The question is: praise and worship, are we ready ?

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

What Happens When You Really See God?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago .

They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere.

Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!!

He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears ,running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly.

Groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.

As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,

'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?'

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.‘

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....'

He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued,

'Are you Jesus?‘

She asked the question because she could not see the man.

Mark 10:46-52 has the story of Blind Bartimaeus

In this story, you have kind of the same situation.

A blind man hears Jesus, but longs to see Him.

Verse 51 says: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

What did he do when he seen God

Bartimaeus followed Him.

Gen. 32:24

• And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob had been guilty of a great sin in his conduct toward Esau; but he had repented. His transgression had been forgiven, and his sin purged; therefore he could endure the revelation of God's presence.

To Jacob the divine touch at break of day revealed the One with whom he had been contending .... and, weeping and helpless, he fell upon the breast of Infinite Love, to receive the blessing for which his soul longed.

• Gen. 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Moses Exodus 3:1-6

3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Standing on Holy ground

Exodus 33:9

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Daniel 10:4-8

• And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

• 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

• 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

• 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

• 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

• No strength

Steven

Acts 6:8

• And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

• 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

• 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

• 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and [against] God.

• 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon [him], and caught him, and brought [him] to the council,

• 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

• 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

• 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

• Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Scripture Reading

Isa. 6: 1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Let’s now turn to Isa.6:1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died.....

When did Uzziah die?

• We will find that out in 2 Chron. 26:1-16

• Let’s read that. The story is pretty self explanatory.

• But look at this.....vs. 16 says that Uzziah got a big head

• Look at what happen next....vss.16-23

• He took his eyes off of God, and put it on himself.

• Again the question is, what year did Uzziah die?

• Let’s turn back to Isa. 6:1-3....

Read page 656 of your bible, and read the “Historical Setting” and “Theme”.

Isa. 6

Isa. 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah was permitted ..... to look into the holy place, and into the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary.

The curtains of the innermost sanctuary were drawn aside, and a throne high and lifted up, towering as it were to the very heavens, was revealed to him.

An indescribable glory emanated from a personage on the throne, and His train filled the temple....

Isa. 6:2

Above it stood the seraphims:

each one had six wings;

with twain he covered his face,

and with twain he covered his feet,

and with twain he did fly.

Angels Fully Satisfied to Glorify God

The angel’s before the throne are so filled with reverential awe in beholding the glory of God, that they do not for an instant, look upon themselves with self-complacency, or in admiration of themselves or one another.

• Their praise and glory are for the Lord of Hosts, who is high and lifted up, and the glory of whose train fills the temple.

• .... the triumphant song of praise is echoed from one to another in melodious chant, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts."

• They are fully satisfied to glorify God;

• and in His presence, .... they wish for nothing more.

• In bearing His image,

• in doing His service,

• and worshiping Him,

• their highest ambition is fully reached

• {4BC 1140.3}

When we really truly see God,

it will lead to a Genuine Conviction of Unworthiness

Question: Who are you?

1 Peter 2:9

• But ye are a chosen generation,

• a royal priesthood,

• an holy nation,

• a peculiar people;

• that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Jer. 1:5

• Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;

• and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Isa. 6:3

• And one cried unto another, and said,

• Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:

• the whole earth is full of his glory.

• Angel’s were on either side of the mercy-seat,

• as guards round the great king,

• and they glowed with the glory that enshrouded them from the presence of God.

• As their songs of praise resounded in deep, earnest notes of adoration,

• the pillars of the gate trembled, as if shaken by an earthquake.

• These holy beings sang forth the praise and glory of God with lips unpolluted with sin.

• The contrast between the feeble praise which he had been accustomed to bestow upon the Creator, and the fervid praises of the angels,

• astonished and humiliated the prophet.

• He had.... the beautiful privilege of appreciating the spotless purity of Jehovah's exalted character. {4BC 1139.7}

Isaiah's Experience Represents Last-Day Church

• As the prophet Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he was amazed, and, overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, he cried,

• "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts."

• {4BC 1138.6}

• Isaiah had denounced the sin of others;

• but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them.

• He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God.

• He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord.

