Giving Himself | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 27, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 33.

Giving Himself.

"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity." Titus 2:14.

He gave himself to a life of toil, of self-sacrifice, and of suffering, and to a death of agony for us; that is, for every penitent, believing sinner. He gave himself as a perfect atonement, and a perfect righteousness for all who believe. If I am a believer, all my sins are forgiven, and I am looked upon as perfectly righteous in Christ. My personal righteousness, whatever that may be, is not regarded as the ground of my acceptance with God. Nothing but the perfect righteousness of Christ is taken into the account.

May I therefore sin with impunity? May I be content with an imperfect conformity to the will of God? God forbid! An inclination to do so would be convincing proof of the absence of a true faith in Christ! What a firm ground of assurance is furnished by the righteousness of Christ. If that is mine, my salvation is sure.

If salvation depended on my own perfect righteousness, I could not be saved. If it depended on a certain measure of righteousness, I could never be sure of salvation. Temptation might at any time cause me to come short of that measure. But, united to Christ and a partaker of his righteousness, I am safe forever.

What motive have I to cease from sin? to live to him who gave himself for me, that he might redeem me from all iniquity. He died to redeem me, not only from the consequences of sin, but from the power of sin—of all sin. Christ desires that I should be free from all sin, small as well as great—if any sins against him can be called small. If I do not desire deliverance from all sin, I am not a follower of Christ, my faith is vain.

Let me remember that Christ died to redeem us from all iniquity. I am under obligations to be holy as God is holy. So far as I give place to sin, so far as I fail to make diligent efforts to grow in holiness, I nullify the death of Christ.

Heavenly Father, I thank thee that thou didst give thy Son. I thank thee, O Christ, that thou didst give thyself that thou mightest redeem me from all iniquity. May thy work of redemption be perfected in me through the power of the Holy Spirit. May thy love constrain me to strive against every form of sin, and through divine grace to strive successfully. Cause me to strive more earnestly against sin, because assured of salvation by the perfect righteousness of Christ. The more perfect my reliance on that righteousness, the more earnest may my effort be to become meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.—Christian Advocate.