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The Measure of Character, April 21
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1
Corinthians 13:4-7
.
Through His inspired apostle Christ has presented to us the measure
of the character that is imbued with the love of Christ. We are to bear the
marks of Christ, we are to have His likeness. This example is given us that
we may know the possibilities, the heights we may reach in and through
Christ. The standard He presents is perfection in Him, and through His
merits we may attain to it. We come short because we are content to look
at earthly things rather than at heavenly. It is by beholding Christ that we
are changed from glory to glory. The eye that views common things needs
to be elevated....
No man has yet measured the nature of God or the character of His
Son. We must have a knowledge of God by living experience
This life is our time of probation. We are placed under the discipline
and government of God to form characters and acquire habits for the higher
life.... We shall be subject to heavy trials, opposition, bereavement, afflic-
tion, but we know that Jesus passed through all these. These experiences
are valuable to us; the advantages are not by any means confined to this
short life; they reach into eternal ages.... All the scenes of this life in which
we must act a part are to be carefully studied, for they are a part of our
education. We should bring solid timbers into our character building, for
we are working both for this life and eternal life. And as we near the
close of this earth’s history we advance more and more rapidly in Christian
growth, or we retrograde just as decidedly....
Mercy and truth have met together in Christ, and righteousness and
peace have embraced each other. It is when you are looking to His throne,
offering up your penitence and praise and thanksgiving to God, that you
perfect Christian character, and represent Christ to the world. You abide in
Christ and Christ abides in you
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30
Letter 102, 1899
.
31
Letter 1f, 1890
.
118