p. 10 | CHRIST, THE DOOR by J. G. Lamson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 14, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 11.

CHRIST, THE DOOR.

By J. G. Lamson

THE problem of restoring a lost world to favor with God, and separating from the sinner the sins that doomed him to destruction, was solved for time and eternity when Jesus gave His life on Calvary, and from the tomb walked forth a Conqueror. The promise of a Saviour made to our first parents after the Fall, made known to faithful Abraham in God's covenant with him, ratified in the death of Christ upon the cross, and preached to the world by His ambassadors, is the Gospel, and the power of God unto salvation to those that believe.

The Christian delights in the study of this wonderful plan, which the angels desired to look into; and as soon as one sees clearer light as to God's merciful dealings with the children of men, he hastens to show to others the blessings he has received, and entreat them to accept of the love of God.

In the beginning man was made upright. He was endowed with life, and in purity and righteousness he lived in the Garden of Eden. In his character he reflected the image of God, but he fell, and the consequences reached us, for "as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned."

Had Adam done his "whole duty" he would have fulfilled the purpose for which he was created, would still be living, still be upright, righteous. By his "transgression of the law" he failed to glorify God; he became a sinner, the offended law gave him knowledge of his unrighteous condition, and the tree of life was taken away.

Thus the law was a witness, first of his righteousness, and afterward of his sinfulness. When he was as God made him, he could look at the law and say, That says I am holy, for my life is in harmony with what it says; but when he looked upon the fruit, and took what was not his own, yielded to another master than the God of heaven, by that act he slew the whole human race, dishonored his Father, and tried to avoid telling the truth. Then when he looked at the law it would say, You are a sinner, and dying thou shalt die. The law may be aptly represented as a wall separating the righteous from the wicked.

The commandment "was ordained to life," and was intended to be a preserver from sin; but as soon as sin came that same law was "found to be unto death," and "what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Rom. 7:10-13; 8:3.

The law witnesses to the righteousness of those who obey it, and to the sinfulness of those on the outside, who transgress it. But the law concludes all under sin, "for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12. Life, happiness, peace, joy, are all inside, on the side of obedience, shut in by the law. We are out. How shall we get in?

Christ says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." Again, "I am the Door of the sheep." All other plans to get inside, all ways that do not have Christ in them, are the ways of thieves and robbers. How is Jesus the door, and how may we enter? Christ obeyed the law, therefore He was without sin. He voluntarily gave up His life, and was made to be sin for us. Then He took upon Himself the penalty of our transgression, and died the death that Adam would have died if Christ had not come. By keeping the law He proved that it

was not the cause of sin, nor itself sin, but that God's law was so unchangeable that the penalty for its breaking must be met. He met that sentence instead of our meeting it, and by His stripes we are healed.

The law witnessed to His righteousness, and as soon as that righteousness is imputed to us, the law witnesses to our righteousness. Before we can get into that glorious home we, too, must be sinless. We must have a record as pure as snow, with no stain upon us in any way. We must have a record that says, He has done his whole duty, and is without sin. That is not our record now, so what can we do?—We can go to Christ who made the record for us, and He will place upon us His own spotless robe, and we will be clad in white raiment, which is the righteousness of saints.

Have I had other gods before the great Jehovah? then I have broken that commandment which says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Have I bowed to graven images? I must get Christ's keeping of the second commandment or I can not be saved. Have I taken God's name in vain? Christ never did, and, if I have faith in Him, He will put upon me His sinless life in that regard. Have I desecrated His holy Sabbath? I have broken that commandment which says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."

But suppose I think that the first day is the Sabbath to be kept now, and yet have broken what I think to be God's Sabbath. Dear reader, what you think about the Sabbath is not the criterion, unless you think according to God's Word and the example of Christ. If you think it is the first day of the week, that is not God's Sabbath at all, but a man-made substitute. Go to Christ if you will, but He has no Sunday-keeping to bestow on you for the supposed breaking of that day; for Sunday-keeping is not in the commandment, nor in His example. If you go earnestly seeking for the light, and ask Him to forgive your sins, and bestow upon you His righteousness, He will hear you and put upon you His Sabbath-keeping of His own Sabbath, kept in His own way. He knew how to keep it aright. Ask Him to put upon you His keeping of the fourth commandment, to cover your life of breaking it, and then "turn away thy foot" from His holy day. Isa. 58:13.

Sinner, do you want to get into the fold? Come to the Door. Do not try to get in by any other way; come to the Door. Tell Jesus your wonderful need of Him, and He will hear. He even leaves the ninety and nine, and goes far out on the mountain to hunt the stray one who has wandered away from His fold. Come to the Door. Enter by the new and living way which Jesus has consecrated for us. Let Him make your heart a dwelling-place, and He will lead you into all truth.

We are ambassadors for Christ, and we beseech you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. "Behold," says He, "I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20. He wants us to exchange our burden for His yoke, because His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He asks you to come and reason with Him. "Tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:18. "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Jer. 31:3. J. G. LAMSON.