How little now appeared his wisdom and talents, as he looked upon the sacredness, and majesty, of the sanctuary.

• How unworthy he was! how unfitted for sacred service! His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul,

• "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24

The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days.

They are privileged to see, by faith, the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary.

Isaiah had a wonderful view of God's glory.

He saw the manifestation of God's power, and after beholding His majesty, a message came to him to go and do a certain work.

He felt wholly unworthy for the work.

.... when he beheld the inexpressible majesty of God, he said,

"I am undone;

because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts”.

Isa.6:5

{4BC 1139.4}

John on the island of Patmos... Rev. 1:12-17

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks on like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Rev. 4:1-3

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

As John viewed the scene in the Most Holy Place, he listened to the song of the angels, as they cried,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,"

Rev. 4:8

In the light of this matchless radiance, all he could bear was his own inward defilement, with startling clearness.

His very words seemed vile to him.

{4BC 1140.1}

So what about when we come to the sanctuary

So what about when we sing the opening song,

The Lord is in His Holy Temple?

It is too true that reverence for the house of God has become almost extinct.

Sacred things, and places, are not discerned;

The holy and exalted, are not appreciated.

.... Is it not because the high standard of religion is left to trail in the dust?

God gave rules of order, perfect and exact, to His ancient people.

Has His character changed?

Is He not the great and mighty God who rules in the heaven of heavens?

Would it not be well for us often to read the directions given by God Himself to the Hebrews, that we.... may imitate their reverence for the house of God?

We have many reason to maintain a fervent, devoted spirit in the worship of God.

We have reason even to be more thoughtful and reverential in our worship than had the Jews.

But an enemy has been at work to destroy our faith in the sacredness of Christian worship.

{PP 252.1}

We should not do what Uzziah had done.

Remember 2 Chron. 26:16?

“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction:

for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense”.

The place dedicated to God, should not be a room where worldly business, or conversation, is to be conducted.

Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God.

In the name of Jesus,

we may come before Him with confidence,

but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption,

as though He were on a level with ourselves.

There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God.... as they would address an equal, or even an inferior.

There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not .... do in the audience chamber of an earthly ruler, like the court houses of the world.

These souls should remember that they are in His sight, whom angels adore,

before whom angels veil their faces.

Remember what Jacob said when he woke up.

Gen. 28:16

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.


God is greatly to be reverenced;

all who truly realize His presence, will bow in humility before Him, and,

like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out,

"How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

As Christ gave His wonderful lessons, Mary sat at His feet,
a reverent and devoted listener.

Rev. 5:11-14

5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Closing: Remember when we first came to the Lord, how reverent we were when we came into the house of God?

If there is anyone listening to the sound of my voice, who feels that they have not given God His due reverence, please stand with me as I read the lyrics to a song that request that He takes us back.

Take me back

God's Gift to the Human Race

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. 

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift.

Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make.

There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man through the one unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the cross that all these bounties might flow to God's workmanship.

In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us.

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son."

He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill His word.

"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Isa. 9:6.

God has adopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven. . . Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.

Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throne of God, He might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat with Him upon His throne.
FLB 45

Confession

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13.

The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven, or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall have mercy.

The apostle says,
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16.

There is a belief that we need to go to a priest to confess, but watch as you read further.

Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty, the friend or neighbor, freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded, is the property of God, and in injuring him, you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer.

The case is brought before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity. Hebrews 4:15.

Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not, with true humiliation of soul, and brokenness of spirit, confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin;
and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God.

The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past, is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning this matter.

Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed.

It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18.

True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.

In the days of Samuel, the Israelites wandered from God. They were suffering the consequences of sin; for they had lost their faith in God, lost their discernment of His power and wisdom to rule the nation, lost their confidence in His ability to defend and vindicate His cause. They turned from the great Ruler of the universe, and desired to be governed as were the nations around them. Before they found peace, they made this definite confession: "We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king." 1 Samuel 12:19. The very sin of which they were convicted had to be confessed. Their ingratitude oppressed their souls, and severed them from God.

Confession will not be acceptable to God, without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part, is plainly set before us: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." Isaiah 1:16, 17.
"If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die." Ezekiel 33:15.

