Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Ms 129b, 1901

A Call to Service

NP

ND, 1901

This manuscript is published in entirety in The Southern Watchman, 02/27/02, 03/06/02, 03/13/02.

The believers in the South are in need of a thorough conversion. The Lord calls upon them to show a zeal proportionate to the great truth they have accepted. The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to many of those who claim to believe present truth. They are neither cold nor hot. They have not been doing the work God has given them to do. Christ says to them, “I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” [Revelation 3:15, 16.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 1

He who truly believes the truth will show the sincerity of his belief by revealing in his life the principles of the truth. This is the test by which God proves His followers. It is an eternal law of Jehovah that he who accepts the truth is to make it his first work to proclaim to the world the message of mercy and warning. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 2

The work that is neglected brings the denunciation of God upon many. If those in the Southern field wait to see a large work accomplished without first giving themselves to the advancement of the cause of God, with much prayer and daily consecration, making self-sacrificing efforts for its advancement, they will be disappointed. God cannot use those who do not sincerely co-operate with the ones He has accepted, because they gave themselves to His work and did all they possibly could to make a beginning. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 3

He does not look with pleasure on those who find fault when things do not move in accordance with their ideas. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 4

The hand of God, working through unseen agencies, has opened the way for the advancement of the work in the Southern field. But some of the men in responsible positions have hindered the progress of this work. Throughout the field there have been men who have put stones before instead of behind the wheels of the car that the workers are trying to push uphill. Unconverted men have brought forward theories and suggestions that have sown seeds of jealousy and evil surmising. The Lord can do without such men, but it is for their interest to reform. The message He desires them to proclaim, He can, if they refuse, give to the stones of the field to proclaim. This message will be given to the world; for prophecy has pointed out this work as a work that must be accomplished. Why do some men do all in their power to hinder? Such men would better go to some hard part of the field and begin to work. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 5

Few are willing to strip for the race, laying aside every weight, and the sin that so easily besets. Few are willing to gird themselves for the battle, putting on the whole armor of God. Let every believer in the South labor to the utmost of his ability from henceforth to advance the work. Let not this work continue to be neglected, bringing dishonor to God. I urge this matter upon you, that you may be impressed with its importance. On your submission to Christ and your obedience to His command to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and to labor unselfishly for the salvation of others, depends your present and future happiness. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 6

Those who believe in Christ will reveal the same spirit that Christ revealed. Converted to God, made partakers of the spirit and love of the Saviour, they are set apart to do the same work that He did on this earth. They lose their identity in Christ, becoming one with Him. By searching the Word of God diligently, receiving it as the leaves of the tree of life, to be ministered to the people, they gain a knowledge of the plan of salvation. They learn from Jesus how to work successfully for others. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 7

Christ says, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” Then comes the explanation, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” [John 6:57, 63.] Connecting these words with those found in the fifteenth chapter of John, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” [Verse 3], we can better understand their meaning. Shall we understand? 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 8

In the prayer Christ offered for His disciples just before His crucifixion, He said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” [John 17:16-23.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 9

What a wonderful prayer is this! Consider it carefully. Study every word, lest you fail of receiving the impression that God desires to make on your heart—an impression that is of the greatest importance to you. This prayer holds out before us our possibilities, showing that it is our privilege to live in covenant relation with God. Every one may understand these wonderful, far-reaching expressions, and appropriate to himself the rich promises they contain. Those who do not avail themselves of the blessings so graciously offered them, will be called upon in the day of the Lord to answer for their refusal to accept the great gift placed within their reach. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 10

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.” [Verse 23.] Can you comprehend this statement? Is it deeper and broader than your faith can reach? Do you ask, How can this be? It can; for God has said it, and He means every word He says. He will not change or alter the thing that has gone out of His lips. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 11

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” [Verses 24-26.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 12

The voice that utters this prayer is the voice of our Redeemer. Do not the tones thrill through every part of your being? 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 13

The love of Christ has thrown open to us the gates of Paradise. Who can look into the heart of the great mystery of redemption, and find it to be love, without catching the same spirit that led Christ to die for sinners? As we think of His sacrifice, our life is bound up with His. A desire to serve Him takes possession of every fibre of our being. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 14

The Lord is working. The Saviour has been promised the salvation of His people. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” [Psalm 110:3.] He who is the source of all power gives energy to souls by His Holy Spirit. His power is the light of life, a soul-energizing light. By His Spirit He works in the children of disobedience, raising to newness of life the dead in trespasses and sins, leading the transgressor to put away his sins and live the life of Christ. Henceforth the surrendered soul lives in harmony with God. The Spirit takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to him with so transforming an effect that he becomes a new man in Christ. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 15

*****

Let God’s Spirit work with all who are at Nashville, but let no man try to work the Holy Spirit. And let no words of murmuring be spoken. If you have words of encouragement to say, say them; but if not, keep silent. Silence is often eloquence. And I have a word from the Lord: Grieve not the Holy Spirit by giving expression to your feelings when you see the need of more means to advance the work, and your soul is grieved by the indifference of those who ought to help. If through lack of means you are brought into trying positions, carry the matter to God. When the treasury is empty, and when letter after letter comes calling for means to meet emergencies, the men at the heart of the work feel perplexed and discouraged. Let your words be carefully chosen words, choice and pure, fraught with love and sympathy. Then you will not bruise and wound the souls of your fellow workers. You will strengthen and encourage them. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 16

