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Testimonies for the Church Volume 8
the nature of angels, but the nature of man, and in this world lived a
life untainted by sin. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.” “As many as received Him, to them
gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name.”
John 1:14, 12
.
By His life and death Christ taught that only in obedience to God’s
commandments can man find safety and true greatness “The law of
the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
Psalm 19:7
. God’s law is a
transcript of His character. It was given to man in the beginning as the
standard of obedience. In succeeding ages this law was lost sight of.
Hundreds of years after the Flood Abraham was called, and to him
was given the promise that his descendants should exalt God’s law. In
course of time the Israelites went into Egypt, where for many years
they suffered grievous oppression at the hands of the Egyptians. After
they had been in slavery for nearly four hundred years, God delivered
them by a wonderful manifestation of His power. He revealed Himself
to the Egyptians as the Ruler of the universe, One greater than all
heathen deities.
At Sinai the law was given a second time. In awful grandeur
the Lord spoke His precepts and with His own finger engraved the
Decalogue upon tables of stone.
Passing down through the centuries, we find that there came a
time when God’s law must once more be unmistakably revealed as the
standard of obedience. Christ came to vindicate the sacred claims of
the law. He came to live a life of obedience to its requirements and
thus prove the falsity of the charge made by Satan that it is impossible
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for man to keep the law of God. As a man He met temptation and
overcame in the strength given Him from God. As He went about
doing good, healing all who were afflicted by Satan, He made plain to
men the character of God’s law and the nature of His service. His life
testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God.
Never did Christ deviate from loyalty to the principles of God’s law.
Never did He do anything contrary to the will of His Father. Before
angels, men, and demons He could speak words that from any other
lips would have been blasphemy: “I do always those things that please
Him.”
John 8:29
. Day by day for three years His enemies followed
Him, trying to find some stain in His character. Satan, with all his