Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)

Lt 91, 1895

Wessels, Henry

Norfolk Villa, Prospect St., Granville, N. S. W., Australia

January 30, 1895

Portions of this letter are published in TDG 38; 4Bio 251.

Dear Brother:

I have a message from the Lord for you. You have believed and loved the truth, but you have been sorely tempted. Now, the Lord Jesus has not forsaken you. He is looking with pitying tenderness upon you and your wife. These words were presented before me: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn in Zion; to appoint unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” [Isaiah 61:1-3.] In (Luke 4:18) the Lord Jesus applies this scripture to Himself. My dear tempted brother, you have a personal interest in this matter. Faith in Christ as your personal Saviour will bring you into the light of the Sun of Righteousness. There is One who has made reconciliation for sin. In Him you will find peace and hope. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 1

You have been presented before me as in doubt and despair. Christ said of you as He said to Peter, “Satan hath desired to have thee, that he might sift thee as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” [Luke 22:31, 32.] I bring to you good news: Jesus loves you, tempest-tossed soul. You have not made shipwreck of faith, although Satan has tried to make you believe that you have done this. Look and live. Come to Christ just as you are. Take him as your personal Saviour. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 2

You have made mistakes, but not willfully; you were drawn away by temptation. The possession of a large amount of means intoxicated your mind and perverted your judgment. You did not understand how to use means wisely, to the glory of God. Yet you have invested means in His cause, and where it will be used to His glory. My brother, although you have not manifested all the wisdom that you could and should have exercised, God accepts all you have done with a desire to promote His glory. If, instead of binding up the Lord’s entrusted means in gratification of self, you had carefully treasured the talents entrusted to you for wise improvement, you would have been much happier. Yet your mistake is not one for which there is no healing, no pardon. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 3

You are dear to the heart of Christ, but, my brother, you are walking [in] the shadow of the cross, where all is hopeless despair and condemnation. Temptations have poured in upon your soul as you have seen that those who profess to believe the truth were not walking in the light of the truth. But you should thank God that He has not made you their sin-bearer. You are not to stumble over any inconsistency you have seen in Battle Creek. There is only One who can bear your sins, and my sins, and the sins of the whole world; that is Jesus, and He bids you bring all your perplexities to Him. Oh, look to Jesus uplifted on the cross. He died that you might live; He is reaching His hand of infinite love to clasp your hand. Will you grasp that hand strong to save? 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 4

These words were presented to me for you: “In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God”—mark the words—“to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” through the atonement. [Hebrews 2:17.] The repenting sinner is to believe in Christ as his personal Saviour. This is his only hope. He may lay hold on the merits of the blood of Christ, presenting to God the crucified and risen Saviour as his worthiness. Thus through Christ’s offering of Himself, the innocent for the guilty, every obstruction is removed, and the pardoning love of God flows forth in rich streams of mercy to fallen man. For God healed the breach made by the transgression of the law. To every believing soul His pardoning love is expressed, and that law, which is the transcript of His character, the exponent of His holy and eternal will, is magnified, honored, and glorified by Jesus Christ, in saving every soul who will come unto Him. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 5

Here is the reconciliation to God of the repenting, believing soul. He who knew no sin became sin for us, and we, believing in Christ, receive pardon and stand before God as innocent of transgression. Therefore God can reasonably love the sinner who believes in Jesus as He loves His only begotten Son, and as He condemns the sinner who refuses to believe in Jesus. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 6

God is manifest in Christ as just to pardon, merciful to save all who believe in Him. The justice, holiness and truth of Christ in the law do not obstruct the mercy of God to forgive all that repent and believe. For “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] The love of Christ is revealed to justify, pardon, and save all who through faith receive Him as their personal Saviour. Through this gracious acceptance of Christ, the sinless Saviour, in behalf of all that believe in him, reconciliation is made for sin, and the believing soul may stand toward God, toward his holy law, and toward his justice and truth, as if he had never sinned; for his life is hid with Christ in God. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 7

We may cherish a responsive love to God, gratitude of heart ever flowing forth in praise and thanksgiving because Christ died to make reconciliation for sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. You may look to Christ, feeling that while he is your deliverance, you owe obedience to the perfect law of God. We are to consider the sufferings of Christ to make for us an end of sin, that we may not continue in sin. By His own life of perfect obedience, Christ imputes to the believing soul His righteousness that meets all the demands of the law. At the same time it exacts obedience of me and of you, so that we can stand before a holy, sin-hating God, and not feel his curse, because Christ our substitute and surety has obeyed the law and imputed to us his righteousness. We are complete in Christ. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 8

Will you not come out of the cave of unbelief, and let the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you? My brother, you see and realize how much more good you might have done with more of the means God has entrusted to you, and then again temptations come because you have placed out of your control means which you want to use to help in the work. Now do not let your mind ponder over these things. I have a message to you, to love Jesus who died for you. Will you not cast your helpless, tempest-tossed soul upon the precious Saviour? Will you not believe in Him as a little child? Seek Him now, even as a child in penitence seeks the help and forgiveness of its parents. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 9

God has a work for you to do for him in being a blessing to others, but Satan has tried to entangle your feet in his net. The invitation I am commissioned to give to you from Jesus is, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:28, 29.] That rest you will now appreciate as never before. Only come to Jesus now, while it is called today. The experience you have been passing through will prove of highest value to you when yoked up with Christ, to be a laborer together with God. You have delighted in the truth, you have believed the truth, and you believe it still, and hope against hope because the Holy Spirit is striving with you. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 10

You have made crooked paths for your feet because of temptations, but resist the devil, and he will flee from you; draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh unto you. Very great and terrible is that man’s responsibility who hears the truths presented from the word of God, and neglects to receive them into the heart. God calls upon you to make straight paths for your feet, lest by your example the lame be turned out of the way. You, my brother, must not neglect and reject Jesus. God wants to welcome you through Christ Jesus. Christ waits to pardon you and present you faultless to God. There is no reason why a single soul in the world should perish. Christ wants to impart to you His great love, His righteousness. The Holy Spirit waits to sanctify the soul through belief of the truth. You, my brother, must have simple faith to believe in Jesus. Resist the suggestions of the devil, cooperate with God, and the Lord will lift up a standard for you against the enemy. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 11

Jesus stands knocking at the door of your heart; will you hear His voice and open the door? Say, Come in, thou heavenly guest, come in and abide with me. The Lord has a work for you to do; will you do it in the name and strength of a crucified and risen Saviour? You must not look at your feelings, but unto Jesus, who is not only the Author but the Finisher of your faith. 10LtMs, Lt 91, 1895, par. 12