General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4

SERMON

A. G. DANIELLS

April 7, 7 P.M.

Jesus says, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.4

The question has been forcing itself upon my mind all day. Is this experience being found by us during this meeting? Is the freedom that Christ says the truth will bring to us being experienced by us? So I thought that to-night I would give a simple talk with regard to the glorious freedom that God has called us to; for you know that in Galatians the Lord says: “Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty.” It seems to me that this is the vital question before us during our association together here. Whatever we may hear, whatever business we may transact, however pleasant our associations may be together, if we have not the freedom that the truth of God is able to give, we miss the real point to be gained. GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.5

I feel very anxious that none shall go from these meetings a stranger to this glorious liberty. We can not afford such a thing. Here are many who have come long distances, expecting much. Shall we reach the real goal to which we are all looking? Shall we experience the real, vital thing? or shall we miss it? Shall we go from this place no freer in Christ Jesus than when we came?—God forbid! If there is a people on the earth to whom Jesus speaks in my text, it is this people before me. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.6

No man is naturally free. We know that. Men who have not been renewed by the grace of God are in bondage. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye can not do the things that ye would.” That is the condition of the unregenerated man, is it not? [Congregation: Yes, it is.] GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.7

God says that he has called us to liberty. [Congregation: Praise the Lord!] He has called us to freedom in Jesus Christ, and he tells us what will make us free. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We talk a great deal about the truth. We think we know the truth. Now God has said that if we know this truth, we shall be made free by it. [Congregation: Amen!] GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.8

The question to-night is, Are we free? Do we know the glorious liberty that is in Christ Jesus? I am sure there are many here who know it. But the thing that has troubled my heart for a day or two is: Are there some in these meetings who do not know this liberty? If there are I want to help them to-night. So we read: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Those two verses put the truth and the Son, Jesus Christ, together. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Jesus said, “I am the truth.” It just comes to this: Ye shall know Jesus Christ, and he shall make you free. [Congregation: Amen!] That is really the teaching. GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.9

In 2 Corinthians 5:17: we are told that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” He is delivered from bondage, he is set free. Brethren, the time has fully come for old things to pass away. [Voices. Amen!] GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.10

We are endeavoring to put away some of these old principles that have hampered and bound our work. We are struggling to get away from these old things, into new things; into that which is better. But as it was stated in the very first meeting, that can be done only by a personal change in each individual. The thought did not strike me with such force the first night that Brother Jones referred to it, but each day and each hour, as I think it over, it comes home with greater force. We must press into this matter, and get hold of a personal, heart experience. [Congregation: Amen!] GCB April 9, 1901, page 150.11

There is a great deal in the Bible about this liberty. There are promises of God for people who are in darkness and in error, who have not the light that we have to-night. In the fifty-first chapter of Isaiah and the fourteenth verse, is this statement: “The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.1

Who is the captive exile?—Sinful man. Somewhere there is a statement that “sinful man is Satan’s lawful captive.” The captive exile, man, who was exiled from his Eden home when Satan gained the victory, has passed into captivity to the enemy. Thus he was exiled from his home; and from that day to this, sinful man has been a captive exile. But God assures us that he knows the hearts of the captive exiles, and he sees many of them hastening to be loosed, that they should not die in the pit. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.2

That is a good assurance for him who goes to the regions beyond to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ. As he goes forth for the purpose of proclaiming to them the liberty that Christ has proclaimed for them, he will meet those captives, and he has the assurance that his work will meet with success. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.3

Many laborers lose much because they do not reckon on accomplishing much. We miss the mark by not aiming directly enough at it. God tells us as we go forth to know that we shall find captive exiles everywhere, hastening to be loosed. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.4

The Lord sent Philip to a certain place. As soon as he reached the place, he found a man, the eunuch of Ethiopia, riding in his chariot, reading the prophecy of Isaiah. The man said to him, “Of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?” Then Philip joined himself to the chariot, and preached Jesus. The man received the message, and went on his way rejoicing. Philip was sent out by the Lord to rescue captive exiles, and the Lord put him where he could find those exiles and rescue them. That is God’s design to-day, and he wants us to have glorious success in our gospel work. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.5

