That Blessed Hope by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 26, 1902

That Blessed Hope

By Editor

Editorial

That Blessed Hope

THE coming of the Lord has always been the hope of the church. It is the consummation of all the hopes of all the centuries. This generation has seen the close of the long prophetic period at the end of which the sanctuary was to be cleansed. We are now in the hour of God’s judgment. While we do not know the day or the hour when our Lord will come, yet we do know that he is near, “even at the door.” While we are praying and working to hasten his return, we are watching for the first signal of his appearance, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This is the hope which cheers every faithful, believing soul. To see him as he is, and to be made like him, will be the highest joy of “all them also that love his appearing.” Let every one give himself fully to the work of preparing the way for the coming of the Lord, that we may soon experience the fullness of “that blessed hope.”

The Precious Promises

THERE is some promise of God which is just adapted to every need and to every trying circumstance. Let us think of some of them. Here is one which has brought comfort to many a troubled soul: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Who has not stayed his soul upon these promises? “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” When every earthly help has seemed like a broken reed, there has still remained the sure promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” When the scoffers ridicule the idea of his return to this earth, then we turn with assurance to his own promise, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” And Christ is the certainty of all the promises. “For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us.” Through the precious promises we share in the divine nature. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Upon all the promises we may rest with confidence. “There hath not failed one word of all his good promise.” “I’m standing on the promises of God.”

In Him

CHRIST in the flesh was the representative of humanity. He became man. As man and for man he wrought out a perfect character in the flesh. As man and for man he paid the penalty for sin. As the representative of humanity he was raised from the dead, and ascended on high, and took his place at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Our personal salvation depends upon our personal acceptance of his experience in our behalf, and upon our complete identification with him as the representative of humanity. Thus our standing before God is based upon what Jesus is, and upon what he has done, and upon the fact that we have been made “accepted in the Beloved.” By this means all ground of condemnation has been removed. “There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Through this union with him we obtain that wisdom which is salvation. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” This union with him means a new creation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” This union with him is our hope of righteousness. “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.” Through this union with him every lack is supplied. “Ye are complete in him.” Through this union with him we are exalted to the heavenly courts. He “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” O that each one of us may “be found in him”!