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The Compassionate Christian, September 12
The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
John 14:30
.
In all His habits of life, the Saviour gave an example of what God designs His
church on earth to be. Tell this to the people. Christ desires to present His church
before the Father without spot or blemish.
From His earliest years the Saviour’s life was one of poverty. His childhood
days were spent in toil. Working at the carpenter’s bench, bearing the burdens that
came to Him as a member of the family, He often became weary. He lived in a
corrupt age. Yet He was uncorrupted by the evil that surrounded Him, uninfluenced
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by the characters of those who were artificial and wicked. In the open fields and
amid the scenes of nature He found rest from toil and food for spiritual life.
Looking beneath the surface, He gathered knowledge from the mysteries of nature
that filled Him with peace and joy.
During the years of His public ministry, the Saviour was continually watched
by crafty and hypocritical men. Spies were continually upon His track to catch
something from His lips which they could use to create prejudice against Him.
Again and again they tried to make Him appear guilty of wrong. There were
occasions when they laid traps for Him by presenting to Him questions, the
answers to which they hoped to use to cause His condemnation by the people. But
at every attempt they were compelled to retire from the field confounded; their
actions were revealed in their true light by the answers of Christ. The Saviour’s
discourses presented a power of truth to the multitudes who listened. Even the
men who were sent to spy upon His actions were forced to return with the report
to those who sent them, “Never man spake like this man” (
John 7:46
)....
Let your conversation be with grace, for Christ is listening to the words you
speak. Let compassion for one another be blended with all you say, then you will
reveal the character of Christ. The manners of Christ were gentle and unassuming.
As His followers we are to partake of His nature. We need to be daily learners
of the great Teacher, that the atmosphere surrounding the soul may be filled with
spiritual life.
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