Paul says, speaking of the work of repentance: "Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." 2 Corinthians 7:11. 40

When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character, nor realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, he remains in partial blindness to his sin. His confessions are not sincere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if it had not been for certain circumstances, he would not have done this or that for which he is reproved.

After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At first, their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence of death. When the Lord inquired concerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the guilt partly upon God, and partly upon his companion: "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." The woman put the blame upon the serpent, saying, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Genesis 3: 12, 13.

Why did You make the serpent? Why did You suffer him to come into Eden? These were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibility of their fall.

The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Confessions of this order are not inspired by the divine Spirit and will not be acceptable to God. True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself, and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much as his eyes unto heaven, he will cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and those who do acknowledge their guilt will be justified, for Jesus will plead His blood in behalf of the repentant soul.

The examples in God's word of genuine repentance and humiliation, reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin, or attempt at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt. He says, "Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities." Acts 26: 10, 11.

He does not hesitate to declare that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15.

The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

Brothers and Sisters, do not be fooled in thinking that a halfhearted confession is going to make it with God. God wants it from the heart, not from the mouth only.

Steps to Christ, pg 37, EGW

The Sinner's Need of Christ

Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakened through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made captive by Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God specially interposed. It was the tempter's purpose to thwart the divine plan in man's creation, and fill the earth with woe and desolation. And he would point to all this evil, as the result of God's work in creating man.

In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with Him "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3. But after his sin, he could no longer find joy in holiness, and he sought to hide from the presence of God.Such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart. It is not in harmony with God, and finds no joy in communion with Him.

The sinner could not be happy in God's presence; he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings. Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him. The spirit of unselfish love that reigns there --every heart responding to the heart of Infinite Love --would touch no answering chord in his soul. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to
those that actuate the sinless dwellers there. He would be a discordant note in the melody of heaven. Heaven would be to him, a place of torture; he would long to be hidden from Him who is its light, and the center of its joy.

It is no arbitrary decree on the part of God that excludes the wicked from heaven; they are shut out by their own unfitness for its companionship. The glory of God would be to them, a consuming fire. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them.

It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them.

"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Job 14:4; Romans 8:7.

Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness.

The Saviour said, "Except a man be born from above,"
unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life,
"he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3.

The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception.
"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:7.

Of Christ it is written,
"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men"--the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." John 1:4; Acts 4:12.
It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God, to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness, of His character. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love. Paul the apostle saw all this when he exclaimed,
"I consent unto the law that it is good."
"The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."
But he added, in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair,
"I am carnal, sold under sin." Romans 7:16, 12, 14.

He longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out,
"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Romans 7:24. margin

Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands, and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer,
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.

Many are the figures by which the Spirit of God has sought to illustrate this truth, and make it plain to souls that long to be freed from the burden of guilt. When, after his sin in deceiving Esau, Jacob fled from his father's home, he was weighed down with a sense of guilt. Lonely and outcast as he was, separated from all that had made life dear, the one thought that above all others pressed upon his soul, was the fear that his sin had cut him off from God, that he was forsaken of Heaven.

In sadness he lay down to rest on the bare earth, around him only the lonely hills, and above, the heavens bright with stars. As he slept, a strange light broke upon his vision; and lo, from the plain on which he lay, vast shadowy stairs seemed to lead upward to the very gates of heaven, and upon them angels of God were passing up and down; while from the glory above, the divine voice was heard in a message of comfort and hope. Thus was made known to Jacob that which met the need and longing of his soul--a Saviour. With joy and gratitude, he saw, it was revealed to him, a way by which he, a sinner, could be restored to communion with God. The mystic ladder of his dream represented Jesus, the only medium of communication between God and man.

This is the same figure to which Christ referred in His conversation with Nathanael, when He said,
"Ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:51.

In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made, so that the ministering angels can hold communion with man. Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness, with the Source of infinite power.

But in vain are men's dreams of progress, in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one Source of hope and help for the fallen race.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift" (James 1:17) is from God.
There is no true excellence of character apart from Him. And the only way to God is Christ. He says,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us, all heaven in one gift. The Saviour's life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,--all are enlisted in behalf of man's redemption.

Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father's house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages--are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart's loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?


Steps to Christ, pg 21