p. 5 | Christ Our Exemplar by Mrs. Julia Loomis

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 17, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 20.

Christ Our Exemplar.

By Mrs. Julia Loomis

The words of Christ are, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Not drive, not compel, but draw. The same drawing spirit of love is to characterize the work done by the believer, in the vineyard of his Lord. Christ was tender and compassionate. Behold Him weeping over Jerusalem; and no sinner, however degraded, was ever turned away by Him.

But what of His love for believers, those who are one with Him?—He calls them brethren. He loves them "with an everlasting love." "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." So tender is this relation that whatever of good or ill is done to them He counts as done to Himself. Matt. 25:31-45. This truth is illustrated in the case of Saul of Tarsus. At the time of his conversion, a voice spoke to him, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Saul answered, "Who art Thou, Lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." Acts 26:14, 15. Jesus was in heaven, and what had Saul done to affect Jesus personally?—Let Paul answer in his own words, which he addressed to his countrymen: I "was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." Acts 22:3, 4. In persecuting Christians, Saul was persecuting Christ.

He who is one with Christ will manifest the same spirit of love and tender sympathy for his brethren, by whatever name they may be called. This love for the brethren is given by our Lord as a test of discipleship. He says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35. That little word "if" means a great deal. He who is one with Christ will not persecute. This is shown in the case of Paul. He was not a Christian when he did those wicked deeds. In doing them he was acting out his fallen nature; they were the fruit of the natural heart.

But what of Saul after he was converted, born of the Spirit, one with Christ? Did he turn around and persecute his Jewish brethren, because they did not believe as he did?—No, verily. He had no need for carnal weapons then. He knew from his own experience that the Gospel of Christ "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." He preached to them "Christ, and Him crucified." He related his experience to them,—how he had been "brought out of darkness into His marvelous light." He entreated them. He prayed for them. Rom. 10:1. His heart yearned for their salvation. Listen to his words: "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Rom. 9:3. He was willing to be an outcast from God, and forego all the joys of eternity, if need be, to save them.

This is the fruit of the Spirit. May we all, as Christians, seek earnestly for this union with Christ, that we may be His true representatives before the world. MRS. JULIA LOOMIS.