p. 7 | NOT A STRANGER

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 27, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 48.

“NOT A STRANGER.”

If we would meet Christ in joy when we stand before the glory of His presence, we must let Him dwell in our hearts now. Only those who know Him in this earth life as a Saviour and Friend, will know Him then.

Job knew Him here. He could say, “I know that ‘my Redeemer liveth.” Job had tasted of His goodness. He had walked and talked with Him, tho invisible. He had seen God in His works. And so when Christ would come in all His glory, Job would still know Him. He declares: “I know that my ‘Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the ‘latter day upon the earth; and tho after my skin, ‘worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see ‘God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes ‘shall behold, and not a stranger.” Job 19:25-27, margin. Christ and Job were not strangers in the earth life; they will not be strangers when the open heavens shall reveal Christ in all His glory.

The privilege of Job is the privilege of every one. It surely is important that we know Christ there, in that great day of all days, when to know Him not means eternal loss. Paul expressed its importance in the following impassioned words: “I count all ‘things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge ‘of Christ Jesus my Lord; . . . that I may know ‘Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the ‘fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable ‘unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto ‘the resurrection of the dead” (out from among the dead ones). Phil. 3:8-11. He wished to know Christ here, know Him in dying to sin, know Him in living above sin, know Him in all His experience, that he might know Him forevermore from that day when Christ should come and raise the righteous dead.

Christ is coming; every eye shall see Him. Will you greet Him as a friend or a stranger? Do you wish to know the King then?—Let Him reign in your heart now.