Faithful Witness
365
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.” The conditions of obtaining mercy from God
are simple and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some
grievous thing in order to gain forgiveness. We need not make long
and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend
our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression. He that
“confesseth and forsaketh” his sin “shall have mercy.”
Proverbs 28:13
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In the courts above, Christ is pleading for His church—pleading
for those for whom He has paid the redemption price of His blood.
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Centuries, ages, can never lessen the efficacy of His atoning sacrifice.
Neither life nor death, height nor depth, can separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus; not because we hold Him so firmly,
but because He holds us so fast. If our salvation depended on our
own efforts, we could not be saved; but it depends on the One who is
behind all the promises. Our grasp on Him may seem feeble, but His
love is that of an elder brother; so long as we maintain our union with
Him, no one can pluck us out of His hand.
As the years went by and the number of believers grew, John
labored with increasing fidelity and earnestness for his brethren. The
times were full of peril for the church. Satanic delusions existed
everywhere. By misrepresentation and falsehood the emissaries of
Satan sought to arouse opposition against the doctrines of Christ, and
in consequence dissensions and heresies were imperiling the church.
Some who professed Christ claimed that His love released them from
obedience to the law of God. On the other hand, many taught that it
was necessary to observe the Jewish customs and ceremonies; that a
mere observance of the law, without faith in the blood of Christ, was
sufficient for salvation. Some held that Christ was a good man, but
denied His divinity. Some who pretended to be true to the cause of
God were deceivers, and in practice they denied Christ and His gospel.
Living themselves in transgression, they were bringing heresies into
the church. Thus many were being led into the mazes of skepticism
and delusion.
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John was filled with sadness as he saw these poisonous errors
creeping into the church. He saw the dangers to which the church was
exposed, and he met the emergency with promptness and decision.
The epistles of John breathe the spirit of love. It seems as if he wrote
with a pen dipped in love. But when he came in contact with those