For Sinners Only

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Titus 2:11.

By disobeying the commands of God, man fell under the condemnation of His law. This fall called for the grace of God to appear in behalf of sinners. We should never have learned the meaning of this word "grace" had we not fallen. God loves the sinless angels, who do His service, and are obedient to all His commands; but He does not give them grace. These heavenly beings know naught of grace; they have never needed it; for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow this grace upon every one who hungers for it. To every one He presents terms of mercy, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive this gift.

But God does not use His grace to make His law of none effect, or to take the place of His law. . . . God's grace and the law of His kingdom are in perfect harmony; they walk hand in hand. His grace makes it possible for us to draw nigh to Him by faith. By receiving it, and letting it work in our lives, we testify to the validity of the law; we exalt the law and make it honorable by carrying out its living principles through the power of the grace of Christ; and by rendering pure, whole-hearted obedience to God's law, we witness before the universe of heaven, and before an apostate world that is making void the law of God, to the power of redemption.

Not because we first loved Him, does God love us; but "while we were yet sinners" (Rom. 5:8) Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God's displeasure and condemnation, He has not forsaken us; He has not left us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us; and co-operating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. Trusting in Christ as our personal Saviour, we may be "more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).

Amazing Grace pg. 10 E G White

Sweet Sweet Sugar is not so Sweet

Simple Way to Lower Your Blood Pressure -- Just Avoid THIS…
Posted by: Dr. Mercola

A diet high in fructose, a form of sugar found in sweetened soft drinks and junk food, raises blood pressure in men.

Two recent studies provided the first evidence that fructose helps raise blood pressure.

One study further suggested that people who consume junk foods and sweetened soft drinks at night could gain weight faster than those who don't.

Fructose accounts for about half the sugar molecules in table sugar and in high-fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in many packaged foods.
Sources: Reuters September 23, 2009
American Journal of Nephrology August 21, 2009; 30 (5): 399-404
Experimental Physiology June 1, 2009; 94: 648-658

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
In some circles these days, it’s becoming increasingly fashionable to claim that the many ills attributed to fructose are overblown. After all, you might hear, it’s just sugar, no better or worse than any other sort of sugar, right? It’s a natural substance found in fruit, after all, so how bad could it possibly be?

The delusion that fructose is an acceptable form of sugar is quite prevalent even in many nutritional circles.

You can thank the Corn Refiners Association for that line of thought. The CRA has been pouring millions of dollars into an ad campaign designed to create the notion that fructose, and especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is nothing more than a harmless snack.

This could not be farther from the truth.

Fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals, and it leeches micronutrients from your body.

A mountain of evidence has accumulated demonstrating that it is absolutely terrible for your health.

Fructose and Fruit
It is true that fructose is found in fruit. However, eating small amounts of whole fruit does NOT provide tremendous amounts of fructose and is not be a problem for most people, unless diabetes or obesity is an issue.

Berries, especially blueberries, raspberries and cranberries, are some of the healthiest fruits around, as they are loaded with powerful antioxidants -- and have relatively small amounts of sugar.

But in fact, you can get too much fructose from fruit sources, especially if you consume your fruit in the form of juice.

When fruit is intact and whole, its fiber will somewhat moderate the release of fructose into your bloodstream, as well as somewhat moderate insulin release.
Fruit juice contains little to no fiber -- but it does contain about eight full teaspoons of sugar per eight-ounce glass.
This fructose is brought rapidly in your body, promoting obesity and other problems. Humans were not meant to drink their calories.

Even Worse Than Table Sugar
Table sugar (sucrose) is far from being a food I recommend; all sugar can cause serious health problems. But the fact is, fructose is the worst of the lot. It is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar, and, because most fructose is consumed in liquid form, as fruit juice or as soda, its negative metabolic effects are significantly magnified.

