God With Us

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 23, 1903

“WITH us” not merely by mercy or care or providence or protection, but “with us” as one of us. Not doing only great things for us, but taking our nature upon him, and therein suffering for us and in us. Not restoring us by his word, as he created us, but by becoming as one of us. Not by raising us by the hand when fallen, but himself humbling himself to us. Himself sinking to us that he might rise with us; might ascend to his Father, girt round with us, placing at God’s right hand, united with himself, and as a part of himself, the nature which he had redeemed.

All man’s history turns on this—to be with or without God, having or not having God with us. All the history of man’s decay is but one manifold exhibition of being without God. All his pursuits, arts, inventions, ambition, aggrandizements, passions, lusts, wars, amusements, are, in themselves, but varied forms of godlessness. All his restoration, through revelations, guidances, providences, chastenings, mercies, is but a course wherein God draweth nigh to him, and draweth nigh unto himself. To live “without God in the world,” is man’s one, though varied, misery; “God with us” is the center and circumference of the divine mercy.—Rev. Dr. Pusey.