Assurance of Victory

[Thompson, Darryl]

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Ellen G. White Estate, Devotional for September 7
Visit us at http://www.whiteestate.org
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Assurance of Victory

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this
present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Gal.
1:4. 

By giving His life for the life of the world, Christ bridged the gulf
that sin had made, joining this sin-cursed earth to the universe of
heaven as a province. God chose this world to be the theater of His
mighty works of grace. While the sentence of condemnation was suspended
over it because of the rebellion of its inhabitants, while the clouds of
wrath were accumulating because of the transgression of the law of God,
a mysterious voice was heard in heaven, "Lo, I come. . . to do thy will,
O God" (Ps. 40:7, 8). Our substitute and surety came from heaven
declaring that He had brought with Him the vast and inestimable donation
of eternal life. Pardon is offered to all who will return their
allegiance to the law of God. But there are those who refuse to accept a
"thus saith the Lord." They will not reverence and respect His law. They
make rigorous human enactments in opposition to a "thus saith the Lord,"
and by precept and example lead men, women, and children into sin. They
exalt human enactments above the divine law. But the condemnation and
wrath of God are suspended over the disobedient. The clouds of God's
justice are gathering. The material of destruction has been piled up for
ages; and still apostasy, rebellion, and disloyalty against God is
continually increasing. The remnant people of God, who keep His
commandments, will understand the word spoken by Daniel, "Many shall be
purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly:
and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand"
(Dan. 12:10).

Satan has called this world his territory. Here his seat is, and he
holds in allegiance to himself all who refuse to keep God's
commandments, who reject a plain, "thus saith the Lord." They stand
under the enemy's banner; for there are but two parties in the world.
All rank either under the banner of the obedient or under the banner of
the disobedient.

Jesus is now sending His message to a fallen world. He delights to take
apparently hopeless material, those through whom Satan has worked, and
make them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from
the wrath which is to fall upon the disobedient.

>From Devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 230.