November 3, 1887

The Cross of Christ

EGW

Of Jesus it is said that “for the joy that was set before him,” he “endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Can it be that this cup of suffering was the choice of our divine Lord? And why was it that he submitted to endure shame, scorn, and reproach? It was that through the merits of his blood, he might save fallen man, and exalt him at last to his own right hand. And shall we who are partakers of the benefits of this great sacrifice,—we who profess to have an interest in this redemption,—shrink from bearing reproach, and scorn, and shame for his name's sake? Shall we shrink from the opposition of a world that is opposed to our Master? Shall we refuse to bear the cross that our Saviour carried for us?ST November 3, 1887, par. 1

How many virtually say, when the cross of Christ is presented: “Why, it is inconvenient to carry. It seems impossible to bear this cross; I cannot endure the shame and reproach.” So thought the young man who inquired what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus said to him, “Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” But the young man's wealth was his god. He thought he could not let his riches go; and he chose this world in preference to that which is eternal. “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”ST November 3, 1887, par. 2

Every follower of Christ will have a cross to bear; and he will find, when he takes it up resolutely, though in weakness and trembling, that that which he so much dreaded, which seemed so terrible to him, is a source of strength and courage. It will be a staff to help him on his weary pilgrimage through this earth. Then shall the professed follower of Christ drop this cross, and seek to please those who are deriding our Lord? Shall he, for fear that he will not receive honor from men, reject and despise the cross of Christ?ST November 3, 1887, par. 3

What if you do suffer, dear fellow-Christian? The Master of the house suffered before you. He was exalted and glorious, high Commander in Heaven, before whom the angelic hosts bowed in adoration; yet he condescended to give up the glory that he had with the Father, that he might save the fallen race. And shall we, in our turn, refuse to deny ourselves for his sake and the gospel's? Let the words of Paul be the language of our souls: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”ST November 3, 1887, par. 4

Man was created upright; but he fell, and was driven from the garden of Eden, with the sentence of death pronounced upon him. The sorrow and anguish that cannot be expressed took possession of his soul. But hope was held out before him through the merits of the promised Messiah. The Son of God, who had so lovingly conversed with Adam and Eve in Eden, volunteered to take upon himself the wrath of the Father, and die in the sinner's stead. He would take from his lips the bitter cup that man was to drink, and give in its place the cup of blessing.ST November 3, 1887, par. 5

The law of God, the foundation of his government in Heaven and upon earth, had been broken; but could not the life of an angel pay the debt? No. That holy law was as sacred as God himself. Not one precept could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition; but the Son of God, who had had a part in man's creation, could, by giving his own life, make an acceptable offering for its transgression.ST November 3, 1887, par. 6

Our Redeemer was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He became poor for our sakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” “For the joy that was set before him,” he “endured the cross, despising the shame.” But “he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”ST November 3, 1887, par. 7

Who of us would not enter through the gates into the city, and hear from the lips of the King the gracious words, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”? And what is the joy of our Lord? It is the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of glory through his sacrifice. The saints are partakers with him in this joy; for there are souls there that have been saved through their instrumentality. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever.” Is not this joy enough?ST November 3, 1887, par. 8

When we consider the suffering, reproach, and indignity that Jesus suffered without murmuring or retaliating, that he might redeem man, and elevate him to his own right hand, how much are we willing to endure and sacrifice, that we may have a part in the work of rescuing perishing souls, and thus enter into the joy of our Lord? “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.” It is of the greatest consequence that we understand what we are placed in this world for. We are not here to glorify self or to seek our own pleasure, but to glorify our Father which is in Heaven, and to carry on the work begun by the great Teacher of righteousness.ST November 3, 1887, par. 9

“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” Many times when Christ and the precious truths of his word are presented to sinners, they turn away; because if they should accept the cross, they would have to be separate from the world. But such a separation does not make one homeless, friendless, and forsaken. If, dear reader, there is a separation of your sympathies from your relatives and friends for the sake of Christ and his truth, do not feel that you are left brotherless, sisterless, motherless, fatherless. Your heavenly Father promises: “I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”ST November 3, 1887, par. 10

How many there are who seek for honor and applause from the great men of the earth! How much they will do, and what sacrifices they will make, that they may associate with such persons, and perhaps win a word of approbation! Who are these persons whose favor is regarded so highly? They are mortals, made of the dust of the earth, and must soon return to their native earth again. But the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is the Ruler over all rulers; his dominion is the universe. “The nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” He it is that grants you life and all its blessings; he that promises to adopt you into his family, to receive you as sons and daughters. What a relationship is this! What an exalted privilege!ST November 3, 1887, par. 11

Neither beauty nor worldly honor will secure you this relationship to the heavenly King. But there is something which will recommend us to the divine favor; it is a “meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” This spirit we do not possess by nature. We may have excellent and noble traits of character; yet we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us from sin, the grace of God to bring us to perfection. If we think that we can trample under foot the blood of Christ, and yet climb up to a place at God's right hand, we shall make a great mistake. There is no provision made whereby man can gain eternal life, except by the cross of Christ. Those who reject the atonement made on Calvary are just where Adam and Eve were after the transgression.ST November 3, 1887, par. 12

The truth of God always involves a cross; but it is of heavenly origin, and elevates the receiver. It has a sanctifying influence on the life, fitting fallen man for the society of angels in the kingdom of glory.ST November 3, 1887, par. 13