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The Reformation Herald Online Edition

Christ in His Sanctuary

The Cord from God’s Right Hand
The Cord from God’s Right Hand

A right hand person is generally known as one who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose. Such a one is often considered indispensable.

Does the Father of lights (with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning, James 1:17) need Someone indispensable? Definitely! The universe is in a state of emergency: God’s children are under siege. We are under attack. The enemy of our souls is accusing us day and night—and with good reason. After all, we are sinners who come short of the glory of God. Yet the inspired Scripture makes this tremendous declaration:

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:33, 34).

Jesus Christ, our Advocate, stands in the heavenly courtroom, pleading the blackened, pitiful case of every repentant, believing soul.

Christ’s intercession—we need it!

You may feel as if you are hanging by a thread. If so, you’re not alone! Remember the dream of Ellen White, depicting the spiritual journey of the people of God climbing up the strait way. The pathway became narrower and narrower, yet she describes how a cord was extended from the sky to assist each traveler. Until finally—

“We came to a large chasm, at which our path ended. There was nothing now to guide the feet, nothing upon which to rest them. Our whole reliance must be upon the cords, which had increased in size, until they were as large as our bodies. Here we were for a time thrown into perplexity and distress. We inquired in fearful whispers, ‘To what is the cord attached?’ My husband was just before me. Large drops of sweat were falling from his brow, the veins in his neck and temples were increased to double their usual size, and suppressed, agonizing groans came from his lips. The sweat was dropping from my face, and I felt such anguish as I had never felt before. A fearful struggle was before us. Should we fail here, all the difficulties of our journey had been experienced for naught.”1

They saw the glorious promised land on the other side of the chasm, but they needed to trust in the strength of the cord to cross over the abyss. “We were hesitating and distressed. The words were then spoken: ‘God holds the cord. We need not fear.’ These words were repeated by those behind us, accompanied with: ‘He will not fail us now. He has brought us thus far in safety.’ My husband then swung himself over the fearful abyss into the beautiful field beyond. I immediately followed. And oh, what a sense of relief and gratitude to God we felt! I heard voices raised in triumphant praise to God. I was happy, perfectly happy.”2

What was this agony?

“The light of truth, sanctifying the life, will discover to the receiver the sinful passions of his heart which are striving for the mastery, and which make it necessary for him to stretch every nerve and exert all his powers to resist Satan that he may conquer through the merits of Christ.”3

“It is the design of God to arouse the dormant energies of His people to look out of and away from self to One who can bring help and salvation, that the promises given for just such a time may be seen in their preciousness, and relied upon with unwavering trust. Here faith is proved.

“Deep anguish of soul will be felt by the people of God, yet their sufferings cannot be compared with the agony endured by our adorable Redeemer in the garden of Gethsemane. He was bearing the weight of our sins; we endure anguish on our own account. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! To wrestle with God is to have the soul drawn out with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch, while waves of despair that no language can express sweep over the soul; and yet the suppliant will not yield, but clings with deathlike tenacity to the promise.”4

References
1 Life Sketches, p. 192.
2 Ibid., p. 193.
3 The Youth’s Instructor, August 18, 1898
4 The Signs of the Times, November 27, 1879.