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Coming Again

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 12, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 32.

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Coming Again

By Editor

Editorial

Coming Again

“LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” It is his own promise. “I will come again.” This promise will be fulfilled. He will come again. There has been a delay in his coming, but it has been the unfaithfulness of his people which is responsible for the delay. The time has come, however, that “there shall be delay no longer.” The time of the promise draws nigh. “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.”

Christ Revealed

THE genuine gospel is the revelation of Christ. It is received by “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This gospel can be preached only by those in whom Christ is revealed. “But when it pleased God . . . to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.” When Christ, who is “the brightness of his glory,” is revealed in the believer, then is fulfilled the promise and the prophecy, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” This was the experience in the days of John the Baptist, when he was giving his message, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” In our day when the same message is to be given anew and in its fullness, “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” there must be the revelation of Christ as the glory of his people. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” Every one who reveals Christ in his daily life is a witness to the truth of the revelation of the glory of God in sinful flesh. He is a preacher of the genuine gospel, a preacher of righteousness. His sermons will be widely read, as he himself is “the epistle of Christ,” a letter to the world “known and read of all men.” Each messenger thus becomes the incarnation of his own message, and the gospel is preached as a fact, and not as a creed.
“As rays of light from yonder sun The flowers of earth set free, So life and light and love came forth From Christ living in me.”

Forgiven Sinners

SATAN is the accuser of the brethren. He accuses them before God. He accuses them to their own consciences. He declares that we are sinners, and our safety is in never denying the fact. He urges that we are unworthy of the favor of God, and we should not seek to prove the contrary. But when he goes further, and says that there is no forgiveness for us, we should meet him with the words of pardon written in blood: “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.” “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” When Satan attempts to destroy our confidence in the provision made for us by insisting that we have been such great sinners that the Lord cannot pardon us, that we have committed the unpardonable sin, we should remember that the only unpardonable sin is the sin which refuses to be pardoned, and we should rest upon the gracious words: “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” “None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness.” When Satan says that we are sinners, he really means that we are unforgiven sinners. When we admit that we are sinners, we must be sure to declare that we are forgiven sinners. The gates of heaven will open to forgiven sinners. Heaven will ring with the songs of forgiven sinners. To all eternity forgiven sinners will be witnesses to the wondrous love and the mighty mercy of God.
“Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me.”

Only Believe

WHEN the ruler of the synagogue came to Jesus for help, his plea was, “My little daughter lieth at the point of death.” The great Physician responds to the urgent call, but while they are on the way to the house, the message came to the ruler, “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” Then came that sublime exhortation, opening the door of hope in the very presence of death, “Be not afraid, only believe.” The ruler believed, and the daughter was restored to life. Faith brings us into fellowship with the power of the endless life, the power which conquers death. Only believe. Faith unites us with him who has overcome the world, and so “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Only believe. Faith appropriates the life of the indwelling Saviour, which is revealed in a life of obedience to God’s holy law. This is the obedience of faith. Only believe. Faith measures the size of the gift which we receive from the Master, when we come to him with the request for special blessing. “According to your faith be it unto you.” Only believe. Faith makes effectual to the individual the provision which God has made for the forgiveness of sin. “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Only believe. Faith preserves our standing with God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” “Thou standest by faith.” Only believe. The gift of the Spirit is received through faith. “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Only believe. Through faith we enter into the relation of sonship.“For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.” Only believe. Faith is the shield with which we are able to meet the enemy. “Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Only believe. Faith is the only basis of a righteous life. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Only believe. Only believe.