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The Law and Gospel in Harmony, May 13
We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
.
After Christ died on the cross as a sin offering, the ceremonial law could have
no force. Yet it was connected with the moral law, and was glorious. The whole
bore the stamp of divinity, and expressed the holiness, justice, and righteousness
of God. And if the ministration of the dispensation to be done away was glorious,
how much more must the reality be glorious, when Christ was revealed, giving His
life-giving sanctifying Spirit to all who believe?
The proclamation of the law of Ten Commandments was a wonderful exhibition
of the glory and majesty of God....
“Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that
his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and
Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was” (
Exodus 20:20, 21
).
The pardon of sin, justification by faith in Jesus Christ, access to God only
through a mediator because of their lost condition, their guilt and sin—of these
truths the people had little conception. In a great measure they had lost a knowledge
of God and of the only way to approach Him. They had lost nearly all sense
of what constitutes sin and of what constitutes righteousness. The pardon of sin
through Christ, the promised Messiah, whom their offerings typified, was but dimly
understood....
The moral law was never a type or a shadow. It existed before man’s creation,
and will endure as long as God’s throne remains. God could not change nor alter
one precept of His law in order to save men; for the law is the foundation of His
government. It is unchangeable, unalterable, infinite, and eternal. In order for man
to be saved, and for the honor of the law to be maintained, it was necessary for the
Son of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. He who knew no sin became sin
for us. He died for us on Calvary. His death shows the wonderful love of God for
man, and the immutability of His law....
Christ is the sinner’s advocate. Those who accept His gospel behold Him with
open face. They see the relation of His mission to the law, and they acknowledge
God’s wisdom and glory as revealed by the Saviour. The glory of Christ is revealed
in the law, which is a transcript of His character, and His transforming efficacy is felt
upon the soul until men become changed into His likeness. They are made partakers
of the divine nature, and grow more and more like their Saviour, advancing step by
step in conformity to the will of God, till they reach perfection. The law and the
gospel are in perfect harmony (
Selected Messages 1:238-240
).
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