Contemplation of Christ
By faith look upon the crowns laid up for those who shall overcome;
listen to the exultant song of the redeemed, Worthy, worthy
is the Lamb that was slain and hast redeemed us to God! Endeavor
to regard these scenes as real. Stephen, the first Christian martyr,
in his terrible conflict with principalities and powers, and spiritual
wickedness in high places, exclaimed, “Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
The Saviour of the world was revealed to him as looking down from
heaven upon him with the deepest interest; and the glorious light of
Christ’s countenance shone upon Stephen with such brightness that
even his enemies saw his face shine like the face of an angel.
If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and
the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support
in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride and love of the world will
lose their power as we contemplate the glories of that better land
so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly
attractions will seem of little worth.
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Changing the Habits of Thought
Let none imagine that without earnest effort on their part they
can obtain the assurance of God’s love. When the mind has been
long permitted to dwell only on earthly things, it is a difficult matter
to change the habits of thought. That which the eye sees and the ear
[114] hears too often attracts the attention and absorbs the interest.
But if we would enter the city of God, and look upon Jesus in
His glory, we must become accustomed to beholding Him with the
eye of faith here. The words and the character of Christ should be
often the subject of our thoughts and of our conversation; and each
day some time should be especially devoted to prayerful meditation
upon these sacred themes.
Sanctification a Daily Work
Sanctification is a daily work. Let none deceive themselves
with the belief that God will pardon and bless them while they are
trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of
a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates
the soul from God. Whatever may be the ecstasies of religious
feeling, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine
law. God will honor those only who honor Him.
“To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants
ye are to whom ye obey.” If we indulge anger, lust, covetousness,
hatred, selfishness, or any other sin, we become servants of sin. “No
man can serve two masters.” If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ.
The Christian will feel the promptings of sin, for the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit; but the Spirit striveth against the flesh, keeping up
a constant warfare. Here is where Christ’s help is needed. Human
weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims,
“Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ!”
If we would develop a character which God can accept, we must
[115] form correct habits in our religious life. Daily prayer is as essential
to growth in grace, and even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food
to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to often lift
the thoughts to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring
Living Faith 107
it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We
cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety.
We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by
observing the conditions which He has Himself laid down.
Make Religion a Business
Religion must be made the great business of life. Everything
else should be held subordinate to this. All our powers of soul, body,
and spirit, must be engaged in the Christian warfare. We must look
to Christ for strength and grace, and we shall gain the victory as
surely as Jesus died for us....
We must come nearer to the cross of Christ. Penitence at the
foot of the cross is the first lesson of peace we have to learn. The
love of Jesus—who can comprehend it? Infinitely more tender and
self-denying than a mother’s love! If we would know the value
of a human soul, we must look in living faith upon the cross, and
thus begin the study which shall be the science and the song of the
redeemed through all eternity. The value of our time and our talents
can be estimated only by the greatness of the ransom paid for our
redemption. What ingratitude do we manifest toward God when
we rob Him of His own by withholding from Him our affections
and our service! Is it too much to give ourselves to Him who has
sacrificed all for us? Can we choose the friendship of the world [116]
before the immortal honors which Christ proffers,—“to sit with Me
in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My
Father in His throne”?
Sanctification, a Progressive Experience
Sanctification is a progressive work. The successive steps are set
before us in the words of Peter: “Giving all diligence, add to your
faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For
if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
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calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Here is a course by which we may be assured that we shall
never fall. Those who are thus working upon the plan of addition
in obtaining the Christian graces, have the assurance that God will
work upon the plan of multiplication in granting them the gifts of
His Spirit.
Peter addresses those who have obtained like precious faith:
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of
God, and of Jesus our Lord.” By divine grace, all who will may climb
the shining steps from earth to heaven, and at last, “with songs and
[117] everlasting joy,” enter through the gates into the city of God.—The
Review and Herald, November 15, 1887.
Value of Trials
The trials of life are God’s workmen, to remove the impurities
and roughness from our characters. Their hewing, squaring, and
chiseling, their burnishing and polishing, is a painful process, it is
hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. But the stone is
brought forth prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple. Upon
no useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough
work. Only His precious stones are polished after the similitude of a
palace.—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 10.
Secret Place of Power
To the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the
Almighty, men now and then repair; they abide for a season, and the
result is manifest in noble deeds; then their faith fails, the communion
is interrupted, and the life work marred. But the life of Jesus
was a life of constant trust, sustained by continual communion; and
His service for heaven and earth was without failure or faltering.
As a man He supplicated the throne of God, till His humanity
was charged with a heavenly current that connected humanity with
divinity. Receiving life from God, He imparted life to men.—Edu-