Those negative effects include:
Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic Syndrome
An increase in triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
Liver disease

And now, according to the research described above, it appears that fructose can lead to high blood pressure as well. High blood pressure is a serious health concern that can cause heart disease and increase your risk of having a stroke. It’s especially danger­ous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Until the 1970’s, most sugar was sucrose derived from sugar beets or sugar cane. But sugar from corn, especially HFCS, is now more popular because it is much less expensive to produce. As a result, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased a staggering 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005!

HFCS also contains nearly twice the fructose of the sugars that came before it.

HFCS is now present in a dizzying array of products, especially processed foods, and it is the sweetener used in most sodas. It is a prime factor behind the current obesity epidemic, which is largely fueled by sugary sweet soft drinks.

Soft drinks are the leading source for calories in America, and the major reason why about 9 percent of average dietary energy intake in the United States now comes from fructose.

Think about that -- very nearly one in ten calories! Would a meal look healthy to you sitting on your plate if nearly 10 percent of it were pure sugar?

But HFCS isn’t only a problem because it’s a nutrient-free source of endless calories. It also harms organs like your liver and pancreas, leading to bone loss, anemia and heart problems, just to name a few.

HFCS has been found to inhibit the action of your immune system's white blood cells.

Unbound fructose, which is found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with your heart's use of minerals such as magnesium, copper and chromium.
Still think fructose is harmless?

Avoiding Fructose
The average American drinks an estimated 60 GALLONS of soda every year, and one extra can of the sweet stuff can add up to 15 extra pounds over the course of a year. Right off the bat, you can greatly reduce your fructose intake by eliminating all soda and sugary drinks from your life.

Since HFCS is present in many processed foods, to avoid it completely you need to focus your diet on whole foods. And if you do purchase any processed foods, make sure you read the label -- and put it back on the shelf if it lists high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.

However, like most areas in life, you want to choose your poisons carefully. Even though fructose is clearly something you want to avoid, except for the small quantities obtained through the moderate consumption of whole fruit, it is not as bad as artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners damage your health even more rapidly than HFCS. So ideally avoid ALL sodas, even diet sodas.

One of the best steps you can take to improve your health is to replace all soda and sweet drinks with pure, clean water.

Are you thirsty yet?

The Test of Discipleship

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted.

Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God.

While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest.

If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts, or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves, or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us.

A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been, and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds,

but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.

It is true that there may be an outward correctness of deportment without the renewing power of Christ. The love of influence, and the desire for the esteem of others, may produce a well-ordered life. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart may perform generous actions. By what means, then, shall we determine whose side we are on?

Who has the heart?

With whom are our thoughts?

Of whom do we love to converse?

Who has our warmest affections and our best energies?

If we are Christ's, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have, and are, is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.

Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus, will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Galatians 5:22, 23.

They will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God, they will follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is pure.

The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved, they hate.

The proud and self-assertive, become meek and lowly in heart.

The vain and supercilious, become serious and unobtrusive.

The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure.

The vain customs and fashions of the world, are laid aside.

Christians will seek not the "outward adorning," but "the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit." 1 Peter 3:3, 4.

There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life.

When, as erring, sinful beings, we come to Christ and become partakers of His pardoning grace, love springs up in the heart. Every burden is light, for the yoke that Christ imposes is easy. Duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed shrouded in darkness, becomes bright with beams from the Sun of Righteousness.

The loveliness of the character of Christ, will be seen in His followers.
It was His delight, Jesus' delight, to do the will of God. Love to God, zeal for His glory, was the controlling power in our Saviour's life. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions.

Love is of God. The unconsecrated heart cannot originate it, or produce it. It is found only in the heart where Jesus reigns.

"We love, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19, R.V.

In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity (hatred), and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life, and sheds a refining influence on all around.

There are two errors against which the children of God, particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace, especially need to guard.

The first.... is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ, is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.

The opposite, and no less dangerous error, is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God;

that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.

But notice here, that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love.

The law of God is an expression of His very nature;

it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence, is the foundation of His government in heaven, and earth.

If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God,
if the divine love is implanted in the soul,
will not the law of God be carried out in the life?

