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In Moments of Despair, May 4
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 7:7, 8
.
Then come, and seek, and find. The reservoir of power is open, is full and
free. Come with humble hearts, not thinking that you must do some good
thing to merit the favor of God, or that you must make yourself better before
you can come to Christ. You can never do anything to better your condition.
In the name of Jesus, come with full assurance of faith, because you are a
sinner; for Christ said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance” (
Matthew 9:13
). Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to
you. You are to ask, to seek, to knock, and to believe that you are accepted
through Christ Jesus, trusting Him alone to do those things for you which you
can never do for yourself....
Jesus is our atoning sacrifice; we can make no atonement for ourselves,
but by faith we can accept the atonement that has been made. “For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us
to God” (
1 Peter 3:18
). “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, ... but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot” (
1 Peter 1:18, 19
). “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from
all sin” (
1 John 1:7
). It is by virtue of this precious blood that the sin-stricken
soul can be restored to soundness. While you are putting up your petition to
God, the Holy Spirit applies the faithful promises of God to your heart.
In moments of perplexity, when Satan suggests doubt and discourage-
ment, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up as a standard against him the faithful
sayings of Christ, and the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness will flash
into your mind and soul. When Satan would overwhelm you with despair,
the Holy Spirit will point you to the intercession made for you by a living
Saviour. Christ is the fragrance, the holy incense, which makes your peti-
tions acceptable to the Father. When the light of Christ’s righteousness is
fully understood and accepted, love, joy, peace, and inexpressible gratitude
will pervade the soul, and the language of him who is blessed will be “Thy
gentleness hath made me great” (
Psalm 18:35
).—
The Signs of the Times,
August 22, 1892
.
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