Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 9 (1894)

Manuscripts

Ms 1, 1894

The Holy Spirit Agrees with the Word.

1 George’s Terrace, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia,

January 5, 1894

This manuscript is published is entirety in 14MR 70-75.

I address my dear brethren and sisters in Pitcairn Island: 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 1

The Lord Jesus in His providence has wrought in your midst. He has sent His messengers to present to you the treasures of His Word. He has opened the Scriptures to your understanding, and you have felt that it was your privilege to take them just as they read. We have felt to thank the Lord that from you has gone forth the Word of God, because you have been holding forth the words of life to others. It is a precious privilege to be entrusted with work for God, to be laborers together with God. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 2

The Holy Spirit always leads to the written Word and calls the attention to the great moral standard of righteousness. To be honored of God in thus being privileged to testify of the truth is a wonderful thing. Said Christ to His disciples just before He ascended up and the clouds of angels received Him out of their sight, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” [Acts 1:8.] They were qualified by the heavenly endowment of the Holy Spirit to testify of Christ. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 3

I wish to impress upon you the fact that those who have Jesus abiding in the heart by faith have actually received the Holy Spirit. Every individual who receives Jesus as His personal Saviour, just as surely receives the Holy Spirit to be his Counselor, Sanctifier, Guide and Witness. The more closely the believer walks with God, the clearer his witness, and, as a sure result, the more powerful will be the influence of his testimony upon others of a Saviour’s love; the more he will give evidence that he prizes the Word of God. It is his meat, it is his drink, to satisfy the thirsty soul. He prizes the privilege of learning the will of God from His Word. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 4

Some souls who claim to be believers have slighted, and turned from, the Word of God. They have neglected the Bible, the wonderful Guidebook, the true tester of all ideas, and claim that they have the Spirit to teach them, that this renders the searching [of] the Scriptures unnecessary. All such are heeding the sophistry of Satan, for the Spirit and the Word agree. Say the Scriptures, “To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” [Isaiah 8:20.] He only is a free man whom the truth makes free. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 5

Although you are a little world in yourselves in your island home, yet the tempter is there; he lays his net to ensnare souls. But the Lord loves you, and His guardian angels are around about you. If you are doers of the Word, you will obey the instruction of Jesus Christ. He says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” [John 10:27, 28.] 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 6

We are not able to keep ourselves; we are kept by the power of God. Our Redeemer has all power in heaven and in earth, and if we do just as Jesus tells us to, we shall be kept safe in His love. In our own strength we are perfect weakness; but when we put our whole trust in Jesus Christ, we are kept by His power, for He is fully able to keep every soul who puts his trust in Him. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 7

The peril to which every soul is exposed is very great. The great adversary of God, and the enemy of man, is watching to find an opportunity to take us when we are off our guard. Jesus has told us of our danger and warned us against the wily foe. He has repeatedly enjoined upon us the duty of always watching and praying, lest we enter into temptation. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 8

Believe in Jesus, trust in Jesus with living, constant faith, and rely without doubt upon Jesus to keep and save you. One mighty to save has hold upon you; and as long as you will submit to be led by Him, to learn of Him, to confide in Him, He will keep you from falling; and when God engages to keep you, He is a sure defense. He is a strong fortress, and as you confide in Him, you are perfectly secure. His Word is pledged in your defense, if you will believe in Him. Simply trust in God, and obey His commandments, and you are saved by the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 9

Christ said to Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” [Luke 22:31, 32.] Very precious to Jesus are the souls for whom He has given His life. Jesus knows the value of the human soul, for if we are obedient to the commandments of God, we shall be capable of immortality. When the soul is lost through sin, the most valuable object in the world is lost. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 10

Every son and daughter of Adam who is blessed with reasoning powers has endowments and capabilities by which he may make progress. He may be elevated and ennobled and sanctified, and hold converse with God. Heaven has manifested an intense interest in the work of developing the moral image of God in man. We must see the value that God has placed upon man. Human beings may come into possession of immortality, the life which runs parallel with the life of Jehovah. They may live as long as God lives. When we consider these things, we are filled with awe and reverence. It means very much to be a child of God, an heir of God, and joint heir with Jesus Christ. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 11

Will not old and young in your island home seek the Lord? Will you not strive most earnestly for the crown of immortality? Will you not hate sin, and pray most earnestly that you may have a sense of its exceeding sinfulness? Will you not hate that which caused the death of the Majesty of heaven, the Son of God? Always bear in mind the fact that there is something God hates with a perfect hatred, and that is sin. It will prove the ruin of thousands, yea, millions of souls, because they choose to sin, and in sinning make themselves characters after Satan’s likeness, and such, unless they repent, forsake sin, and believe in Jesus Christ, will never find a place in heaven. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 12

I speak to all upon the island. Out of Christ you are lost, helpless, undone and must perish. You see now why Christ has cautioned, warned, and entreated you to repent of sin, for it is that you shall not lose eternity out of your reckoning. When Christ gave His life for you, it was that He might place you on vantage ground and impart to you moral power. By faith you may become partakers of His divine nature, having overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 13

If we come in contact with sinners who are hardened and bold in sin, they will seek to lead you to be as bad as themselves; but it is for you to heed the caution and the instruction of the Word of God, “When sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” [Proverbs 1:10.] Send up your prayers to heaven that you may be delivered from temptation. Pray, pray, and put your will on the side of God’s will. Oh, be sure and pray for the Lord to give you His grace to resist the devil, who caused the fall of Adam and Eve in Eden, and [who] with all his deceptive power will try to make of none effect the restrictions and commandments of God. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 14

It is a terrible thing for human agents to sin, and to crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame. I have a message from God to you. It is, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” [John 1:29.] When you behold Him in His matchless love, bearing the sins of the world, when you behold Him exercising His compassion and love for sinners and realize that it was for you that the innocent, holy, undefiled Lamb of God stood as one guilty to endure your punishment, that you who are sinful and deserving [of punishment] might stand innocent, clothed with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, your heart will be melted by His incomparable love, and you will accept Him as your sin-pardoning Saviour. You must not walk in darkness. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 15

God has given you wise counselors, those who love and fear Him, and those who love the souls of all for whom Christ died. Do not turn from counsel, but take hold of words of instruction. The Lord is soon to come, make no delay. Come to Jesus every day, and tell Him you want strength, you want heavenly wisdom to understand what is sin and how to forsake it. You cannot take your way and do your will and be perverse in spirit, and yet love Jesus and be acknowledged of Him as His child. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 16

You want heaven; well, Jesus wants you to have heaven, and to enjoy its glories, or He would not have given His precious life to save you. Jesus is near you, inviting you to come unto Him that you might have life. Come just as you are every day. Come to Jesus confessing your mistakes, your errors, and your sins. Come with true contrition of soul; seek pardon, and Christ will forgive you your sins and let the bright beams of His righteousness shine into your hearts and minds. May the Lord bless you and make you complete in Jesus Christ is my prayer. 9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 17