing too much Christlikeness of character. The remedy for unlikeness to
Christ, for giving occasion for your good to be evil spoken of, is to live humbly, to
keep looking unto Jesus in prayerful watchfulness, until changed into the likeness
of His beautiful character.
The soul cannot be satisfied with forms, maxims, and traditions. The cry of the
soul must be, give me the
bread of life
; lift up a full cup to my parched, spiritual
nature, that I may be revived and refreshed; but do not intrude and interpose yourself
between me and my Redeemer. Let me see Him as my helper, as the man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief. Thou, O Lord, must be my helper. Thou wast wounded for
my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, ... and with Thy stripes I am healed.
Christ was crucified for our sins, and was raised from the rent sepulcher for our
justification; and He proclaims in triumph, “I am the resurrection, and the life.”
Jesus lives as our intercessor to plead before the Father. He has carried the sins of
the whole world, and has not made one mortal man a sin-bearer for others. No man
can bear the weight of his own sins. The crucified One bore them all, and every soul
who believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
The disciples of Christ will be fitted by His grace for every trial and test as he
strives for perfection of character. By looking away from Jesus to some other one,
or to something else, he may sometimes make mistakes; but as soon as he is warned
of his danger, he again fastens his eyes upon Jesus, in whom his hope of eternal
life is centered, and he plants his feet in the footprints of his Lord, and travels on
securely. He rejoices, saying, “He is my living intercessor before God. He prays
in my behalf. He is my advocate, and clothes me with the perfection of His own
righteousness. This is all I require to enable me to bear shame and reproach for His
dear name’s sake. If he permits me to endure persecution, He will give me grace
and the comfort of His presence, so that His name shall be thereby glorified” (
The
Review and Herald, May 12, 1896
).
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