"God With Us"

I'm currently doing a Bible course where we are required to read the book of The Desire of Ages,which also happens to my favorite Spirit of Prophecy book amongst others.I love how it is based on the life of Jesus; from Him deciding to take man's place-plan of redemption,Him living on earth-as a child,as a young man,and an adult.To Hm fulfilling His mission,conquering and going back to the Most Holy Place to finish His part in the redemption of mankind.

Chapter 1 is titled "God with Us".There was a period where God was with our parents since creation.But when the devil rebelled in heaven,he made sure he will bring God to destruction,by presenting Him as unjust and unloving God,with a law that cannot be kept.God allowed this to happen because it is contrary to who He is to force anyone to obey Him and so when mankind was created,He gave them free will.Through this free will,mankind fell into sin and that brought about a seperation between God and mankind,because sin and Gd cannot coexist.

But God,out of love,had foreseen all this and came up with a plan out of His love and Jesus-God,the second person of the Godhead chose freely to sacrifice everything-the honor,the worship of angels and more so that He can show to the angels and mankind the true character of God.It had not been enough for God to dwell in the sanctuary and the sacrificial ceremonies were only a slight reflection of what Jesus was going to do on behalf of mankind and to vindicate the character of God-to prove that He is love and it is possible to keep His law.

Not only was Jesus going to come,but He was going to be made in the very sinful flesh of mankind-and as He was going to depend entirely on God-the Father,he was to be the appropriation of our sin and restore the broken relationship between God and mankind.Though He faced trials,He proved that the grace of God is able to give us victory over sin,and the broken relationship is mended--only as we shall accept Jesus as our personal Saviour and depend on Him.

What has touched me while reading this chapter is the fact that NOT only is the Godhead involved in the salvation of mankind but angels as well.Even more,our relationship with God can be more intimate and closer than before the fall of man.That part humbles me.The statements below are the ones that have stood out and I hope to cherish them as I journey with my Lord.

"By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through
sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we
become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has
bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked
with us. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son."-DA,p25

"The angels of glory find their joy in giving,--giving love and tireless watchcare to souls that are fallen
and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts
above; by gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a
fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know."-DA,p22

"Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes
with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of
sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction
presented in the Saviour's life on earth, we see "God with us."-DA,p24

"By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As
the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey."-DA,p24

"God with us" is the surety of our deliverance from sin,the assurance of our power to obey the law of heaven.Jesus' life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law of God."-DA,p24,25