Now to the question regarding the release of these captives. Will they find the liberty? In the forty-ninth chapter of Isaiah and the twenty-fourth verse the Lord himself asks: “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive be delivered?” That is the question. The answer is, Yea, “thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy children.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.6

That is a blessed promise. It assures us that the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ can triumph in the darkest lands. We can rest our whole weight upon these promises; we can stand still, and see the salvation of God. One reason why we have so little fruit is because we reckon on so little. We fail to reckon upon as much as God promises. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.7

But to come back to the thought that we started with. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” God not only tells us that the captive exile who hasteneth shall be loosed,—that he shall be set free,—he not only tells us that he has proclaimed liberty to the exiles, but he tells us that all this liberty is for us. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.8

Further than that, we must know that liberty personally before we can take it to another soul. You remember what Peter said to the blind beggar when he and John were going up to the temple. He said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. He could not give the beggar gold and silver, though that was what he wanted. He said, I can not give you gold, which I have not, but I will give you what I have. In that statement we have set forth a very practical and ever-present truth. No man can impart that which he himself does not possess. We can give only what we have, and we are always giving that. If we have a good experience, if we have liberty in Jesus Christ, we shall be leading others into the same liberty. We may be unconscious of it: we may not realize it any more than that electric light knows that it is shining; but it is impossible to confine it. But if we are ourselves in bondage,—it is impossible to lead others into liberty. There will be influences going from us that will engender to bondage continually. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.9

If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed; and if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Now, dear friends, it comes right to the question of knowing Jesus. He is the wisdom of God. He is the light of the world. He is the truth. In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In him dwells all the fullness of the God-head bodily. He is the power of God. Not only are these perfections found in him, but he is those perfections. And when Jesus comes to the heart of a man, wisdom comes to that man; light comes to him, truth that makes a man free comes to him. Power comes to him, and so he is all that the human heart needs, all that anybody requires. This truth and power are all in the blessed Saviour. So it is a question as to whether or not Christ dwells with us. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.10

So he says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” That is his attitude. He is here to-night, knocking at the doors of our hearts, seeking an entrance. He wants to come in, and abide with us; and when he comes in, he comes with all his matchless perfection, to set us free. He makes us new creatures, and takes away that which is old, as he leads us into that which is blessedly new. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.11

Christ longs to come into every heart, and the only reason he does not, is because that heart is closed against him. Christ will never share his throne with an idol. And the trouble with many people is that they allow idols to occupy the throne of the heart, which shuts out the Lord Jesus. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.12

Then right here in this meeting we want to see that the door is opened, and that Christ is allowed to come in to be Lord of all. If he can not be Lord of all, he will not be Lord at all in any man’s heart. He must have the whole heart. The Scriptures tell us what it is that shuts him out, and what it is that brings him in. Here is a statement in Philippians that is very much to the point. In the third chapter, seventh verse, Paul makes this statement: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.13

In this scripture is a vital principle of Christian experience. “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” What for?—“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.” The power that sets a man free is the same that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul knew what that death in trespasses and sins was. He had struggled with the flesh: he had been acquainted with that tempest that had raged in his heart so many years. He knew all about it; and when he saw just how the matter stood, when he saw the way out of that bondage, he said, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss,” that I might know Christ, and the power that raised him from the dead. GCB April 9, 1901, page 151.14

This is the step we must all take. We must come to the place where we shall count all that seems gain to us as loss for Christ. Paul had many personal advantages from a human standpoint. He had many things that were gain to him; but he saw that they stood in the way of personal experience, and of perfect liberty in Christ; and so he let the Lord sweep the board clean. He let the Lord level them all; and he said, All these things that were gain to me I surrendered, and counted them loss for Christ. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.1

But Paul did not stop there. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 he said: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake.” GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.2

Do you see the point? I am sure you must. He not only said that those things which were gain to him he counted loss, but he took pleasure in infirmities. He even stepped below a common level—he went beyond the loss of that which was gain to him—and welcomed infirmities, perils, trials, distresses, everything that called for the crucifixion of self. All this that he might know the power of Christ, and have it rest upon him. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.3

It seems to me that this must be our attitude. We must be perfectly willing to let God take away that which seems gain to us. Yes, we must go along farther, and welcome trials, sacrifices, self-denials, distresses, persecutions, and sufferings; and be able to say, Lord, I take pleasure in these things, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.4

