p. 9 | Untitled article by Gualterio

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Oct 3, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 38.

FROM THE LAPIDARY’S TABLE. NO. 2.

By Gualterio

“The counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Zech. 6:13.

ADAM’S sin had placed a gulf between the Creator and His creatures as wide as eternity, and only the sacrifice of One whose life measured with eternity could bridge it. And so the counsel of peace was between God the Father and Christ the Son as they arranged the details of the sacrifice.

Long before the dire calamity had cast its gloom over the universe, the Son of the Highest had pledged Himself as surety for a transgression of Heaven’s holy law; and now He is put to the test. As they in counsel look down the stream of time six thousand years and view the terrible results of Adam’s transgression, and consider the trials of faith it will take to meet and conquer by love only, a determination to patiently endure takes possession of the Son of God. Then He is heard declaring, “Lo, I am come; in the roll of the Book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.”

Pledged to the task, all heaven is enlisted in the plan. Heb. 1:14. For four thousand years before coming to earth He pleaded by His Spirit in the hearts of men, giving object lessons, parables, line upon line and precept upon precept. Thus He was revealing, to all who would learn, that faith in His promised propitiatory sacrifice would plant the germ of eternity in their hearts and open to them the portals of the city of the great King. For it was designed that by the death of Christ, who was equal with God, a vicarious atonement would be accomplished for every sinner who confessed faith in the Saviour. And power to finally overcome Satan would be implanted in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit, which is Christ’s representative, but divested in humanity. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the recipient with the character of Christ, and teaches him how to exercise every faculty and talent to the glory of God.

The earthward manifestation of the Saviour was outlined again and again, and His faith in the Father’s love and co-operation with Him was voiced by the sweet singer of Israel many times, as by the Spirit he delineated the trials and temptations attending Him from birth until the cruel death upon the cross. The faith expressed in the ninth and tenth verses of the twenty-second psalm was a wall to preserve Him from the power of Satan until He came to years of understanding. For as man He must pass under the rod and become a man of like temptations with us, subject to the principles of the kingdom, “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Rom. 10:23.

As He grew up and reason began to expand, His heavenly Father was His standard of excellence, His law the test of every temptation. The psalmist has prophetically sung, “I will bless the Lord, who hath given Me counsel; My heart also instructeth Me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before Me; because He is at My right hand I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16:7, 8.

Truly His life was a marvel to men and angels. Limited as He was by the accumulated frailties of a degenerate race, still He manifested in a practical godlike life the great ideals God would have man aspire to. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” says the Word. Phil. 2:5. A spiritual writer has most logically stated the conditions:

“The ethics inculcated by the Gospel acknowledges no standard but the perfection of God’s mind, God’s will. God requires from His creatures conformity to His will. Imperfection of character is sin, and ‘sin is the transgression of the law.’ All righteous attributes of character dwell in God as a perfect harmonious whole. Every one who receives Christ as his personal Saviour is privileged to possess these attributes. This is the science of holiness. Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—God-likeness—is the goal to be reached.”

Christ as man’s elder brother worked out the plans and laid the foundation. If we would successfully build upon that foundation—none other will withstand the test of fire—we must work in like lines with Him. “We must keep the Lord ever before us,” that there may constantly be a freshness in our religious lives that will breathe forth an atmosphere of love and peace to build up the souls that are weak, and make straight paths for those easily turned from the way. “Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth;” for “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect.” 2 Tim. 2:15, 16; 3:16, 17. GUALTERIO. Mountain View, Cal.