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Obedience Brings Peace and Happiness, February 14
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:8
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NKJV.
Before us is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ—obedient
to all the principles of the law of God. But of ourselves we are utterly powerless to
attain to this condition. All that is good in human beings comes to them through
Christ. The holiness that God’s Word declares we must have before we can be
saved is the result of the working of divine grace as we bow in submission to the
discipline and restraining influence of the Spirit of truth.
Humanity’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s
righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of true obedience. The
part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he or she
is to pray to the Savior to heal the disorders of their diseased souls. They have not
the wisdom and strength without which mortals cannot overcome. These belong to
the Lord, and He bestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek
Him for help....
The reason that many who once knew and loved the Savior are now in darkness,
wandering far from Him, is because in self-confidence and self-sufficiency they
have followed their own inclinations. They walked not in the way of the Lord—the
only way of peace and happiness. By disobedience they cut themselves off from
receiving His blessings, when by obedience they might have gone forward in His
strength.
The abundant evidence given by God that He desires the salvation of all will be
the condemnation of those who refuse the gift of heaven. At the last great day, when
all will be rewarded or punished according to their obedience or disobedience, the
cross of Calvary will appear plainly before those standing before the Judge of all
the earth to receive sentence for eternity. They are made capable of comprehending
something of the love that God has expressed for fallen human beings. They see
how greatly He has been dishonored by those who have continued in transgression,
choosing sides with Satan, and showing contempt for the law of Jehovah. They see
that obedience to this law would have brought them life and health, prosperity and
eternal good.—
The Review and Herald, March 15, 1906
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