Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 24 (1909)

Ms 112, 1909

Sermon/Thoughts on Hebrews 2

Lodi, California

November 8, 1909

Previously unpublished.

Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White, November 8, 1909, Lodi, California

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will? For unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For 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.” Hebrews 2:1-10. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 1

I wanted to bring this point before you. We are inclined to think, if we see one suffering, that there is something he has done that he needs to repent of. It may be there is, but it may be nothing more than you have done. But what we want to bring before you is the thought that there is to appear in the lives of every one a simplicity and a true godliness, wherever we are, and in whatever work we are engaged in doing. If we will consider this, and if we will press close to the bleeding side of Jesus Christ, and be willing to be partakers with Christ in His sufferings, we shall be conformed to the image of Christ. And that is what we want. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 2

Things will come up, in the perfecting of the church in this world as it is, that every one of us will have to act our part. And what I am urging is for all of us to be sanctified. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 3

“For both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Verse 11. We show ourselves to be one with Christ, partakers with Christ of His sufferings. “For which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” These words I want to bring before you. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 4

“Saying, I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee.” Verse 12. We have got to be living, acting Christians; and if we are, we shall surely have burdens laid on us if we are partakers with Christ’s sufferings; we shall have burdens laid on us for other souls. We are not to feel that if we believe in Christ and if we try to follow Him, then our work is ended. It is just begun, and we are to follow on to know the Lord, that we may know His going forth is prepared as the morning. Now that is the work in which we all can act a part. Be sure and take advantage of every opportunity that you have to represent Christ. Keep in view that we are following on to know the Lord, that His going forth is prepared as the morning. We do not get it all at once, but we can understand our work from day to day, to perfect a Christian character right in our home, and especially in the church. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 5

The church needs the help of all these diversity of operations of the Spirit of God upon the human mind. We are not all led alike. One will see importance in some things, others will see importance in other things, but they are just as important as the ones that the other sees. Coming together, and bringing our testimonies one after another, they are not a facsimile, they are not all just alike, but one has some word to say, and another has some word to say, and every one of us is fitting up to fill our place in the Lord’s great work. “Ye are laborers.” In your own strength? “Together with God.” [1 Corinthians 3:9.] You are perfecting a character in and through Jesus Christ, and it is here that we shall realize the benefits of our Saviour. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 6

But if we feel that we are competent to do everything that shall arise, we may not seek the Lord, and we may not reveal the image of Christ in us in our world, and the Lord wants us to follow on after Him and represent Him in character. Now that is our work. Do it in simplicity, do it in meekness, and we will represent Christ and not extol ourselves, that we are on the highest round of the ladder, when we have got every single step to climb. Now we want to be climbing step by step the ladder of progress and follow on heavenward. That ladder leads through the life of Christ, who has prepared for us a heaven, and we want it. And we want to know that it is our privilege to have it, and we want to go upon that ladder. It may be painful climbing, but we want to go up that ladder, praising God at every step; and although it may be trying to us to climb, we must climb heavenward. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 7

We are viewing things of eternal interest today. It is that we follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and we want to do that. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 8

“And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” [Hebrews 2] Verse 13. That is just what we are trying to do. Because your children are put out to school, it does not relax your responsibility. You are to know whether they are improving, and following on in the right way, and that the religious interests are kept alive in their hearts. The mother’s responsibility is not gone because she sends her children to school. It is doubled, because they are separated from her, and the lesson that the mother gives must come to the children to stand in a position in the school where they can be a blessing to others. Every one can be a blessing to those around him. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 9

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.” (Verse 14), first part. Yes, just as a child, Christ came into our world to represent a perfection of character acted, and we must represent a character acted. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 10

“That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.” Verses 14-18. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 11

Now, my brethren and sisters, let every one of us for Christ’s sake bring ourselves in right relation to all the efforts that are being made to perfect the character of our children. The parents must not throw off that burden and think that is all done. They have examination. They are to find out whether their children are progressing in spiritual views and ideas, or whether they are losing what they have by being associated with so many children. The parents are not to lose their hold on the children; they are to try to work in perfect harmony with all the elevating, all the refining, and all the reproving that are possible, to perfect the character of their children. Now if it was not to perfect the character of your children, you would not feel like sending them right away from you, but you want to see your children, you want to pray with your children, you want to talk with your children. You want in every way to second every good work that is put forth in their behalf, and the parents and the children work in perfect harmony. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 12

