1898

January 6, 1898

“God’s Way Versus Man’s Way” The Signs of the Times, 24, 1.

E. J. Waggoner

Here is the expression of God’s love: “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. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.SITI January 6, 1898, page 5.1

The Scriptures tell us that God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and that evil shall not dwell with Him. He hates sin, because sin is utterly foreign to His nature. In the foregoing texts we see how God manifests His hatred of sin; for the measure of God’s hatred of sin is His love for sinners; He gave Himself to save them from it.SITI January 6, 1898, page 5.2

In this we see the difference between God’s way and man’s way, and note how infinitely higher is His way than man’s. When men wish to show their abhorrence of sin, and to emphasize their non-complicity in it, they sacrifice the sinner; but God shows His abhorrence of sin, and emphasizes His perfect freedom from it, by sacrificing Himself. “Teach me Thy way, O Lord.”SITI January 6, 1898, page 5.3

It is a dangerous thing to pin faith to man, or to follow even the best of men; for there is no man that is absolutely perfect, and such is the perversity of human nature that we naturally tend to follow the poorest instead of the best. Indeed, this is inevitable, for when we follow men, we use only our own strength, and so we can not lift ourselves above the faults and errors of those whom we follow. Jesus says, “Follow Me,” and this we may safely do, for “there is no unrighteousness in Him.” There is in Him no error to lead us astray; He is the Highest, and He gives us His own life to lift us to His own level. Thus we can indeed follow Him. When we follow men, our sin increases; but when we follow Christ, it is removed; “for we know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.” E. J. W.SITI January 6, 1898, page 5.4