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In Love with Christ, February 22
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:26
.
The character of Christ was one of unexampled excellence, embracing
everything pure, true, lovely, and of good report. We have no knowledge
of His ever visiting a party of pleasure or a dance hall, and yet He was the
perfection of grace and courtly bearing. Christ was no novice; He was
distinguished for the high intellectual powers He possessed even in the
morning of His life. His youth was not wasted in indolence, neither was it
wasted in sensual pleasure, self-indulgence, or frittered away in things of
no profit. Not one of His hours from childhood to manhood was misspent,
none were misappropriated....
Jesus was sinless and had no dread of the consequences of sin. With
this exception His condition was as yours. You have not a difficulty that
did not press with equal weight upon Him, not a sorrow that His heart has
not experienced. His feelings could be hurt with neglect, with indifference
of professed friends, as easily as yours. Is your path thorny? Christ’s was
so in a tenfold sense. Are you distressed? So was He. How well fitted
was Christ to be an example! ...
The Inspired Record says of Him: “Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favour with God and man.”
Luke 2:52
. As He grew in years
He grew in knowledge. He lived temperately; His precious hours were
not wasted in dissipating pleasures. He had a truly healthy body and true
powers of mind. The physical and mental powers could be expanded and
developed as yours or any other youth’s. The Word of God was His study,
as it should be yours.
Take Jesus as your standard. Imitate His life. Fall in love with His
character. Walk as Christ walked. A new spring will be given to your
intellectual faculties, a large scope to your thoughts, when you bring your
powers into vigorous contact with eternal things which are intrinsically
grand and great.
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