Greatness of God's Mercy / Love
Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .
Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." Patriarchs and Prophets, page 202.1 |
Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." {CC 68.5} |
Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless. . . . They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives, their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (Genesis 32: 26). . . . {AG 279.3} |
|
God's people . . . will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me."-- PP 202 (1890). {LDE 263.2} |
|
the greatness of God's love |
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." In the death of Christ we see the greatness of God's love for his sinful children. He sacrificed his dear Son to save them from eternal ruin. All Heaven is interested in the salvation of souls. We should be willing and ready to make all sacrifices in order to win souls to Jesus. This would evidence that we are co-laborers with him, that we are faithfully bearing the cross. To shun the solemn responsibilities of our time and position is to weaken the moral powers and enfeeble the spiritual muscle. {ST, September 7, 1876 par. 4} |
Christ is represented as stooping from his throne, bending earthward to send help to every needy soul who asks for it in faith. He is raising up the fallen, bringing hope to the helpless, and placing their feet in sure paths. He gave himself to a shameful, agonizing death to save the perishing. O, he is able, he is willing, he is longing to save all who will come to him! As you look upon our Intercessor, let your own heart be broken. Then, softened and subdued, you can address repentant sinners as one who knows the power of redeeming love. Pray with these souls. Get them to look away from themselves to the Saviour, and the victory is won. They behold for themselves the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. The strong tide of redeeming love pours into the parched, thirsty soul, and the sinner is saved to Christ. As he responds to the drawing of the Saviour, he repents of his sins and confesses them, and pardon is written opposite his name. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God, and shows them to him. And his heart is filled with a sense of the greatness of God's love. The grace of Christ expels the selfishness that has hitherto ruled the life. The affections turn to God. The character is transformed. The man is filled with an intense desire to serve him who has done so much for him. {RH, January 26, 1911 par. 15} |
Our great peril is in regarding the Lord's plans with cool indifference. All heaven is actively engaged in working out the plans of God for the salvation of an unbelieving world. How then do finite men dare to put aside God's plans for their own? By doing this, they place their souls in great peril. Shall we not respond to God's love by giving ourselves to Him without reservation, by walking in His way, by determining to do His will? Angels are enlisted in this work. They do the bidding of God by co-operating with human endeavor. They are filled with amazement; for they are unable to measure the greatness of God's love. The chosen instruments of righteousness join in the testimony, saying, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." As the followers of Christ see Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, they exclaim, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Charged with a special message, they proclaim Christ, and Him crucified. {ST, January 20, 1898 par. 13} |
We are to open the Word of God with reverence, with a sincere desire to know the will of God concerning us. Then the heavenly angels will direct our search. God speaks to us out of His Word. We are in the audience-chamber of the Most High, in the very presence of God. Christ enters the heart. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God and shows them to us. We see more clearly the greatness of God's love and the fulness of His salvation. We appreciate more fully His gracious design to make us partners in the heavenly firm. We are drawn into full sympathy with the plans of God. His secret is with us, and He shows us His covenant. {ST, June 26, 1901 par. 9} {ST, March 28, 1906 par. 8} |