Untitled article | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, October 1, 1867.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

There are two extremes; both of which are to be avoided. One is—that we are so amiable and moral that we need no Saviour. The other is—that our sins are so numerous and so aggravated, that we are thrown beyond the reach of pardon. The first of these extremes is most common, and yet the latter is not infrequent. Often, under the stings of conscience and the power of the law and the spirit of God, are persons heard in agony to exclaim, Others may be saved, but not we; our sins are of too deep a dye for even the blood of Christ to wash out. To the cases of such despairing ones, the following, from Bogatsky’s Golden Treasury, is well adapted:

There is a story of how the devil appeared to a dying man, and showed him a parchment roll, which was very long, wherein were written on every side the sins of the poor, sick man, which were many in number. There were also written the idle words he had spoken in his life, together with the false words, the unchaste words, and angry words; afterward came his vain and ungodly words, and lastly, his actions, digested according to the commandments. Whereupon Satan said: See here, behold thy virtues; see here what thy examination must be. Whereupon the poor sinner answered: “It is true, but thou hast not set down all, for thou shouldst have added, and set down here below, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins;’ and this also should not have been forgotten, that ‘whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.’” Whereupon the Devil vanished. Thus, if the Devil should muster up our sins, and set them in order before us, let but Christ be named in a faithful way, and he will give back, and fly away with all speed.

“My sins are great, I do confess, And of a scarlet dye; But Jesus’ blood can wash me clean, As God does testify.”