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“What Manner of Love”!, February 23
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1
.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God” (
John 1:12
).... “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be
also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us” (
Romans 8:14-18
).
John cannot find adequate words wherein to describe the amazing love
of God to sinful man, but he calls upon all to behold the love of God
revealed in the gift of His only begotten Son. Through the perfection of
the sacrifice given for the guilty race, those who believe in Christ ... may
be saved from eternal ruin. Christ was one with the Father, yet when sin
entered our world through Adam’s transgression, He was willing to step
down from the exaltation of One who was equal with God, who dwelt
in light unapproachable by humanity, so full of glory that no man could
behold His face and live, and submit to insult, mockery, suffering, pain,
and death, in order to answer the claims of the immutable law of God, and
make a way of escape for the transgressor by His death and righteousness.
This was the work which His Father gave Him to do, and those who accept
Christ, relying wholly upon His merits, are made the adopted sons and
daughters of God—are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ....
Let no one ... think that it is a condescension for any man, however
talented or learned or honored, to accept Christ. Every human being should
look to heaven with reverence and gratitude, and exclaim with amazement,
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.
[61]
30
The Youth’s Instructor, September 27, 1894
.
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