He “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). He is the Redeemer of the world and the Savior of men. Soon angelic choirs will fill the heavens as the redeemed sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).Īnd thus it is that salvation is in Christ, that his atoning sacrifice is the heart and core and center of revealed religion, and that he-in Gethsemane of sorrowful memory and on the cross of Calvary-put into full operation all the terms and conditions of his Father’s plan. Clothed with immortality and eternal life, he gently restrains one of the beloved Marys from embracing him with the same intimacy that had once prevailed. Some thirty-eight or forty hours later-after three days as the Jews counted time-we see him by a garden tomb. Then the victory is won the ransom is paid the atonement is accomplished. The sun is darkened for three long hours there is “darkness over all the earth” (Luke 23:44), as all the agonies and sufferings of Gethsemane return. It is noon, and his mangled and scourged body has already hung on that accursed tree for some three hours.Īgain it is the hour of atonement. There, at the place of a skull, we see him again, crucified between two thieves. He comes off triumphant and in a way incomprehensible to us, he bears the sins of all men on conditions of repentance. He trembles because of pain and suffers in both body and spirit. An angel-surely it is mighty Michael himself-comes down from heaven and strengthens him. We see great gouts of blood drop from every pore. We hear his pleading words: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). It is night, and the eyes of all are heavy with sleep.Ībout a stone’s cast removed from the three we see the Son of God in sorrow and agony beyond compare. Inside the garden are Peter, James, and John. There, outside Jerusalem’s walls, on the now sacred side of Olivet, we see eight of the Twelve huddled at the garden gate. Let us gaze first at a scene of sorrow and suffering in a garden called Gethsemane, the garden of the oil press. And, we say it again, none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life.Īnd so I now say: Come and let us reason together let us reason as did righteous men of old that we may come to understanding.Ĭome and hear us declare sound doctrine let us declare it plainly and in power as do the angels of God in heaven.Ĭome and let us testify of those things which God has made known to us let us testify as do those whose souls are afire with the Spirit and who know by revelation of the truth and verity of their spoken word. Lucifer would triumph over men and become the captain of their souls. The purposes of creation would vanish away. If there had been no atonement of Christ, all things would be lost. And, we repeat, none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life. Mortal man would not be, nor would there be animals or fowls or fishes or life of any sort upon the earth. If there had been no fall of man, there would not be a mortal probation. God would have no spirit children there would be no mortal probation and none of us would be on the way to immortality and eternal life. All things, all the primal elements, would be without form and void. If there had been no creation, we would not be, neither the earth, nor any form of life upon its face. Without any one of them all things would lose their purpose and meaning, and the plans and designs of Deity would come to naught. These three are the foundations upon which all things rest. The three pillars of eternity, the three events, preeminent and transcendent above all others, are the creation, the fall, and the atonement. If we do not build our house of salvation on a true foundation, we will never make the spiritual progress that will prepare us to enter the Eternal Presence. If we can gain an understanding of them, then the whole eternal scheme of things will fall into place, and we will be in a position to work out our salvation. My purpose is to take the three greatest events that have ever occurred in all eternity and show how they are interwoven to form one grand plan of salvation. And I pray that we may receive a mighty outpouring of that Spirit as we consider the three pillars of eternity-the three great eternal verities upon which salvation rests. I know, as do we all, that the things of God can be understood only by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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