Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Lt 48, 1898

Gorrick, Sister

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

June 1, 1898

This letter is published in entirety in 20MR 61-63.

Dear Sister Gorrick:

I commenced a letter to you, and had it nearly finished, but was called away, and now I cannot find it. I will write a few lines to you. I feel deep sympathy for you, knowing that you are sorely tempted. The enemy is trying to make you faint and become discouraged. I feel no less sympathy and deep interest for your husband. Our Saviour will be his Saviour if he will accept Him. Never, never are any one of us to feel that it is anything but the highest honor to become the sons and daughters of God. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 1

My sister, never, never yield to the temptation to sacrifice Christian principle in order to meet the world’s criterion. Be firm; be faithful, for you are bought with a price. Your duty to your Saviour may not lead you in the smoothest paths, for your Redeemer never walked in paths of self-pleasing and self-indulgence. He lived not to please himself. He went without the camp, bearing the reproach. Wherever Providence has placed you, God will give you strength to stand firm in the faith. Let nothing interpose between your soul and God. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 2

We will press close to Jesus. Hear His voice to His disciples: “He that will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” [Luke 9:23.] God requires of us our life service. Our Saviour came to this world to be a Sin-bearer, to take away the sin of the world. He came as our Advocate. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world. “Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” [1 John 2:3.] 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 3

Christ did not merely give us directions as to the path in which we must travel, but He came to be our teacher. He did not merely tell us how we ought to obey, but in His own life He gave us a practical example of how we should obey. Thus He is the true helper. Going before us, He beats down the obstructions, and tells us to walk in His footsteps. Our blessed Saviour says, Follow me. I will lead you. I am the way, the truth, and the life. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 4

Christ served as a true son, an obedient son. He declared, “I have kept my Father’s commandments.” [John 15:10.] Sanctification is a lifelong obedience. We can be greatly honored by being in co-partnership with Christ. “Take my yoke upon you,” He says, “and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:29.] The obedience of which Christ has left us an example is perfect and complete. He lived the law in human nature, that human nature may receive Him by faith, and through the power given, become the sons of God. God’s love is magnified in His law by restricting and binding about the impulse to work against the attributes of God, and His great love magnifies the law and makes it honorable. He came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 5

It is for our present good and happiness in this life, and for our eternal interest in the future life, to consider the life of Christ, His sonship in humanity. All who connect with Him will be partakers of the divine nature, and will render Him their willing service. They will not feel that it is an arbitrary exaction. Obedience is required to save the world from the dire and sure results of disobedience. The Lord Jesus is teaching every soul to step in the sonship of His obedience in humanity, not as a hard duty, but as sons of God, in oneness with the Son in the Father. This obedience in oneness with Christ will make the path of obedience pleasant, for we shall be walking in Christ’s foot prints. We shall follow where our Saviour leads the way. We may not always see a clear path for our feet, but we can follow in His footsteps, knowing that His example is right. We can leave all the issues with Him. And in this close following, we help others by our example. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 6

My sister, the universe of heaven is interested in your human life. Christ is interested in your family. His heart of love is grieved that the talents He has entrusted to your children are misdirected and misapplied. They are not choosing a career that will elevate, ennoble, and sanctify the mind, that will develop a character after Christ’s likeness, that will make them such that Christ can unite them with His family in the courts above. I am sorry that the enemy has deceived them, because they are lost to the service of Christ as long as they are thus following a path of their own choosing, and they are bringing hay, wood, stubble, to the foundation, rather than gold, silver, and precious stones, which are imperishable. The very highest honor we each can have is to lift and bear the cross of Christ. That cross is to all who bear it the pledge of the crown of eternal life. 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 7

My sister, the Lord loves you, and He wants you to have the crown of life. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out His name out of the book of life, but I will confess His name before my Father, and before his angels.” [Revelation 3:5.] The white robes are the garments of Christ’s righteousness, and all who have this righteousness are partakers of the divine nature. They have written upon them, “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” [Verse 12.] 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 8

The Lord is calling upon your husband to make a surrender of himself to God. He has been bought with a price, even the blood of the Son of God. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name.” [John 1:12.] My brother, may the Lord indeed wash all your sins away, and give you a new heart. “Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” [Revelation 16:15.] 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 9

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ... Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. ... These are the true sayings of God.” [Revelation 19:6-9.] 13LtMs, Lt 48, 1898, par. 10