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09 - The Pearl - Christ's Object Lessons · Sacred Texts Archive

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  Chapter nine. The Pearl based on Matthew thirteen, Verses forty five and forty
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  six. The blessings of redeeming Love are Savior compared to a precious pearl.
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  He illustrated his lesson by the parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who,
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  when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all
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  that he had and bought it. Christ himself is the pearl of great price.
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  In him is gathered all the glory of the Father, the fullness of
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  the Godhead. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express
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  image of his person. The glory of the attributes of God is expressed in
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  his character. Every page of the Holy Scripture shines with his light. The
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  righteousness of Christ, as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no
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  stain. No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God.
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  It is without a flaw. In Christ are hid all the treasures of
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  wisdom and knowledge. He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification
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  and redemption. Footnote Colossians two, verse three, First Corinthians one, verse
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  thirty, end of footnote. All that can satisfy the needs and longings of
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  the human soul for this world and for the world to come, is found
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  in Christ. Our redeemer, is the pearl so precious that in comparison all
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  things else may be accounted loss. Christ came unto his own, and his
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  own received him. Not the light of God shone into the darkness of the
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  world, and the darkness comprehended it not footnote John one, Verses eleven and
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  five, end of footnote. But not all were found indifferent to the gift
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  of Heaven. The merchantman, in the parable represents a class who were sincerely
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  desiring truth. In different nations, there were earnest and thoughtful men who had
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  sought in literature and science, and the religions of the heathen world, for
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  that which they could receive as the soul's treasure. Among the Jews, there
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  were those who were seeking for that which they had not dissatisfied with the formal
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  religion. They longed for that which was spiritual and uplifting. Christ's chosen disciples
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  belonged to the latter class, Cornelius and the Ethiopian Eunuch to the former.
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  They had been longing and praying for light from heaven, and when Christ was
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  revealed to them, they received him with gladness. In the parable, the
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  pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price
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  of all that he had. Many question the meaning of this, since Christ
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  is represented in the scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but
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  only to those who give themselves soul, body, and spirit to Him without
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  reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of
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  willing obedience to all his requirements. All that we are, all the talents
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  and capabilities we possess, are the lords to be consecrated to his service.
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  When we thus give ourselves wholly to him, Christ, with all the treasures
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  of Heaven, gives himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.
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  Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and
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  sold in the market of which divine mercy has the management. The precious pearl
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  is represented as being bought without money and without price. In this market all
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  may obtain the goods of heaven. The treasury of the jewels of Truth is
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  open to all. Behold, I have said before thee an open door.
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  The Lord declares and no man can shut it. No sword guards the way
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  through this door. Voices from within, and at the door say come.
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  The Saviour's voice, earnestly and lovingly invites us. I counsel thee to buy
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  of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. Footnote
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  Revelation, chapter three, verses eight and eighteen, and a footnote. The
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  Gospel of Christ is a blessing that all may possess. The poorest are as
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  well able as the richest to purchase salvation, for no amount of worldly wealth
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  can secure it. It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to
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  Christ as his own purchased possession. Education, even of the highest class,
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  cannot of itself bring a man nearer to God. The Pharisees were favored with
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  every temporal and every spiritual advantage, and they said, with boastful pride,
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  we are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. Yet
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  they were wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. Footnote
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  Revelation three, verse seventeen, and a footnote. Christ offered them the pearl
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  of great price, but they disdained to accept it, and he said to
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  them, the publicans, and the harlots, go into the Kingdom of God
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  before you. Footnote Matthew twenty one, verse thirty one, and a footnote.
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  We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as
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  much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.
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  We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in
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  worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is
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  not gold or silver, for this belongs to God. Abandon the idea that
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  temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing
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  obedience. He asks you to give up your sins to him that overcometh.
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  Christ declares, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
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  as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.
