Not Your Own by R. A. Underwood

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 16, 1905

“Not Your Own”

R. A. UNDERWOOD

“Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Was it gold, silver, or costly diamonds that was paid for the redemption of man and his lost dominion?—No, no! It cost the life of the only-begotten Son of God. The purchase price of man not only required the death of Christ, but Christ must live for man, and conquer Satan for man with all the disabilities and liabilities of a fallen race upon him. In doing this Christ jeopardized his own existence, and that of all the universe upheld by him. Heb. 1:3. Is this too strong a statement? Let us see. Christ steps into man’s place, to live, conquer, and die with his divinity clothed in “sinful flesh.” “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8:3. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of

the same; . . . wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren.” “For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 2:14, 17; 4:15.

Man failed when tempted; therefore Christ, standing in man’s place, being tempted in all-points as we are, in the likeness of sinful flesh, must have placed himself where there was a possibility of failure in meeting and conquering man’s foe. Had Christ failed, he must have shared the fate of fallen man.

Comments from the writings of Mrs. E. G. White upon this point are very clear:—

“Many hold that from the nature of Christ it was impossible for Satan’s temptations to weaken or overthrow him; then Christ could not have been placed in Adam’s position, to go over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell; he could not have gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If man has in any sense a more trying conflict to endure than had Christ, then Christ is not able to succor him when tempted. Christ took humanity with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, capable of yielding to temptation; and with the same aid that men may obtain, he withstood the temptations of Satan, and conquered the same as we may conquer. . . . For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength and deteriorating in moral worth, and in order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he stood. He assumed human nature, bearing the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He humiliated himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that he might sympathize with man, and rescue him from the degradation into which sin had plunged him. It is not true that humanity has trials to bear which the Son of God has not experienced. Christ’s victory may be ours; by faith we conquer in him.”

Again, from “Great Controversy,” page 503: “In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It is finished,’ the death-knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain.”

Thus it is clear that had Christ failed, his word would have failed. He and all upheld by that word would have gone down in the wreck of death. The whole created universe was placed in the balance against one lost world of the creation. This is the “mystery” which “the angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:12. This gives us a glimpse of the unfathomable love of God to man. Christ wants us to know this love, even though we can not comprehend its unmeasured limits. He asks the Father that the world may “believe that thou hast . . . loved them as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23. Eternity alone can reveal the price paid for man’s redemption. When the saved shall visit the unnumbered worlds of light and behold their glory (Ps. 19:1; Isa. 40:26; Rev. 14:4), and fully realize that the price of their salvation included all of these in the sacrifice of Christ for man, then will appear in a new light the depths of the love of God to man. Language can not express its meaning. We can only repeat, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And “he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?” If man was bought at such a price, who can but say, “Ye are not your own”?

SPEAK gently! ’tis a little thing, Dropped in the heart’s deep well; The good, the joy, that it may bring, Eternity shall tell. — G. W. Langford.