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Assurance Of Victory, September 7
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present
evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.
Galatians 1:4
.
By giving His life for the life of the world, Christ bridged the gulf that sin had
made, joining this sin-cursed earth to the universe of heaven as a province. God
chose this world to be the theater of His mighty works of grace. While the sentence
of condemnation was suspended over it because of the rebellion of its inhabitants,
while the clouds of wrath were accumulating because of the transgression of the
law of God, a mysterious voice was heard in heaven, “Lo, I come... to do thy will,
O God” (
Psalm 40:7, 8
). Our substitute and surety came from heaven declaring
that He had brought with Him the vast and inestimable donation of eternal life.
Pardon is offered to all who will return their allegiance to the law of God. But there
are those who refuse to accept a “thus saith the Lord.” They will not reverence and
respect His law. They make rigorous human enactments in opposition to a “thus
saith the Lord,” and by precept and example lead men, women, and children into
sin. They exalt human enactments above the divine law. But the condemnation
and wrath of God are suspended over the disobedient. The clouds of God’s justice
are gathering. The material of destruction has been piled up for ages; and still
apostasy, rebellion, and disloyalty against God is continually increasing. The
remnant people of God, who keep His commandments, will understand the word
spoken by Daniel, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the
wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise
shall understand” (
Daniel 12:10
).
Satan has called this world his territory. Here his seat is, and he holds in
allegiance to himself all who refuse to keep God’s commandments, who reject a
plain, “thus saith the Lord.” They stand under the enemy’s banner; for there are
but two parties in the world. All rank either under the banner of the obedient or
under the banner of the disobedient.
Jesus is now sending His message to a fallen world. He delights to take
apparently hopeless material, those through whom Satan has worked, and make
them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from the wrath which
is to fall upon the disobedient.
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