| OCR Text |
Show 120 carry out every jot and every tittle of the divine mo. rality, and every principle of pure and undefiled re· ligion. I stand in admiration of this divine heroism. I learn farther that his great mission was to induce sinful man to abandon his sins and become reconciled to God; and that it was in carrying out this mission that he subjected himself to the tortures of the cross. Under the influence of God's Spirit, this brings me to true repentance, and I determine to reform by taking Jesus as my exemplar and the captain of my sah·a· tion. I am thus made reconciled to God's law, and feel pardoned for the past and hopeful for the future. My faith in Christ gives me strength to live the life of a Christian, and thus I am saved. Jesus Christ's death has in this way reconciled me to God, and being thereby brought. into harmony with Gou, God is reconciled to me. Jesus Christ therefore making atonement or reconciliation for me, has truly suffered in my stead. That is to say, his suffering in order to impress me with my obligations to God and his law, has by reconciling me to God's law, kept me from suf· fering the penalty of law. And when i think that God made this provision for this fallen world-that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be· ALBERT AND :MARY. 121 lieveth in him should not perish but have eternal life, and I realize it all with trust and confidence, I feel that the kingdom of heaven is within' me. I am tru1 y happy." "My dear Albert," responded Mary, "you make me to see all this in a new light. I confess I never before properly understood the doctrine of the atone· ment. I did not before understand that atonement for man, and reconciliation between God and man, were one and the same thing. But I now perceive that there is no atonement unless we become Christ· like; and that just in proportion as we are Christ-like, we are in harmony with God, and are thus far saved. God converts the soul from the love of sin to the love of Christ, and that love of Christ insures obedi· cnce to his commandments to the full measure of our knowledge. To be clothed upon then with the rightc· ousness of Christ, and to have Christ's righteousness imputed to us, are not terms signifying a righteousness extraneous from ourselves, and only regarded in place vf righteousness in us, but really and truly to manifest a righteousness which will be seen and roc~ ognized by our ownselves and others as a righteous· ness derived from Christ, because we li vc as Christ G |
