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Jesus’ Love Draws Sinners to Repentance, December 23
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast
out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.
John 12:31, 32
, NKJV.
Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world to draw the hearts of all
to Himself.... The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing of the
love of Christ. God sends message after message to people, entreating them to
repentance, that He may forgive, and write pardon against their names. Shall there
be no repentance? Shall His appeals be unheeded? Shall His overtures of mercy be
ignored, and His love utterly rejected?
Oh, then sinners will cut themselves off from the medium through which they
may gain life eternal; for God only pardons the penitent. By the manifestation of
His love, by the entreating of His Spirit, He woos them to repentance; for repentance
is the gift of God, and whom He pardons He first makes penitent. The sweetest joy
comes through sincere repentance toward God for the transgression of His law, and
through faith in Christ as the sinner’s Redeemer and Advocate.
It is that all may understand the joy of forgiveness, the peace of God, that Christ
draws them through the manifestation of His love. If they respond to His drawing,
yielding their hearts to His grace, He will lead them on step by step, to a full
knowledge of Himself; and this is life eternal.
Christ came to reveal to the sinner the justice and love of God, that He might
give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. When sinners behold Jesus lifted
up upon the cross, suffering the guilt of the transgressor, bearing the penalty of sin;
when they behold God’s abhorrence of evil in the fearful manifestation of the death
of the cross, and His love for fallen humanity, they are led to repentance toward
God because of their transgression of the law which is holy, and just, and good.
They exercise faith in Christ, because the divine Savior has become their Substitute,
Surety, and Advocate, the one in whom their very life is centered. To repenting
sinners God can show His mercy and truth, and bestow upon them His forgiveness
and love....
By the suffering and death of Christ is proved His boundless love to human
beings. He is willing and able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by
Him.—
The Signs of the Times, September 12, 1911
.
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