The Watchman
December 4, 1906
Led by the Spirit
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:16-26. SW December 4, 1906, par. 1
In the first six of these verses there is presented the class that cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Those who do the things here specified, shall not inherit that kingdom. But there is presented another class, who can and will enter the kingdom of God, who will have a right to enter there; and they are persons who are seeking a moral fitness to stand around the great white throne in white robes of character. In the day of their probation they realize the importance of the work to be done, and take hold of it intelligently and understandingly. They make it a personal work, an individual work. SW December 4, 1906, par. 2
“The fruit of the Spirit is love.” This is the very thing for which we are to labor. If we have the love of Christ in our souls, as a natural consequence we shall have all the other graces,—“joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,” and “against such there is no law.” The law of God does not condemn and hold in bondage those who have these graces, because they are obeying the requirements of that law. They are law-keepers, and therefore they are not under the bondage of the law. SW December 4, 1906, par. 3
Some time ago, when we were passing through Oswego, N.Y., we saw two stern officers guarding two men who were chained together and carried in their hands large leaden balls. We did not come to the conclusion that they had been keeping the laws of the state of New York, but that they had been breaking them, and that they could not walk at liberty because they were transgressors of the law. We were trying to live in harmony with all the laws of the state of New York and with the law of God, and we were walking at liberty; we were not under the bondage of the law. If we live in harmony with the life of Christ, and with the law of which his life was a living example, we are not, we cannot be, under the bondage of the law. SW December 4, 1906, par. 4
There are two courses of action that we may pursue. One course leads us away from God, and shuts us out of his kingdom, and in this path are envyings, strife, murder, and all evil deeds. In the pursuance of the other course of action will be found joy, peace, harmony, and love. Love—that is what we are to cherish; what we most need is the love of God in our hearts. We are more destitute of this precious boon than of anything else. When divine love is in the heart, it will reveal itself; it will surely go out to others. It will be seen in the words, in the very expression of the countenance. SW December 4, 1906, par. 5
Not long since I heard a sick child say that some one did not love him. He was asked why he said so. “How do you know that he does not love you?” “Why, I can just tell as soon as I look at him that he does not like me; I know he doesn't love me.” A child reads the very look in the eye, and understands the expression of the countenance. Is it a marvel to us that a child can tell who are his friends; that he knows that certain persons are fond of him? Then it should not take us many months to tell whether the love of Christ is in our heart, whether it is overflowing from it. SW December 4, 1906, par. 6
When the love of Christ is enshrined in the heart, like sweet fragrance it cannot be hidden. The holy influence, reflected through the character, will be manifest to all. SW December 4, 1906, par. 7
We see the restlessness of the world, their dissatisfaction and ambitious longings. They want something they do not possess. They want excitement and amusement. But for the Christian there is joy, there is peace; he has gentleness, meekness, forbearance, and patience; and to these we want to open the door of our heart, cherishing the heavenly graces of the Spirit of God. SW December 4, 1906, par. 8
Let me call your attention to Peter's ladder of eight rounds: “Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” SW December 4, 1906, par. 9