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  Footnote Revelation three, verse twenty one, and a footnote. There are some
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  who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl, but they do not
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  make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self
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  that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl
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  they have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do
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  not take up the cross and follow Christ in the path of self denial and
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  sacrifice. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians. They seem near the Kingdom
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  of Heaven, but they cannot enter there. Almost but not wholly saved means
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  to be not almost but wholly lost. The parable of the merchantmen seeking goodly
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  pearls has a double significance. It applies not only to men as seeking the
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  kingdom of Heaven, but to Christ as seeking his lost inheritance. Christ,
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  the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, sought and lost humanity the pearl of Christ.
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  In man defiled and ruined by sin. He saw the possibilities of redemption.
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  Hearts that have been the battle ground of the conflict with Satan and that
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  have been rescued by the power of love are more precious to the Redeemer than
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  are those who have never fallen. God looked upon humanity not as vile and
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  worthless. He looked upon it in Christ saw it as it might become through
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  redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe and laid them down
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  in order to buy the pearl, and Jesus, having found it, resets
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  it in his own diadem. For they shall be as the stones of a
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  crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. They shall be mine,
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  Saith, the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up
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  my jewels. Footnote Zechariah nine, verse sixteen and Malachi three, verse seventeen,
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  and a footnote. But Christ, as the precious pearl, and our
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  privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure is the theme on which we most need to
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  dwell. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals to men the preciousness of the
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  goodly pearl. The time of the Holy Spirit's power is the time when,
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  in especial sense, the heavenly gift is sought and found. In Christ's day,
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  many heard the Gospel, but their minds were darkened by false teaching,
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  and they did not reckgnize in the humble teacher of Galilee the scent of God.
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  But after Christ's assension, his enthronement in his mediatorial kingdom was signalized by
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  the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the spirit
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  was given Christ's witnesses proclaimed the power of the risen Savior. The light of
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  heaven penetrated the darkened minds of those who had been deceived by the enemies of
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  Christ. They now saw him exalted to be a prince and a savior,
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  for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins footnote Acts five, verse
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  thirty one and a footnote. They saw him encircled with the glory of heaven,
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  with infinite treasures in his hands to bestow upon all who would turn from
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  their rebellion. As the apostles set forth the glory of the only begotten of
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  the Father, three thousand souls were convicted. They were made to see themselves
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  as they were sinful and polluted, and Christ as their friend and redeemer.
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  Christ was lifted up. Christ was glorified through the power of the Holy Spirit
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  resting upon men by faith. These believers saw him as the one who had
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  borne humiliation, suffering, and death, that they might not perish but have
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  everlasting life. The revelation of Christ by the Spirit brought to them a realizing
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  sense of his power and majesty, and they stretched forth their hands to him
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  by faith, saying, I believe then the glad tidings of a risen Savior
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  were carried to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. The Church beheld converts
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  flocking to her from all directions. Believers were re converted sinners united with Christians
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  in seeking the pearl of great price. The prophecy was fulfilled. The weak
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  shall be as David, and the house of David as the Angel of the
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  Lord. Footnote Zechariah twelve, verse eight, and the footnote. Every Christian
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  saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love. One interest prevailed,
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  one object swallowed up all others, All hearts beat in harmony. The
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  only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character and to
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  labor for the enlargement of his kingdom. The multitude of them that believed were
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  of one heart and of one soul, with great power gave the apostles witness
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  of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all,
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  and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
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  Footnote Acts Chapter four, verses thirty two and thirty three and Chapter two,
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  verse forty seven, and a footnote The Spirit of Christ animated the whole congregation,
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  for they had found the pearl of great price. These scenes are to
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  be repeated and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the
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  day of Pentecost was the former reign, but the latter reign will be more
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  abundant. The Spirit awaits our demand and reception. Christ is again to be
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  revealed in his fullness by the Holy Spirit its power. Men will discern the
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  value of the precious pearl, and with the Apostle Paul, they will say,
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  what things were gained to me? Those I counted loss for Christ,
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  yea doubtless And I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
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  of Christ Jesus my Lord. Footnote Philippians, Chapter three, Verses seven and
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  eight. End of footnote end of chapter nine.