God's Moral Looking Glass, October 16

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:25.

At Dusseldorf we changed cars,^{*Written during a journey in Europe.} and were obliged to wait two hours in the depot. Here we had an opportunity to study human nature. The ladies came in, changed their outer wraps, and then surveyed themselves on every side, to see that their dress was faultless. Then extra touches of powder must be put upon their faces. Long they lingered before the mirror in order to arrange their outward apparel to their satisfaction for the purpose of appearing their best when looked upon by human eyes. I thought of the law of God, the great moral looking glass into which the sinner is to look to discover the defects of his character. If all would study the law of God—the moral standard of character—as diligently and critically as many do their outward appearance by means of the looking glass, with a purpose to correct and reform every defect of character, what transformations would most assuredly take place in them. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:23, 24)….

There are many who view themselves as defective in character when they look into God's moral mirror, His law, but they have heard so much of “All you have to do is to believe” … that after venturing to look into the mirror they straightway go from it retaining all their defects, with the words on their lips, “Jesus has done it all.” These are represented by the figure that James has marked out—the man beholding himself and going away and forgetting what manner of man he was…. Faith and works are the two oars that must be used to urge the bark against the current of worldliness, pride, and vanity; and if these are not used, the boat will drift with the current downward to perdition. God help us to take care of the inward adorning, to set the heart in order as carefully as we arrange the outward apparel.^{20The Review and Herald, October 11, 1887.}

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | ellenwhite.org

Wonderful Simplicity of the Law, October 15

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7.

How wonderful in its simplicity, its comprehensiveness and perfection, is the law of Jehovah! In the purposes and dealings of God there are mysteries which the finite mind is unable to comprehend….

But there is no mystery in the law of God. The feeblest intellect can grasp these rules to regulate the life and form the character after the divine Model. If the children of men would to the best of their ability obey this law, they would gain strength of intellect and power of discernment to comprehend still more of God's purposes and plans….

The infinite sacrifice which Christ has made to magnify and exalt the law testifies that not one jot or tittle of that law will relinquish its claims upon the transgressor. Christ came to pay the debt which the sinner had incurred by transgression and by His own example to teach man how to keep the law of God. Said Christ, “I have kept my Father's commandments” (John 15:10)…. It is inconceivable how so many, professing to be servants of God, can set aside His law and teach sinners that they are not amenable to its precepts. What a fatal delusion! …

We are living in a land of bondage and of death. Multitudes are enslaved by sinful customs and evil habits, and their fetters are difficult to break. Iniquity, like a flood, is deluging the earth. Crimes almost too fearful to be even mentioned are of daily occurrence. Shall we say that all this is because men live in obedience to the will of God, or is it because ministers and people hold and teach that its precepts have no binding force? ^{18The Review and Herald, September 14, 1886.}

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” that the lost might be reclaimed…. He who has tasted and found that the Lord is good cannot bear the thought of following in the path of transgression. It is pain to him to violate the law of that God who has so loved him.^{19The Review and Herald, January 24, 1888.}

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | ellenwhite.org

Evidence of Our Allegiance, October 14

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15.

Let this point be fully settled in every mind: If we accept Christ as a Redeemer we must accept Him as a Ruler. We cannot have the assurance, the perfect, confiding trust in Christ as our Saviour, until we acknowledge Him and are obedient to His commandments. Thus we evidence our allegiance to God. We have then the genuine ring in our faith. It works by love. Speak it from your heart: “Lord, I believe Thou hast died to redeem my soul. If Thou hast placed such a value upon my soul as to give Thy life for mine, I give my life and all its possibilities in all my weakness into Thy keeping.” The will must be brought into complete harmony with the will of God.^{16Manuscript 24, 1890.}

Today the invitation is given: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). Christ has rest for all who will wear His yoke and learn His meekness and lowliness of heart. Here we are taught restraint and obedience, and in this we shall find rest. Thank God that in humility and obedience we shall find just that which we all need so much—the rest that is found in faith and confidence and perfect trust. We must not manufacture an oppressive yoke for our necks. Let us take the yoke of Christ and in entire obedience draw with Him….

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10). This is the yoke which Christ invites us to wear—the yoke of obedience. Can we not say, “Lord, I take Thee at Thy word; I receive Thy promise. I come to Thee because I need Thee as a personal Saviour. I must have an abiding Christ. I am dependent on Thee. Thou art mine.” Christ says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them”—not in pretense, but with the whole mind, heart, soul, and strength—“he it is that loveth me” (John 14:21). This is the true test of character. We must be doers of the Word.^{17Letter 66, 1898.}

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | ellenwhite.org

Power for Obedience, October 13

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:10.

Some who claim to believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour have said, “No one can keep the law.” On this point the words of Christ are decisive. He states, “I have kept my Father's commandments.” And He is our example in all things….

In the Sermon on the Mount Christ plainly declared His mission. “Think not,” He said, “that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). He came to carry out literally every specification concerning which the prophets had borne testimony. He who existed with the Father before the creation of the world, Himself gave the prophecies recorded by holy men—the prophecies that He came afterward to fulfill….

Christ's position with His Father is one of equality. This enabled Him to become a sin offering for transgressors. He was fully sufficient to magnify the law and make it honorable…. He separated the precepts of Jehovah from the maxims and traditions of men. He held up the Ten Commandments as an expression of truth in all its purity….

Christ came to the world to counteract Satan's falsehood that God had made a law which men could not keep. Taking humanity upon Himself, He came to this earth, and by a life of obedience showed that God has not made a law that man cannot keep. He showed that it is possible for man perfectly to obey the law. Those who accept Christ as their Saviour, becoming partakers of His divine nature, are enabled to follow His example, living in obedience to every precept of the law. Through the merits of Christ, man is to show by his obedience that he could be trusted in heaven, that he would not rebel.

Christ possessed the same nature that man possesses. He was tempted in all points like as man is tempted. The same power by which He obeyed is at man's command.^{15Manuscript 48, 1893.}

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | ellenwhite.org

Happiness in Obedience, October 12

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Colossians 1:12, 13.

Our future eternal happiness depends upon having our humanity, with all its capabilities and powers, brought into obedience to God and placed under the control of Divinity. Many have no faith in Jesus Christ. They say, “It was easy for Christ to obey the will of His Father, for He was divine.” But His Word declares He was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). He was tempted according to and in proportion to His elevation of mind, but He would not weaken or cripple His divine power by yielding to temptation. In His life on earth Christ was a representative of what humanity may be through the privileges and opportunities granted them in Him….

When Satan tempted our first parents … he tried to flatter them into believing that they should be raised above the sphere of humanity. But Christ, by the example He has set before us, encourages the members of the human family to be men, obeying the Word of God within the sphere of their humanity. He Himself became a man—not a bondslave to Satan to work out his attributes, but a man in moral power, obedient to the law of God, which is a transcript of His character. Those who would rebel against subjection to a wise and good law emanating from God are slaves to an apostate power.

Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God, … that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan's alluring temptation…. Disobedience is not in accordance with the nature which God gave to man in Eden.

Through the moral power Christ has brought to man, we may give thanks unto God who hath made us meet for the inheritance with the saints in light. Through Jesus Christ every man may overcome in his own behalf and on his own account, standing in his own individuality of character.^{14Letter 121, 1897.}

Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | ellenwhite.org