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The
Mighty and Inspiring Conflict
By
Ellen G. White
The
coming of Christ to our world was a great event, not only to
this world, but to all the worlds in the universe of God. Before
the heavenly intelligences He was to take upon Himself our nature,
to be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet to leave
an example of perfect purity and unblemished character. . .
.
In
His conflict with the prince of darkness in this atom of a world,
Christ had to meet the whole confederacy of evil, the united
forces of the adversary of God and man; but at every point He
met the tempter, and put him to flight. Christ was conqueror
over the powers of darkness, and took the infinite risk of consenting
to war with the enemy, that He might conquer him in our behalf.
. . .
He humbled Himself to pass through man's experiences, and He
would not turn aside from the plan by which salvation could
come to man. Knowing all the steps in the path of His humiliation,
He refused not to descend step by step to the depths of man's
woe, that He might make expiation for the sins of the condemned,
perishing world. What humility was this! It amazed the angels.
Tongue can never describe it. Pen can never portray it. The
imagination can not take it in. Sinless and exalted by nature,
the Son of God consented to take the habiliments of humanity,
to become one with the fallen race. The eternal Word consented
to be made flesh. God became man.
But
He stepped still lower; He humbled Himself to bear insult, reproach,
accusation, and shameful abuse. In the world which He had made,
which was sustained by the word of His power there seemed to
be no room for Him. He had to flee from one place to another
until His life work was accomplished. He was betrayed by one
of His followers, and denied by another. He was mocked and taunted.
He was crowned with thorns, and forced to bear the burden of
the cross.
He was not insensible to ignominy and contempt; He submitted
to it, but He felt its bitterness as no other being could feel
it. Pure, holy, and undefiled, He was yet arraigned as a criminal
before the eyes of the world. From the highest exaltation the
adorable Redeemer took step after step in the path of humiliation.
He consented to die in the sinner's stead, that by a life of
obedience man might escape the penalty of the law.
He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death. And what a
death! It was the most shameful, the most cruel,--the death
upon the cross as a malefactor. He died not as a hero in the
eyes of men, loaded with honors; He died as a condemned criminal,
suspended between the heavens and the earth--died a lingering
death, exposed to the tauntings and revilings of a debased and
profligate mob. . . .
He expired on the cross exclaiming, "It is finished,"
and that cry rang through every world, and through heaven itself.
The great contest between Christ, the Prince of life, and Satan,
the prince of darkness, was practically over, and Christ was
conqueror. His death answered the question as to whether there
was self-denial with the Father and the Son.
Through
the death of Christ a door of hope was opened for fallen man.
Man was under sentence of death for the transgression of the
law of God. He was under condemnation as a traitor, as a rebel;
but Christ came to be his substitute, to die as a malefactor,
to suffer the penalty of the traitors, bearing the weight of
their sins upon His divine soul. He descended lower and lower,
till there were no lower depths of humiliation to sound, in
order that He might lift up those who would believe in Him,
and cleanse the guilty from moral defilement, and impart to
them His own righteousness. He died to make an atonement, to
redeem, cleanse, restore, and exalt man to a place at His right
hand. . . .
As a member of the human family He was mortal, but as God He
was a fountain of life to the world. He could have withstood
the advances of death and refused to come under its dominion,
but voluntarily He laid down His life that He might bring life
and immortality to light. He bore the sin of the world, endured
the penalty, yielded up His life as a sacrifice, that man should
not eternally die. Contrast His suffering and humiliation with
the riches of His glory, with the wealth of praise pouring forth
from immortal tongues, with the anthems of adoration, with the
homage of millions of holy angels in the heights of the sanctuary,
and seek to comprehend what manner of love inspired the heart
of Jesus.
How
much has God loved the race of men?--Look to Calvary. As you
behold Jesus upon the cross, does not the heinous character
of sin appear? It was sin that caused the death of God's dear
Son, and sin is the transgression of the law. Says the prophet:
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But 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. All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. . . . It pleased the
Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt
make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He
shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall
be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify
many; for He shall bear their iniquities."
When
the sinner realizes that Christ died for him, that He might
impute His righteousness unto him, he magnifies the love of
God in providing the plan of salvation. . . .How the wondrous
provision of the plan of God for the salvation of men widens
and exalts our ideas of the love of God! How it binds our hearts
to the great heart of infinite love! How it makes us delight
in His service, as our hearts respond to the drawing of His
loving-kindness and loving mercy!
John
calls upon men to behold the marvelous love of God. He exclaims:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like
Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."
Those who are true, who are pure, who love and obey the words
of God, will be counted children of the heavenly King, members
of the royal family, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ.
Originally
published in Signs of the Times, January 5, 1915.
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