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Steps to Christ
Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected
the likeness of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness
of character. He was not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor,
but impetuous, and resentful under injuries. But as the character of
the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and
was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and patience, the power
and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily
life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. Day
by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self
in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielded to
the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy
Spirit renewed his heart. The power of the love of Christ wrought a
transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus.
When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed.
Christ’s Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises
the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.
When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was
still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and
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light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed
with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had,
while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up
from them into heaven, and the tones of His voice had come back to
them, as the cloud of angels received Him—“Lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20
. He had ascended
to heaven in the form of humanity. They knew that He was before
the throne of God, their Friend and Saviour still; that His sympathies
were unchanged; that He was still identified with suffering humanity.
He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood,
showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price
He had paid for His redeemed. They knew that He had ascended to
heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and
take them to Himself.
As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present
their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they
bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the
Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing
in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
John
16:23, 24
. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the