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The Priceless Pearl, March 18
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking
goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matthew 13:45, 46
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This goodly pearl represents the priceless treasure of Christ, as does
the gold hid in the field. In Christ we have everything that is needful for
us in this life, and that which will make up the joy of the world to come.
All the money in the world will not buy the gift of peace and rest and love.
These gifts are provided for us through faith in Christ. We cannot purchase
these gifts from God; we have nothing with which to buy them. We are
the property of God, for mind, soul, and body have been purchased by the
ransom of the life of the Son of God....
Then what is it to buy the eternal treasure? It is simply to give back to
Jesus His own, to receive Him into the heart by faith. It is cooperation with
God; it is bearing the yoke with Christ; it is lifting His burdens.... The Lord
Jesus laid aside His royal crown, He left His high command, He clothed
His divinity with humanity, in order that through humanity He might uplift
the human race. He so appreciated the possibility of the human race that
He became man’s substitute and surety. He places upon man His own
merit, and thus elevates him in the scale of moral value with God.
Christ is the atoning sacrifice. He left the glory of heaven, He parted
with His riches, He laid aside His honor, not in order to create love and
interest for man in the heart of God, but to be an exponent of the love that
existed in the heart of the Father.... Jesus paid the price of all His riches, He
assumed humanity, He condescended to a life of poverty and humiliation,
in order that He might seek and save that which was lost.
Through the grace of Christ we may be strengthened and matured, so
that though now imperfect we may become complete in Him. We have
mortgaged ourselves to Satan, but Christ came to ransom and redeem us.
We cannot purchase anything from God. It is only by grace, the free gift of
God in Christ, that we are saved
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The Youth’s Instructor, September 5, 1895
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