When the principle of love is implanted in the heart,

when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him,

the new-covenant promise is fulfilled,
"I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."Hebrews 10:16.

And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life?

Obedience, which is the service and allegiance of love, is the true sign of discipleship.

Thus the Scripture says,

"This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 5:3; 2:4.

Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.

We do not earn salvation by our obedience;

for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith.

But obedience is the fruit of faith.

Here is the true test.

If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law.

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous." 1 John 3:7.

Righteousness is defined by the standard of God's holy law, as expressed in the ten precepts given on Sinai.

That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption.

"By grace are ye saved through faith." But "faith, if it hath not works, is dead." Ephesians 2:8; James 2:17.

Jesus said of Himself before He came to earth,
"I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Psalm 40:8.

And just before He ascended again to heaven, He declared,
"I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10.

The Scripture says,
"Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. . . . He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6.

"Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21.

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,--just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents,--perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.

It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God's law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin, our natures are fallen, and we cannot make ourselves righteous.

Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law.
We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God.

But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet.
He lived a sinless life.
He died for us,
and now
He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness.

If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake, you are accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.

More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith, and the continual surrender of your will to Him;

and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure.

So you may say,

"The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20.

So Jesus said to His disciples,

"It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Matthew 10:20.

Then, with Christ working in you, you will manifest the same spirit, and do the same good works, which are works of righteousness, obedience.

So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast.

We have no ground for self-exaltation.

Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us.

When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind.

There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot, at heart, deny.

The Bible says that "the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this is not faith. James 2:19.

Where there is not only a belief in God's word, but a submission of the will to Him;

where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him,

there is faith, faith that works by love, and purifies the soul.

Through this faith, the heart is renewed in the image of God.

And the heart, that is in its unrenewed state, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be,

But the heart that is in a renewed state, now delights in God's holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist,

"O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97.

And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us,

"who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1.

There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ, and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit.

To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God.

No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Said the beloved John,

"These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1.

And do not forget the words of Christ,

"The Father Himself loveth you." John 16:27.

He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you.

And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Philipians 1:6

Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of our countenance.

The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes;

for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature.

This is evidence that Satan's delusions have lost their power;

that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.

No deep-seated love for Jesus, can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness.

The soul that is transformed by the grace of Christ, will admire His divine character;

but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ.

The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity, and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness, drives us to Him, who can pardon;

and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself, in power.

The more our sense of need drives us to Him, and to the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.

Body, Soul, and Spirit will be regenerated.

Amen? Amen.

Steps to Christ, pg 57. E.G.White

Faith and Acceptance

As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil.

The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him--what can you do to obtain it?

It is peace that you need.
Heaven's forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift,
"without money and without price."
Isaiah 55:1.

It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says,
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isaiah 1:18.
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you."
Ezekiel 36:26.

You have confessed your sins, and in heart, put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised.

This is the lesson which Jesus taught while He was on earth, that the gift which God promises us, we must believe we do receive, and it is ours. Jesus healed the people of their diseases when they had faith in His power; He helped them in the things which they could see, thus inspiring them with confidence in Him concerning things which they could not see, leading them to believe in His power to forgive sins.

This He plainly stated in the healing of the man sick with palsy:
"That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."
Matthew 9:6.

So also John the evangelist says, speaking of the miracles of Christ,
"These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."
John 20:31.

From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years.
Yet Jesus bade him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." The sick man might have said, "Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word."
But, no, he believed Christ's word, believed that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole.

In like manner, you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you.

If you believe the promise, believe that you are forgiven and cleansed, God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.
Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say,
"I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised."

Jesus says,
"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Mark 11:24.

There is a condition to this promise, that we pray according to the will of God.
But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Romans 8:1.

Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a price.
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold;... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son.

Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, "I am Christ's; I have given myself to Him;" and ask Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says,
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him."
Colossians 2:6.

Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil.

Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.

Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor.
Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. 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; He bids them live and not die.

God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. He says,
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins."
Isaiah 55:7; 44:22.
"I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."
Ezekiel 18:32.

Satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances of God. He desires to take every glimmer of hope and every ray of light from the soul; but you must not permit him to do this. Do not give ear to the tempter, but say,
"Jesus has died that I might live. He loves me, and wills not that I should perish. I have a compassionate heavenly Father; and although I have abused His love, though the blessings He has given me have been squandered, I will arise, and go to my Father, and say, 'I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son: make me as one of Thy hired servants.'"

The parable tells you how the wanderer will be received:
"When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
Luke 15:18-20.

But even this parable, tender and touching as it is, comes short of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenly Father. The Lord declares by His prophet,
"I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3.

While the sinner is yet far from the Father's house, wasting his substance in a strange country, the Father's heart is yearning over him; and every longing awakened in the soul to return to God is but the tender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to his Father's heart of love.

With the rich promises of the Bible before you, can you give place to doubt?
Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance?

Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us?

He declares,
"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."
Isaiah 49:15.

Look up, you that are doubting and trembling; for Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Thank God for the gift of His dear Son and pray that He may not have died for you in vain. The Spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing.

As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion.
"We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Ephesians 1:7.

Yes, only believe that God is your helper.

He wants to restore His moral image in man.

As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.

Amen.

Steps to Christ, pg. 49, E.G.White

Consecration

God's promise is,
"Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13.

The whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these:
"Dead in trespasses and sins;"
"the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;"
"no soundness in it."
We are held fast in the snare of Satan, "taken captive by him at his will."
Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:26.

God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.

The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.

The government of God is not, as Satan would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. It appeals to the intellect and the conscience.
"Come now, and let us reason together" is the Creator's invitation to the beings He has made. Isaiah 1:18.

God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submission would prevent all real development of mind or character; it would make man a mere automaton. Such is not the purpose of the Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power, shall reach the highest possible development. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to bring us through His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may work His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says,
"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple."
Luke 14:33.

Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord's and half the world's. We are not God's children unless we are such entirely.

There are those who profess to serve God, while they rely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right character, and secure salvation. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion is worth nothing.

When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek. A profession of
Christ without this deep love is mere talk, dry formality, and heavy drudgery.

Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question,
"What has Christ given for me?"

The Son of God gave all--life and love and suffering--for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of His grace, and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved. Can we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and yet be willing to do despite to all His love and sacrifice? In view of the infinite humiliation of the Lord of glory, shall we murmur because we can enter into life only through conflict and self-abasement?

The inquiry of many a proud heart is, "Why need I go in penitence and humiliation before I can have the assurance of my acceptance with God?" I point you to Christ. He was sinless, and, more than this, He was the Prince of heaven; but in man's behalf, He became sin for the race.
"He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
Isaiah 53:12.

But what do we give up, when we give all? A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to save by His matchless love. And yet men think it hard to give up all! I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed to write it.

God does not require us to give up anything that it is for our best interest to retain. In all that He does, He has the well-being of His children in view. Would that all who have not chosen Christ might realize that He has something vastly better to offer them than they are seeking for themselves. Man is doing the greatest injury and injustice to his own soul when he thinks and acts contrary to the will of God. No real joy can be found in the path forbidden by Him who knows what is best and who plans for the good of His creatures. The path of transgression is the path of misery and destruction.

It is a mistake to entertain the thought that God is pleased to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures. The divine requirements call upon us to shun those indulgences that would bring suffering and disappointment, that would close to us the door of happiness and heaven.

The world's Redeemer accepts men as they are, with all their wants, imperfections, and weaknesses; and He will not only cleanse from sin and grant redemption through His blood, butwill satisfy the heart-longing of all who consent to wear His yoke, to bear His burden. It is His purpose to impart peace and rest to all who come to Him for the bread of life. He requires us to perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which the disobedient can never attain. The true, joyous life of the soul is to have Christ formed within, the hope of glory.

Many are inquiring, "How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?"

You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair.

What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him.

You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.

Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians.

Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith.

Steps to Christ pg 43: E G White