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Saints Shall Possess the Kingdom, September 26
Perfection of Character
The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess
the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Daniel 7:18
God takes none to heaven but those who are first made saints in this
world through the grace of Christ, those in whom He can see Christ
exemplified. When the love of Christ is an abiding principle in the soul,
we shall realize that we are hid with Christ in God....
These only who, by prayer and watchfulness and love, work the
works of Christ, can God rejoice over with singing. The more fully the
Lord sees the character of His beloved Son revealed in His people, the
greater is His satisfaction and delight in them. God Himself and the
heavenly angels rejoice over them with singing. The believing sinner is
pronounced innocent, while the guilt is placed on Christ. The righteous-
ness of Christ is placed on the debtor’s account, and against his name on
the balance sheet is written: Pardoned. Eternal Life....
“Ye are God’s husbandry.” As one takes pleasure in the cultivation
of a garden, so God takes pleasure in His believing sons and daughters.
A garden demands constant labor. The weeds must be removed; new
plants must be set out; branches that are making too rapid development
must be pruned back. So the Lord works for His garden, so He tends His
plants. He cannot take pleasure in any development that does not reveal
the graces of the character of Christ. The blood of Christ has made men
and women God’s precious charge.... Some plants are so feeble that they
have hardly any life, and for these the Lord has a special care.
* * * * *
Only those will enter heaven who in probationary time have formed
a character that breathes a heavenly influence. The saint in heaven must
first be a saint upon earth.
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