Transformation Through Faith and Obedience
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and among the unfallen worlds the question of Satan’s deceiving
power, of his malignant principles, was settled, and the perfect purity
and holiness of Christ, who was bearing the test and trial in behalf of
fallen man, was forever proved. Through the development of Satan’s
character and principles, he was forever uprooted from the affection
of the unfallen worlds, and the controversy concerning his claims and
the claims of Christ was forever settled in heaven. The righteousness
manifested in the character of Christ was forever to be the anchor, the
saving hope, of the world. Every soul who chooses Christ can say with
faith, “The Lord my righteousness.”
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Christ was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
him, and with his stripes we are healed” (
Isaiah 53:3-5
).
The grace of Christ and the law of God are inseparable. In Jesus
mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed
each other. In His life and character He not only reveals the character of
God, but the possibility of man. He was the representative of God and
the exemplar of humanity. He presented to the world what humanity
might become when united by faith with divinity. The only-begotten
Son of God took upon Him the nature of man, and established His
cross between earth and heaven. Through the cross, man was drawn to
God, and God to man. Justice moved from its high and awful position,
and the heavenly hosts, the armies of holiness, drew near to the cross,
bowing with reverence; for at the cross justice was satisfied. Through
the cross the sinner was drawn from the stronghold of sin, from the
confederacy of evil, and at every approach to the cross his heart relents
and in penitence he cries, “It was my sins that crucified the Son of
God.” At the cross he leaves his sins, and through the grace of Christ
his character is transformed. The Redeemer raises the sinner from the
dust, and places him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the
sinner looks upon the Redeemer, he finds hope, assurance, and joy.
Faith takes hold of Christ in love. Faith works by love, and purifies
the soul.
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