Now this is the work that rests upon us, and I have not much more to say, because I know the time is precious, and I do not mean to take more of it than is essential; but I do want to take up these points that others perhaps will not bring in. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 13

Mothers, your work does not lessen in sending your children to the school, unless you know they are working in harmony with the lessons that you have given them to prepare for the future, eternal life. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 14

The Lord is coming soon. We know it, and we know that the end of all things is at hand; and we want to work right in wherever we can to perfect a Christian character ourselves, as a pattern, and then we want to help others, that they may come in perfect harmony with the truth, and with light and obedience. Because they come to the school does not lessen their obedience to the father and the mother. Only teach them to walk according to the instruction that shall be given them by those who understand what it means to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 15

Now I felt afraid that the parents might lose the advantage that they can have right in harmony with their children. Some of them may be far away from home, but notwithstanding that your responsibility keeps up, you must keep it alive and address them letters, and tell them how to obey and how to be a pattern and not to follow anything that may come up, to have a real time of cheerfulness in spirit, and that they are to reveal an education that shall fit them for the service of God. Keep that before them; and if you do keep that before them, you will help the teachers. We are all fitting up to face tremendous realities, and we want to understand it, and not to go to sleep over it. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 16

We want now to pray as we never have prayed before, and we want to work intelligently, in the name of Jesus Christ, ourselves to be overcomers; and if we do that, the blessing that will rest upon us will be great. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 17

Christ worked out perfection in our behalf, in behalf of humanity; and we want to bring that point right to the children and tell them what they are doing. Every one of them is to honor their Redeemer, not to think it is all hilarity and glee when they are done with their studies, because that is not the way to do. We want to prepare them for the temptations that will certainly come. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 18

“Like unto His brethren.” That is, subject to temptations as they were subject to temptations. “That He might be a merciful and faithful high priest.” [Verse 17.] Now you just consider the Son of the living God. In our behalf He has done this. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 19

Now let us consider these points, every one of us. We need a great deal more humility and a great deal more spirituality than we manifest, unless we shall fall behind when the time of test comes, as it will come to every one. We are not ready to meet it, we are not prepared for it, we have not thought of it. But I want you to think of these things, that Christ went over the ground that we go over, that He was tempted in all points like as we are. You bear this in mind. He overcame in His humanity, through His divine nature, and how do we overcome? Why, He gave His life that we might become partakers of the divine nature. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 20

I want you to consider that your children are walking over that ground, and you are walking over that ground, and we have an experience to gain that we do not have. We must take these things earnestly to heart, if we are fitting up for the kingdom of heaven. If we are to be partakers of the divine nature, represent it. Represent it in all your movements, and the blessing of God will surely be upon you, and angels of God will be right by you to make the representation, if you walk carefully in the footsteps of the self-denying Saviour, if you are willing to act a part that the truth shall be presented before the people. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 21

We are not doing one-hundredth part of what we ought to be doing. Here is the world perishing without the truth, and Christ came as a man that He might approach man as a man connected with God, that He might teach us how to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 22

Now we are not half awake, we are not half alive, and may God help us that we may come right up to the point, and that we may have a living religion, and a growing interest continually, for we are told that in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh, and we want to be ready. We want to say, Glory to God, glory to God. This is what we have labored for. He has come! He has come, and we will glorify Him. Now let us glorify Him here. We will learn the glorification that we must get here. We must press the battle to the gates and overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 23

Your responsibilities will not be less because there are teachers here to come in and teach your children. You are to keep that in view and to do your work intelligently as a mother. You can’t do as if they were right with you, but you can keep your influence in touch with them, and encourage them, and seek in every way to have them honor and glorify God. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 24

There is a future. Overcome by the blood, and when Jesus comes, you can say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will save us.” [Isaiah 25:9.] If you can do that, you have gained everything. Let your heart melt before God. Let the light of heaven come into your heart. Let it be revealed in your words and your acts. The light that has been given me is that we do not realize one-twentieth part, and some hardly one-hundredth part, of the blessings that we might obtain through a living, religious experience; and then we are to impart it to those around us. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 25

And now I will say, The Lord will certainly, certainly help us. Let us work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. And let us work that we shall not lose the heavenly reward. We must have it, and I want to inspire you with the thought that you can have it. All heaven is interested in the battle that you are carrying on, and you may be overcomers through the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. Amen and amen. 24LtMs, Ms 112, 1909, par. 26