19, 22 (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:7; Hebrews 12:14). Wholeness to God—Holiness is wholeness to God. The soul is surrendered to God. The will, and even the thoughts, are brought into subjection to the will of Christ. The love of Jesus fills the soul, and is constantly going out in a clear, refreshing stream, to make glad the hearts of others (Manuscript 33, 1911).
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23. A Voice Heard in Heaven—Transgression placed the whole world in jeopardy, under the death sentence. But in heaven there was heard a voice saying, “I have found a ransom” (Letter 22, 1900).
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7-9 (Philippians 3:5, 6; James 1:23-25). Paul′s Marvelous Change—Paul says that “as touching the law”(Philippians 3:5)—as far as outward acts were concerned—he was “blameless”(Philippians 3:6), but when the spiritual character of the law was discerned, when he looked into the holy mirror, he saw himself a sinner. Judged by a human standard, he had abstained from sin, but when he looked into the depths of God′s law, and saw himself as God saw him, he bowed in humiliation, and confessed his guilt. He did not go away from the mirror and forget what manner of man he was, but he exercised genuine repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He was washed, he was cleansed. He says, “I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”Romans 7:7~9.
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Sin then appeared in its true hideousness, and his self-esteem was gone. He became humble. He no longer ascribed goodness and merit to himself. He ceased to think more highly of himself than he ought, and he ascribed all the glory to God. He was no longer ambitious for greatness. He ceased to want to avenge himself, and was no longer sensitive to reproach, neglect, or contempt. He no longer sought earthly alliance, station, or honor. He did not pull others down to uplift himself. He became gentle, condescending, meek and lowly of heart, because he had learned his lesson in the school of Christ. He talked of Jesus and His matchless love, and grew more and more into His image. He bent his whole energy to win souls to Christ. When trial came upon him because of his unselfish labor for souls, he bowed in prayer, and his love for them increased. His life was hid with Christ in God, and he loved Jesus with all the ardor of his nature. Every church was dear to him; every church member was a person of interest to him; for he looked upon every soul as the purchase of the blood of Christ (The Review and Herald, July 22, 1890).
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9. God’s Law Did Not Die—The apostle Paul, in relating his experience, presents an important truth concerning the work to be wrought in conversion. He says, “I was alive without the law once” —he felt no condemnation; “but when the commandment came,” when the law of God was urged upon his conscience, “sin revived, and I died.”Romans 7:9. Then he saw himself a sinner, condemned by the divine law. Mark, it was Paul, and not the law, that died (The Spirit of Prophecy 4:297).
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12 (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7). The Law Holds Its Dignity—Through the plan of salvation the law holds its dignity in condemning the sinner, and the sinner can be saved through the propitiation of Christ for our sins, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”Colossians 1:14. The law is not changed in any particular to meet man in his fallen condition. It remains what it ever has been—holy, just, and good (The Review and Herald, May 23, 1899).
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11 (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42, 43; see EGW comment on 1 Corinthians 15:20, 40-52). A Cup of Blessing—“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”Romans 8:11. O how precious are these words to every bereaved soul! Christ is our Guide and Comforter, who comforts us in all our tribulations. When He gives us a bitter draught to drink, He also holds a cup of blessing to our lips. He fills the heart with submission, with joy and peace in believing, and enables us to say submissively, “Not my will, but Thy will, O Lord, be done” (Letter 65a, 1894).
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15-21 (1 Timothy 1:9, 10; 1:22-25; see EGW comment on 2 Corinthians 3:6-9). Not Obedient, but Transgressors, Under Bondage—Paul in his Epistle to Timothy describes the very men who are under the bondage of the law. They are the transgressors of the law. He names them “lawless, disobedient, sinners, unholy, profane, murderers, adulterers, liars, and all who depart from sound doctrine.”1 Timothy 1:9, 10.
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The law of God is the mirror to show man the defects in his character. But it is not pleasant to those who take pleasure in unrighteousness to see their moral deformity. They do not prize this faithful mirror, because it reveals to them their sins. Therefore, instead of instituting a war against their carnal minds, they war against the true and faithful mirror, given them by Jehovah for the very purpose that they may not be deceived, but that they may have revealed to them the defects in their character.
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Should the discovery of these defects lead them to hate the mirror, or to hate themselves? Should they put away the mirror which discovers these defects? No; the sins which they cherish, which the faithful mirror shows them as existing in their characters, will close before them the portals of heaven, unless they are put away, and they become perfect before God (The Review and Herald, March 8, 1870).
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(Galatians 4:24-31; 5:1.) Obedience Not Bondage—No one who believes in Jesus Christ is under bondage to the law of God; for His law is a law of life, not of death, to those who obey its precepts. All who comprehend the spirituality of the law, all who realize its power as a detector of sin, are in just as helpless a condition as is Satan himself, unless they accept the atonement provided for them in the remedial sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is our atonement—at-one-ment with God.
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Through faith in Christ obedience to every principle of the law is made possible (Manuscript 122, 1901).
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(Galatians 3:6-9.) The Bondage of Legal Religion—The spirit of bondage is engendered by seeking to live in accordance with legal religion, through striving to fulfill the claims of the law in our own strength. There is hope for us only as we come under the Abrahamic covenant, which is the covenant of grace by faith in Christ Jesus. The gospel preached to Abraham, through which he had hope, was the same gospel that is preached to us today, through which we have hope. Abraham looked unto Jesus, who is also the Author and the Finisher of our faith (The Youth′s Instructor, September 22, 1892).
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17 (Galatians 4:7). Privileges for God′s Obedient Children—God loves His obedient children. He has a kingdom prepared, not for disloyal subjects, but for His children whom He has tested and tried in a world marred and corrupted by sin. As obedient children, we have the privilege of relationship with God. “If children,” He says, “then heirs”(Romans 8:17) to an immortal inheritance.... Christ and His people are one (Letter 119, 1897).
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26, 34 (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 7:24-28; 8:1, 2; Hebrews 9:24; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 8:3, 4; see EGW comment on Acts 1:11; Hebrews 7:25). Intercession of Christ and His Spirit—Christ Jesus is represented as continually standing at the altar, momentarily offering up the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is “a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man.”Hebrews 8:2. The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly typical atonement is no longer to be made, but the atoning sacrifice through a mediator is essential because of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the oblation offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner.
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Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man′s behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart.
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