When a man reaches that ground, he will not be left long without the power of Christ. That man will know personal freedom, and he will by that power help to set other men free. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.5

But there is such a clinging to the things that are gain to us. There is such a holding on, such a grasping after the things that are pleasant. But what do we read about Jesus?—We read of him that though he was equal with God, he thought it not a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. He gave up all that he had. Not only that, but he suffered, bled, and died, that he might bring redemption, freedom, and liberty to humanity. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.6

Can we not walk in his footsteps? He did that to bring liberty, can we not do that to gain liberty, to know freedom, and to have the power of Christ rests upon us, that we may take it to others, an show them the way, and help them to be made free? But our pleasant homes, our pleasant positions, our pleasant and agreeable associations—all these things have such a place, they entwine so around the heart—it is so hard to give them up. It is so hard to look upon a path of self-denial, and sacrifice, and trouble, and peril; so hard to look upon these, and then deliberately walk right into them, and say that they are welcome. But it is possible to do even this. There is power in the grace of God to make a man’s heart welcome trials, cross-bearing, self-denial, and self-sacrifice. I do not believe we can be able ministers of the new covenant, ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ, until we are brought to that place where we shall glory in a life of self-denial and self-sacrifice. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.7

But are we getting that experience here? If not, shall we not get it? God wants to select his agents here; he wants to baptize them with power; he wants to send us forth to the ends of the earth, to work as we never have before. I want to know to-night if there are any delegates here who have not tasted that blessed freedom since they have been here; if there are any here who realize that somehow there is a cloud hovering over them, steeling their hearts and holding them fast. If there are any such, will you not take the blessed freedom that Jesus Christ offers you tonight? GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.8

I know that delegates who come to General Conference, go all through the meeting, bound, held by the enemy, and go home weaker and more disheartened than when they came to Conference. I know that this has been the experience of some. I have not attended a General Conference for fifteen years; but I well remember two or three Conferences that I attended before leaving for New Zealand, and I know some of the struggles that I had in those Conferences to get free, and to get from under a cloud that came upon me, even after I came to the Conference. I have not forgotten them, and I feel a deep sympathy for any brother who may be here under any kind of a cloud. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.9

Don’t let this matter rest, and go from this Conference unsatisfied. Jesus is able to satisfy the highest and broadest aspirations that his Holy Spirit puts into your hearts. He puts them there that we may be satisfied—not to mock us, not to make us wretched, not to disappoint us; but, glory be to his great name, he gives these desires for freedom, for liberty, for power that we may experience it all just now. [Congregation: Amen.] If we are not under a cloud, we are conscious of God’s special presence with us, working upon our minds! And that is an experience that should be shared by all. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.10

God has been drawing near; he has been approaching us, and he has come just as near to us, and just as fully into our hearts as we have let him. But there is much more for us. We have but just touched the edge of the water. We need to walk into a river that is deep enough to swim in. I can not help but believe that this may be a real pentecostal season. Some time we must have it. Some time the latter rain will do its work, and it seems to me that we might have these blessed experiences here. We may know freedom; we may know duty; we may find our bearings; we may be free and joyous in the salvation of our God. Now I want to open the way for anyone here to-night who may be under a cloud, or who may not feel free in God, or who is in trouble or perplexity about himself, to press this battle to the gates of the enemy. We will have an inquiry meeting. We will go to the east vestry, and meet anyone who wants to meet with us, to seek God for a better experience. I don’t know anything more reasonable and sensible than for men to meet together, and help one another to get the liberty there is in Christ for them. We are face to face with the most serious problems that men have ever faced in this world, and there is nothing more sensible than for us to get close together, and help one another to get our bearings. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.11

May the Lord’s voice speak to every heart here to-night. He knows how to speak in such tones to us that we may know it for ourselves. Now if there is one here who wants to join us in seeking God for clearer light, for a better experience, and for entire freedom just tarry a short time. We will meet you in the east vestry, to talk and pray with you. May the good Lord teach us what we need. May the good Lord lead us in the way that he knows we ought to go, for his own name’s sake. GCB April 9, 1901, page 152.12