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The Unspeakable Gift

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 15, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 33.

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The Unspeakable Gift

By M. W. DE L'HORBE

M. W. DE L'HORBE
(Concluded)
CHRIST surrendered fully to his Father the body that had been given him to dwell in; he completely emptied himself of self. So when we fully surrender ourselves to the Lord and have the faith of Jesus in the power of God to deliver us from sin, then the victory will be gained.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,and perfect will of God.” Rom. 12: 1, 2.
And what does the Lord want with our bodies?—He wants them to dwell in by his Holy Spirit.
“What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and 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.” 1 Cor. 6: 19, 20. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” Chap. 3: 16, 17.
Our bodies can be defiled only by sin, and “sin is the transgression of the law.” We read concerning those who shall be found ready when Jesus comes, that “they are without fault before the throne of God.” And we have learned in our Sabbath-school lessons that the Lord has chosen a perfect, righteous character for us. This righteous character is the wedding garment with which all who are finally saved will be clothed when Christ appears. Those not thus clothed will not be ready to meet him when he comes. See Rev. 19: 7-9; also Matt. 22: 11-14.
The Lord is able to clothe us with this garment of righteousness if we will only surrender ourselves to him. The Lord can sympathize with us in all our trials, for he has met the same trials and temptations, and has promised not to permit us to be tempted above what we are able to bear.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. . . . He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps. 103: 8-14.
Read in the third and sixth chapters of the book of Daniel of the wonderful deliverance God wrought for his servants who trusted in him. God is just as able and willing to deliver to-day as he was in the time of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. And he will deliver us from our sins if we will only trust in him. “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7: 25.
Rom. 12: 2 says that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our minds need to be renewed because they are corrupt and carnal, and “to be carnally minded is death.” The only way that we can keep our minds pure is continually to feed them with the Word of God and think only pure thoughts. This we can do only by the help of the Lord.
The Saviour set us the example of constantly feeding on the Word of God and being in earnest, unceasing prayer “with strong crying and tears.” To us he says, “Pray without ceasing.” Pray as did David, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.” Ps. 19: 14.
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8: 6, 7. This carnal mind must be reconciled to God through his Son. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3: 19.
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 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: 20, 21.
The Father gave all power into the hands of his Son, and tells us that “if we are but willing to do his will, all his strength is ours.” “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as he deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which he had no share, that we might be justified by his righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was his. ‘With his stripes we are healed.’”—“Desire of Ages,” page 25. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
The reader is asked to read in connection with this article the first three chapters of the first epistle of John.
Toronto Junction, Ontario.