The Lord desires His servants to show His forbearance in dealing with one another. Let not the workers in Nashville speak a word of recrimination or discouragement. In His providence God has given you facilities for the publication and sale of books. Thank Him for this. Let no word of evil-surmising escape your lips. Close the door quickly against this temptation, and keep it closed. God is dishonored by those who accuse their brethren. Open the heart to Christ’s forbearance. Refuse to drink the turbid, murky waters of the valley; drink only the water that flows from the refreshing streams of Lebanon. Let no day pass in which you do not realize your accountability to work for God—an accountability placed on you by the death of His Son in your behalf. Let not a day pass in which you do not try to heal the wounds that sin has made. Always be found working on the broad plan of God’s love. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 17

“Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price.” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] Every part of the being is the Lord’s, paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. In dealing with one another, we are to remember this. We are to treat our fellow workers with respect and kindness and love; for they belong to Christ. They may not always please us. What they do may not always meet our ideas. Nevertheless we are to unite with them in Christian fellowship. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 18

Think of the importance Christ places on unity. He prayed that the oneness existing between Him and His Father might exist among His followers, that the world might know that God had indeed sent His Son into the world to save sinners. How shall this prayer be answered? By every believer putting away all evil-thinking and evil-speaking. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 19

Do not admit a wrong that God has not charged you with. But do not take time to contradict the false reports that are made. Shall we sacrifice our fragrance of spirit because others clothe themselves with bitterness? God forbid. Is it not sufficient for us to know that God does not record these false reports in the books of heaven as true? 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 20

Do not speak or write a word of censure or recrimination, even though it may seem to you as if the censure were deserved. Refuse to listen to complaints. Close the heart against prejudice. Let envy be quenched in the flow of love from the fountain of God’s love. Evil imaginings are not worth the time so often given to thinking of and repeating them. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 21

Many trials will come. But keep the door of the lips against hasty words, for such words, if spoken, hurt your own soul and are displeasing to the Lord. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 22

There must be a reformation in our churches in regard to evil-thinking and evil-speaking. These sins are stumbling blocks over which sinners stumble to perdition. They cause men and women to be misunderstood and misjudged. They create disturbances that should never exist. God will not justify us in giving expression to ill-feeling against those whom we suppose have erred. Have we ourselves never made mistakes? Have we never been in the slough of despond? God help us to remember how hard it is, when tempted by the enemy, to have our own brethren step to his [the enemy's] side, and try to hurt and destroy. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 23

When tempted to find fault, begin to sing, “Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. ... The works of His hands are verity and judgment, all his commandments are sure. ... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.” [Psalm 111:1, 7, 10.] “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” [Psalm 112:4.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 24

*****

I am so glad that the Lord knows the full measure of the trials which He permits to come upon His people. There is help for us in God. The obstructions that seem to us like impossibilities, God can and will remove. He desires us to learn our lessons of humiliation, and in learning these, we shall learn lessons of encouragement. We shall be led to depend upon God as we see how unable we are to carry out His purposes in our own strength. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 25

Let all the workers in Nashville seek the Lord in prayer. He has placed means in the hands of His stewards for the advancement of His work. Wealthy unbelievers will some of them be impressed to return to the Lord His own. God has led such ones to help the work in New York. Men not of our faith, but favorable to the truth, have helped in many ways, and we are praying and expecting that they will help still more. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 26

While I feel all the interest in the Southern field that I have ever felt, I realize that there is much to be done in other parts of the vineyard. The State of New York has been presented before me, and also the greater City of New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City, and their suburbs. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 27

Do not, at any trial that the Lord permits to come, give way to discouragement. Complaining and murmuring weaken the soul and dishonor God. Does it become us to be so ready with complaint? Are not the tokens of God’s love sufficient to fill our hearts with thanksgiving and praise? Jesus desires us to trust in Him, bearing patiently the delays we cannot help. He remembers every word He has spoken to lead His children to trust in Him. He is ever mindful of His covenant. His word will never fail. May the Lord increase our faith in our Intercessor! 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 28

We are under obligation to will to do the will of God. By striving to be like the Saviour, we are to prepare ourselves for service. He is working for us. We have an Advocate in the heavenly courts, who is ever making intercession for us. The cry of the one ready to perish finds swift entrance to His ear. “He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.” [Psalm 72:12.] Shall we not work for Christ on the lines that He has marked out? Shall we not be advocates of those who are in need of help? “Having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” [Hebrews 10:21-23.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 29

“It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church I will sing praise unto thee.” [Hebrews 2:10-12.] 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 30

Christ suffered, being tempted; therefore He always sympathizes with the tempted ones, whom Satan is seeking to destroy. That He might be a merciful and high priest, He was in all things made like those He came to help. He has compassion on the ignorant and on those who are out of the way; for when He was on this earth, He was compassed with infirmities. He is able to help us in our perplexities. As He works for us, let us work for one another, striving to promote unity and harmony. Let us reveal Christlike love for our fellow workers, acting in such a way that they will have full confidence in us. Think of the rich encouragement the Saviour has given us, which we in turn are to give to others. 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 31

Many more than we suppose need a helping hand held out to them. There are many to whom words of compassion and sympathy would be as a cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. Are you doing Christ’s service by ministering to weary, discouraged fellow beings? 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 32

Let those with whom the Lord has dealt so mercifully say, Not one good thing has failed, of all that the Lord has spoken. “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” [Psalm 25:10.] God’s promises are Yea and Amen. Let us open the door of the lips to speak words of hope and courage to our fellow workers. In love and pity God has helped us. Shall we not impart His grace to others? 16LtMs, Ms 129b, 1901, par. 33