The Election by Grace

Notes

1. To predestinate, or foreordain, means to mark out, define or determine beforehand. God has the one standard character of holiness, the one ever all-glorious Example, His Son Christ Jesus, reflecting always all the fulness of the light of His righteousness. God also in the beginning chose characters for His heritage, each character righteous in the righteousness of God, yet having its own individuality, manifesting one or more of the many beauties of Him in whom all fulness dwells, even as each color in the rainbow reveals some of the special beauties of the light. God chose these characters before the foundation of the world. The names of those characters were written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev. 13:8. He has called, and is calling, to those characters, and His blessing is sufficient for every soul to meet the call and attain the character to which he is called.

2. "The word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,' embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. 'He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.' The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. . . . His love has encircled the earth, and reaches the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, 'This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.'"—"Desire of Ages," page 113.