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Christ’s Object Lessons
goodness is to be made known. “Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord,
that I am God.”
Isaiah 43:12
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The Lord desires us to appreciate the great plan of redemption, to
realize our high privilege as the children of God, and to walk before
Him in obedience, with grateful thanksgiving. He desires us to serve
Him in newness of life, with gladness every day. He longs to see
gratitude welling up in our hearts because our names are written in
the Lamb’s book of life, because we may cast all our care upon Him
who cares for us. He bids us rejoice because we are the heritage of
the Lord, because the righteousness of Christ is the white robe of His
saints, because we have the blessed hope of the soon coming of our
Saviour.
To praise God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty
as is prayer. We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly
intelligences that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen
humanity and that we are expecting larger and yet larger blessings from
His infinite fullness. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the
precious chapters in our experience. After a special outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, our joy in the Lord and our efficiency in His service would
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be greatly increased by recounting His goodness and His wonderful
works in behalf of His children.
These exercises drive back the power of Satan. They expel the
spirit of murmuring and complaint, and the tempter loses ground. They
cultivate those attributes of character which will fit the dwellers on
earth for the heavenly mansions.
Such a testimony will have an influence upon others. No more
effective means can be employed for winning souls to Christ.
We are to praise God by tangible service, by doing all in our power
to advance the glory of His name. God imparts His gifts to us that we
also may give, and thus make known His character to the world. Under
the Jewish economy, gifts and offerings formed an essential part of
God’s worship. The Israelites were taught to devote a tithe of all their
income to the service of the sanctuary. Besides this they were to bring
sin offerings, free-will gifts, and offerings of gratitude. These were
the means for supporting the ministry of the gospel for that time. God
expects no less from us than He expected from His people anciently.
The great work for the salvation of souls must be carried forward. In
the tithe, with gifts and offerings, He has made provision for this work.