Chapter 95—Gives Power to Obey
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
.
One honored of all heaven came to this world to stand in human nature
at the head of humanity, testifying to the fallen angels and to the inhabitants
of the unfallen worlds that through the divine help which has been provided,
every one may walk in the path of obedience to God’s commands....
No one less holy than the Only Begotten of the Father, could have offered
a sacrifice that would be efficacious to cleanse all—even the most sinful and
degraded—who accept the Saviour as their atonement and become obedient
to Heaven’s law. Nothing less could have reinstated man in God’s favor.
Christ gave His life to make it possible for man to be restored to the
image of God. It is the power of His grace that draws men together in
obedience to the truth.
God desires us to reach the standard of perfection made possible for us
by the gift of Christ. He calls upon us to make our choice on the right side,
to connect with heavenly agencies, to adopt principles that will restore in us
the divine image. In His written Word and in the great book of nature He has
revealed the principles of life. It is our work to obtain a knowledge of these
principles, and by obedience to cooperate with Him in restoring health to the
body as well as to the soul.
Men need to learn that the blessings of obedience, in their fullness, can
be theirs only as they receive the grace of Christ. It is His grace that gives
men power to obey the laws of God. It is this that enables him to break the
bondage of evil habit. This is the only power that can make him and keep
him steadfast in the right path.
To the heart that has become purified, all is changed.... The Spirit of
God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into
obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward man is renewed in the image of
God. Weak and erring men and women show to the world that the redeeming
power of grace can cause the faulty character to develop into symmetry and
abundant fruitfulness.
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