Christ Magnified the Law and Made It Honorable, February 11

God's Law Given to Be a Blessing

The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Isaiah 42:21.SD 48.1

The law of God's government was to be magnified by the death of God's only begotten Son. Christ bore the guilt of the sins of the world. Our sufficiency is found only in the incarnation and death of the Son of God. He could suffer, because sustained by divinity. He could endure, because He was without one taint of disloyalty or sin. Christ triumphed in man's behalf in thus bearing the justice of punishment. He secured eternal life to men, while He exalted the law, and made it honorable.^{31The Youth's Instructor, August 4, 1898.}SD 48.2

Every soul is under obligation to follow in the footsteps of Christ, the great example for the human family. He said, “I have kept my Father's commandments.” The Pharisees thought that He was seeking to lessen the claims of the law of God, but His voice rang out upon their ears saying, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”SD 48.3

Christ came to magnify the law and to make it honorable; He came to extol the old commandment which ye had from the beginning. Then we need the law and the prophets. We need the Old Testament to bring us down along the line to the New Testament, which does not take the place of the Old Testament, but more distinctly reveals to us the plan of salvation, giving significance to the whole system of sacrifices and offerings, and to the word which we had from the beginning. Perfect obedience is enjoined upon every soul, and obedience to the expressed will of God will make you one with Christ.... Of Him it is written, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” ^{32The Youth's Instructor, November 8, 1894.}SD 48.4