The Slain Lamb of God

Through the fall, man, who had been created in the image of God, had lost that image. Sin had all but obliterated it from his life. He had become an alien to God’s kingdom, “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph. 2:12. Gen. 3:23, 24. Sin had become man’s first nature. He was unable to do good. Just as the Ethiopian is powerless to change his skin and the leopard his spots, so the sinner could not restore righteousness to his depraved soul. Death must be the dire consequence of his sin. So far as his own power was concerned, he was beyond hope.

“From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency.” DA 22.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” 1 Pet. 1:18- 20.

“Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, “It is finished.” He addressed the Father. The compact had been fully carried out. Now He declares: Father, it is finished. I had done Thy will, O My God. I have completed the work of redemption. If Thy justice is satisfied, “I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” John 19:30; 17:24. DA 834, EW 149, 150.

Fountain of Life

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” Zech. 13:1.

“Solemnly, Christ said to Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast not part with Me.” John 13:10. The service, which Peter refused, was the type of a higher cleansing. Christ had come to wash the heart from the stain of sin. In refusing to allow Christ to wash his feet, Peter was refusing the higher cleansing included in the lower. He was really rejecting his Lord. It is not humiliating to the Master to allow Him to work for our purification. The truest humility is to receive with thankful heart any provision made in our behalf, and with earnestness do service for Christ.

“At the words, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me,” Peter surrendered his pride and self-will; he could not endure the thought of separation from Christ; that would have been death to him. “Not my feet only,” he said, “but also my hands and my feet.” Jesus saith to him, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.”

“These words meant more than bodily cleanliness. Christ is still speaking of the higher cleansing as illustrated by the lower. He who came from the bath was clean, but the sandaled feet soon became dusty, and again needed to be washed. So Peter and his brethren had been washed in the great fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Christ acknowledged them as His. But temptation had led them into evil, and they still needed His cleansing grace. When Jesus girded Himself with a towel to wash the dust from their feet, He desired by that very act to wash the alienation, jealousy, and pride from their hearts. With the spirit they then had, not one of them was prepared for communion with Christ. Until brought into a state of humility and love, they were not prepared to partake of the paschal supper, or to share in the memorial service which Christ was about to institute. Their hearts must be cleansed. Pride and self-seeking create dissention and hatred, but all this Jesus washed away in washing their feet. A change of feeling was brought about. Looking upon them, Jesus could say, “Ye are clean.” Now there was union of heart, love for one another. They had become humble and teachable. Except Judas, each was ready to concede to another the highest place. Now with subdued and grateful hearts they could receive Christ’s words.

“Like Peter and his brethren, we too have been washed in the blood of Christ, yet often through contact with evil the heart’s purity is soiled. We must come to Christ for His cleansing grace. Peter shrank from bringing his soiled feet in contact with the hands of his Lord and Master; but how often we bring our sinful, polluted hearts in contact with the heart of Christ! How grievous to Him is our evil temper, our vanity and pride! Yet all our infirmity and defilement we must bring to Him. He alone can wash us clean. We are not prepared to communion with Him unless cleansed by His efficacy.” DA 646.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1:18, 19.

Every human being; ‘rich and poor, high and low, free and bond, are God’s heritage. He who gave His life to redeem man sees in every human being a value that exceeds finite computation. By the mystery and glory of the cross we are to discern His estimate of the value of the soul. When we do this, we shall feel that human beings, however degraded, have cost too much to be treated with coldness or contempt. We shall realize the importance of working for our fellow men, that they may be exalted to the throne of God.” MH 162, 163.

“Wonderful is the work which God designs to accomplish through His servants, that His name may be glorified. God made Joseph a fountain of life to the Egyptian nation. Through Joseph the life of that whole people was preserved. Through Daniel God saved the life of all the wise men of Babylon. And these deliverances were as object lessons; they illustrated to the people the spiritual blessings offered them through connection with the God whom Joseph and Daniel worshipped. So, through His people today God desires to bring blessings to the world. Every worker, in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As He receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life. Christ came as the Great Physician to heal the wounds that sin has made in the human family, and His Spirit, working through His servants, imparts to sin-sick, suffering human beings a mighty healing power that is efficacious for the body and the soul. “In that day,” says the scripture, “there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness.” Zech. 13:1. The waters of this fountain contain medicinal properties that will heal both physical and spiritual infirmities. CH 209.

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32.

“Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt.” DA 330.

“All heaven is interested in the work of saving the lost. Angels watch with intense interest to see who will leave the ninety and nine and go out in tempest and storm and rain into the wild desert to seek the lost sheep. The lost are all around us, perishing and sadly neglected.” HP 100.

The word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel saying, “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked man, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezek. 33:7, 8.

“Some ministers who profess to be called of God have the blood of souls on their garments. They are surrounded with backsliders and sinners, and yet feel no burden for their souls; they manifest an indifference in regard to their salvation. Some are so nearly asleep that they seem to have no sense of the work of a gospel minister. They do not consider that as spiritual physicians they are required to have skill in administering to souls diseased with sin. The work of warning sinners, of weeping over them and pleading with them, has been neglected until many souls are past all cure. Some have died in their sins, and will in the judgment confront with reproaches of their guilt those who might have saved them, but who did not. Unfaithful ministers, what a retribution awaits you.” 2T 506.

As the gospel was preached to the world in that first century, so in these final times God’s message will go to all humanity. Are you involved in this general proclamation? Has your individual effort joined that of your brothers and sisters to complete the work of God?

May the gracious Lord forgive our sinful negligence. May the self-sacrifice, the sympathy, and the love manifested in the life of Christ reappear in the life of the worker for God.
AMEN.

Golden Kayawa Hingabantu
e-mail: [email protected]
Cell #: 260097492681