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Wonderful Transaction, July 14
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you?
Galatians 3:1
.
The redemption that was wrought out for us by our Lord on the cross of Calvary
was to bring us to obedience to the law of God, making it possible, through His
righteousness imputed to us, to keep the law of God....
No man’s work, no matter what his position may be, can bear any comparison
with this great work for fallen man. The subject is so great, so important. Then
why is it that so few pay attention to it? Men act as though they had no souls to
save, no heaven to win, no hell to shun. What does it mean?
Says the apostle Paul, “Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified
among you?” (
Galatians 3:1
). The truth was to the apostle so great, so clear, so
important, because eternal interests were involved, that he could only ascribe to
the bewitching power of Satan the continued impiety and neglect of this great
salvation. Now are there not many who are so bewitched with Satan’s wiles that
they do not obey the truth? that they do not see the advantages of obedience? Who
is thus unwise? It is those who have not sought the Lord for help that they may
cease to longer transgress His law.
There is nothing so offensive to God as sin. Instead of making void the law
of God by continuing in sin, every truly converted soul will be walking in the
path of humble obedience to all of God’s commandments. They will search the
Scriptures that they might know the truth. Who hath bewitched the impenitent,
the transgressor, that sin is chosen rather than obedience? It is the power of Satan
that came to Adam and Eve in Eden, the deceiving, bewitching power of the fallen
angel....
How few talk about this great sacrifice of the life of Jesus to save the guilty
sinner! If we appreciated this love manifested by God for our souls we would be
elevated by taking hold of the merits of Jesus Christ, for without the righteousness
of Christ man could not give to God perfect obedience....
He condescended to this great sacrifice, not that sin in man should become a
virtue, not that sin might be made righteousness. He took the steps that man is
required to take in conversion. He went forward in baptism, and when He came
up out of the water He kneeled down and offered up such a prayer to His Father
as Heaven had never heard before.—
Manuscript 25, July 14, 1887
, “A Peculiar
People.”
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