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Chap.
92 - Christ's Blessings Universal
That was the true Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John 1:9. {TMK 98.1}
The grace of Christ is not confined
to a few. The message of mercy and forgiveness brought from heaven by
Christ was to be heard by all. Our Saviour says, "I am the light of
the world." (John 8:12). His blessings are universal, reaching to
all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. Christ came to break down
every wall of partition ... that every soul, whether Jew or Gentile,
might be a free worshiper and have access to God.... {TMK 98.2}
Through varied channels the heavenly
messengers are in active communication with every part of the world, and
when man calls upon the Lord with a true and earnest heart, God is
represented as bending from His throne above. He listens to every
yearning cry, and answers, "Here am I." He raises up the distressed
and oppressed. He bestows His blessings on the evil as well as on the
good. {TMK 98.3}
In every precept that Christ taught,
He was expounding His own life. God's holy law was magnified in this
living representative. He was the revealer of the infinite mind. He
uttered no uncertain sentiments or opinions, but pure and holy truth. . .
. He invites men to take a close view of God in Himself, in the infinite
love therein expressed. {TMK 98.4}
To know God is the most wonderful
knowledge that men can have. There is much wisdom with worldly men, but
with all their wisdom they behold not the beauty and majesty, the justice
and wisdom, the goodness and holiness, of the Creator of all worlds. The
Lord walks among men by His providences, but His stately steppings are
not heard, His presence is not discerned, His hand is not recognized. The
work of Christ's disciples is to shine as lights, making manifest to the
world the character of God. They are to catch the increasing rays of
light from the Word of God and reflect them to men enshrouded in the
darkness of misapprehension of God. The servants of Christ must rightly
represent the character of God and
Christ to men. {TMK 98.5}
Chap. 221 - Reveals God's Character
The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and
gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Ex. 34:6.
{AG 229.1}
All the light of the past, all the
light which shines in the present and reaches forth into the future, as
revealed in the Word of God, is for every soul who will receive it. The
glory of this light, which is the very glory of the character of Christ, is to be manifested in the
individual Christian, in the family, in the church, in the ministry of
the Word, and in every institution established by God's people. All these
the Lord designs shall be symbols of what can be done for the world. They
are to be types of the saving power of the truths of the gospel. . . .
{AG 229.2}
By beholding the goodness, the
mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in the church, the world
is to have a representation of His
character. . . . {AG 229.3}
In order to manifest the character of God . . . we
must become personally acquainted with God. If we have fellowship with
God, we are His ministers, though we may never preach to a congregation.
We are workers together with God in presenting the perfection of His character in humanity. {AG
229.4}
God has enjoined the duty upon His
human agents to communicate the character of God, testifying to His
grace, His wisdom, and His benevolence, by manifesting His refined,
tender, merciful love. . . . {AG 229.5}
Our work is to restore the moral
image of God in man through the abundant grace given us of God by Jesus
Christ. . . . Oh, how much we need
to know Jesus and our heavenly Father that we may represent Him in
character! {AG 229.6}
The soul that is transformed by the
grace of Christ will admire His divine character. . . . The less we see
to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite
purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us
to Him who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness,
reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our
sense of need drives us to Him and to the Word of God, the more exalted
views we shall have of His
character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image. {AG 229.7}
Chap. 71 - How Shall We
keep the Sabbath?
God is merciful. His requirements are reasonable, in accordance with the
goodness and benevolence of His character. The object of the Sabbath was
that all mankind might be benefited. Man was not made to fit the Sabbath;
for the Sabbath was made after the creation of man, to meet his
necessities. After God had made the world in six days, He rested and
sanctified and blessed the day upon which He rested from all
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His work which He had created and made. He set apart
that special day for man to rest from his labor, that, as he should look
upon the earth beneath and the heavens above, he might reflect that God
made all these in six days and rested upon the seventh; and that, as he
should behold the tangible proofs of God's infinite wisdom, his heart
might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker. {2T 582.3}
In order to keep the Sabbath holy, it is not necessary that we enclose
ourselves in walls, shut away from the beautiful scenes of nature and
from the free, invigorating air of heaven. We should in no case allow burdens
and business transactions to divert our minds upon the Sabbath of the
Lord, which He has sanctified. We should not allow our minds to dwell
upon things of a worldly character even. But the mind cannot be
refreshed, enlivened, and elevated by being confined nearly all the
Sabbath hours within walls, listening to long sermons and tedious, formal
prayers. The Sabbath of the Lord is put to a wrong use if thus
celebrated. The object for which it was instituted is not attained. The
Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him by calling his mind
from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of God. It is
necessary that the people of God assemble to talk of Him, to interchange
thoughts and ideas in regard to the truths contained in His word, and to
devote a portion of time to appropriate prayer. But these seasons, even
upon the Sabbath, should not be made tedious by their length and lack of
interest. {2T 583.1}
During a portion of the day, all should have an opportunity to be out of
doors. How can children receive a more correct knowledge of God, and
their minds be better impressed, than in spending a portion of their time
out of doors, not in play, but in company with their parents? Let their
young minds be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature,
let their attention be called to the tokens of His love to man in
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His created works, and they will be attracted and
interested. They will not be in danger of associating the character
of God with everything that is stern and
severe; but as they view the beautiful things which He has created for
the happiness of man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving
Father. They will see that His prohibitions and injunctions are not made
merely to show His power and authority, but that He has the happiness of
His children in view. As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty,
and attraction, they are drawn to love Him. You can direct their minds to
the lovely birds making the air musical with their happy songs, to the
spires of grass, and the gloriously tinted flowers in their perfection
perfuming the air. All these proclaim the love and skill of the heavenly
Artist, and show forth the glory of God. {2T 583.2}
Parents, why not make use of the precious lessons which God has given us
in the book of nature, to give our children a correct idea of His
character? Those who sacrifice simplicity to fashion, and shut themselves
away from the beauties of nature, cannot be spiritually minded. They
cannot understand the skill and power of God as revealed in His created
works; therefore their hearts do not quicken and throb with new love and
interest, and they are not filled with awe and reverence as they see God
in nature. {2T 584.1}
All who love God should do what they can to make the Sabbath a delight,
holy and honorable. They cannot do this by seeking their own pleasure in
sinful, forbidden amusements. Yet they can do much to exalt the Sabbath
in their families and make it the most interesting day of the week. We
should devote time to interesting our children. A change will have a
happy influence upon them. We can walk out with them in the open air; we
can sit with them in the groves and in the bright sunshine, and give
their restless minds
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something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the
works of God, and can inspire them with love and reverence by calling
their attention to the beautiful objects in nature. {2T 584.2}
The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly
return will be hailed with joy. In no better way can parents exalt and
honor the Sabbath than by devising means to impart proper instruction to
their families and interesting them in spiritual things, giving them
correct views of the character of God and what He requires of us in order to perfect
Christian characters and attain to eternal life. Parents, make the
Sabbath a delight, that your children may look forward to it and have a
welcome in their hearts for it. {2T 585.1}
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