Appeal to Youth
241
no angel to bear the joyful message: “It is enough; You need not die,
My well-beloved Son.” Legions of angels were sorrowfully waiting,
hoping that, as in the case of Isaac, God would at the last moment
prevent His shameful death. But angels were not permitted to bear any
such message to God’s dear Son. The humiliation in the judgment hall
and on the way to Calvary went on. He was mocked, derided, and spit
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upon. He endured the jeers, taunts, and revilings of those who hated
Him, until upon the cross He bowed His head and died.
Could God give us any greater proof of His love than in thus
giving His Son to pass through this scene of suffering? And as the
gift of God to man was a free gift, His love infinite, so His claims
upon our confidence, our obedience, our whole heart, and the wealth
of our affections are correspondingly infinite. He requires all that
it is possible for man to give. The submission on our part must be
proportionate to the gift of God; it must be complete and wanting in
nothing. We are all debtors to God. He has claims upon us that we
cannot meet without giving ourselves a full and willing sacrifice. He
claims prompt and willing obedience, and nothing short of this will
He accept. We have opportunity now to secure the love and favor of
God. This year may be the last year in the lives of some who read
this. Are there any among the youth who read this appeal who would
choose the pleasures of the world before that peace which Christ gives
the earnest seeker and the cheerful doer of His will
Weighed in the Balances
God is weighing our characters, our conduct, and our motives in the
balances of the sanctuary. It will be a fearful thing to be pronounced
wanting in love and obedience by our Redeemer, who died upon the
cross to draw our hearts unto Him. God has bestowed upon us great
and precious gifts. He has given us light and a knowledge of His will,
so that we need not err or walk in darkness. To be weighed in the
balance and found wanting in the day of final settlement and rewards
will be a fearful thing, a terrible mistake which can never be corrected.
Young friends, shall the book of God be searched in vain for your
names?
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Testimonies for the Church 3:368-370