Christ's Object Lessons
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 9: The Pearl
Based on Matt. 13:45, 46
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| The Pearl of Great Price.—Davis Collection. |
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The blessings of redeeming love our Savior compared
to a precious pearl. He illustrated His lesson by
the parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls
"who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had, and bought it." Christ Himself
is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the
glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead. He
is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express
image of His person. The glory of the attributes of God
is expressed in His character. Every page of the Holy
Scriptures shines with His light. The righteousness of
Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain. No
work of man can improve the great and precious gift of
God. It is without a flaw. In Christ are "hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 2:3. He is
"made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption." 1 Cor. 1:30. All that can satisfy
the needs and longings of the human soul, for this world
and for the world to come, is found in Christ. Our Redeemer
is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things
else may be accounted loss. [p. 116]
Christ "came unto His own, and His own received
Him not." John 1:11. The light of God shone into the
darkness of the world, and "the darkness comprehended it
not." John 1:5. But not all were found indifferent to the
gift of heaven. The merchantman in the parable represents
a class who were sincerely desiring truth. In different
nations there were earnest and thoughtful men who had
sought in literature and science and the religions of the
heathen world for that which they could receive as the
soul's treasure. Among the Jews there were those who
were seeking for that which they had not. Dissatisfied
with a formal religion, they longed for that which was
spiritual and uplifting. Christ's chosen disciples belonged
to the latter class, Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch to
the former. They had been longing and praying for light
from heaven; and when Christ was revealed to them, they
received Him with gladness.
In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift.
The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had.
Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented
in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to
those who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him
without reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live
a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that
we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the
Lord's, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus
give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures
of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of
great price.
Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and
sold. In the market of which divine mercy has the
management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought
without money and without price. In this market all may [p. 117] obtain the goods of heaven. The treasury of the jewels of
truth is open to all. "Behold, I have set before thee an
open door," the Lord declares, "and no man can shut it."
No sword guards the way through this door. Voices from
within and at the door say, Come. The Saviour's voice
earnestly and lovingly invites us: "I counsel thee to buy of
Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich."
Rev. 3:8, 18.
The gospel of Christ is a blessing that all may possess.
The poorest are as well able as the richest to purchase
salvation; for no amount of worldly wealth can secure it.
It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to
Christ as His own purchased possession. Education, even
of the highest class, cannot of itself bring a man nearer to
God. The Pharisees were favored with every temporal and
every spiritual advantage, and they said with boastful pride,
We are "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing"; yet they were "wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked." Rev. 3:17. Christ offered
them the pearl of great price; but they disdained to accept
it, and He said to them, "The publicans and the harlots
go into the kingdom of God before you." Matt. 21:31.
We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it
with as much interest and perseverance as though we
would abandon everything in the world for it.
We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in
worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are
required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to
God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages
will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing
obedience. He asks you to give up your sins. "To
him that overcometh," Christ declares, "will I grant to sit
with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with My Father in His throne." Rev. 3:21. [p. 118]
There are some who seem to be always seeking for the
heavenly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender
of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ
may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious
pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their
love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the cross
and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and sacrifice.
Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near
the kingdom of heaven, but they cannot enter there.
Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but
wholly lost.
The parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls
has a double significance: it applies not only to men as
seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ as seeking
His lost inheritance. Christ, the heavenly merchantman
seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of
price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the
possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the
battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been
rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the
Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God
looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He
looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through
redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe,
and laid them down in order to buy the pearl. And Jesus,
having found it, resets it in His own diadem. "For they
shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign
upon His land." Zech. 9:16. "They shall be Mine, saith
the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels."
Mal. 3:17.
But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of
possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we
most need to dwell. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals to
men the preciousness of the goodly pearl. The time of the [p. 119] Holy Spirit's power is the time when in a special sense
the heavenly gift is sought and found. In Christ's day
many heard the gospel, but their minds were darkened by
false teaching, and they did not recognize in the humble [p. 120] Teacher of Galilee the Sent of God. But after Christ's
ascension His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom
was signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On
the day of Pentecost the Spirit was given. Christ's
witnesses proclaimed the power of the risen Saviour. The
light of heaven penetrated the darkened minds of those
who had been deceived by the enemies of Christ. They
now saw Him exalted to be "a Prince and a Saviour, for
to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts
5:31. They saw Him encircled with the glory of heaven,
with infinite treasures in His hands to bestow upon all
who would turn from their rebellion. As the apostles set
forth the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, three
thousand souls were convicted. They were made to see
themselves as they were, sinful and polluted, and Christ as
their friend and Redeemer. Christ was lifted up, Christ
was glorified, through the power of the Holy Spirit resting
upon men. By faith these believers saw Him as the One
who had borne humiliation, suffering, and death that they
might not perish but have everlasting life. The revelation
of Christ by the Spirit brought to them a realizing sense
of His power and majesty, and they stretched forth their
hands to Him by faith, saying, "I believe."
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Then the glad tidings of a risen Saviour were carried
to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. The
church beheld converts flocking to her from all directions.
Believers were reconverted. Sinners united with Christians
in seeking the pearl of great price. The prophecy
was fulfilled, The weak shall be "as David," and the house
of David "as the angel of the Lord." Zech. 12:8. Every
Christian saw in his brother the divine similitude of
benevolence and love. One interest prevailed. One object
swallowed up all others. All hearts beat in harmony. The
only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness [p. 121] of Christ's character, and to labor for the enlargement of
His kingdom. "The multitude of them that believed were
of one heart and of one soul. . . . With great power gave
the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus;
and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:32, 33. "And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Acts 2:47. The Spirit of Christ animated the whole
congregation; for they had found the pearl of great price.
These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more
abundant. The Spirit awaits our demand and reception.
Christ is again to be revealed in His fulness by the Holy
Spirit's power. Men will discern the value of the precious
pearl, and with the apostle Paul they will say, "What things
were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Phil. 3:7, 8.
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"The Net"
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