The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts

The Blessed Aftercrop

The response to these revival appeals was seen in the extended spiritual awakening both here and overseas. They marked the beginning of a strong mission advance and became the dawn of a glorious day for the Adventist Church. FSG 237.2

Though the Minneapolis conference was a stormy meeting, the fruitage was most encouraging. As already stated, it marked the beginning of a new era of spiritual awakening and growth. O. A. Olsen, the newly elected president of the General Conference, W. W. Prescott, E. W. Farnsworth, and many other mighty men in the Word, but above all Mrs. White, started a series of revival meetings in every part of America. In our schools and other institutions, in the camp meetings, and in many, many local churches the Lord did great things for His people. Young people in one church wrote letters to the youth of other churches telling of the new freedom, joy, and victory which they had found in Christ. As this book deals primarily with the fruitage of the Spirit of prophecy, I shall tell mainly of the labors of Mrs. White after the conference. The next few years were among the busiest of her life. The Review and other papers contain a large number of articles from her on the subject under consideration, as anyone following her writing during those years will see. But she also labored and traveled extensively, as she writes herself. Of these labors she said in a sermon at Battle Creek: FSG 237.3

“I have traveled from place to place, attending meetings where the message of the righteousness of Christ was preached. I considered it a privilege to stand by the side of my brethren, and give my testimony with the message for the time; and I saw that the power of God attended the message wherever it was spoken. You could not make the people believe in South Lancaster that it was not a message of light that came to them. The people confessed their sins, and appropriated the righteousness of Christ. God has set His hand to do this work. We labored in Chicago; it was a week before there was a break in the meetings. But like a wave of glory, the blessing of God swept over us as we pointed men to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. The Lord revealed His glory, and we felt the deep moving of His Spirit. Everywhere the message led to the confession of sin, and to the putting away of iniquity.”—The Review and Herald, March 18, 1890, page 161. FSG 238.1

Two years later she wrote of these blessed experiences: FSG 238.2

“After the Minneapolis meeting how wonderfully the Spirit of God wrought; men confessed that they had robbed God by withholding tithes and offerings. Many souls were converted. Thousands of dollars were brought into the treasury. Rich experiences were related by those whose hearts were aglow with the love of God.”—MS. 22, 1890 (Feb. 3). FSG 238.3

But it was at the General Conference session one year later, October 18 to November 5, 1889, that the great results of these earnest revival labors began to appear even more clearly. Near the close of that conference Mrs. White wrote in a letter: FSG 238.4

“I am surprised that I am as well as I am. I had great fear that my summer’s work would enfeeble me for the winter, but to the praise of God I will say He has mercifully lifted me up above my infirmities. I am very much better than for many months, better than last year.. FSG 238.5

“We have a feast of fat things and when we see souls grasping the light we are rejoiced, looking unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Christ is the great pattern; His character must be our character. All excellence is in Him. Turning from man and every other model with open face we behold Jesus in all His glory. And their minds are filled with the grand and overpowering ideas of His excellence; every other object sinks into insignificance, and every part of moral discipline is lost which does not promote their likeness to His image. I see heights and depths that we may reach accepting every ray of light and going forward to a greater light. The end is near and God forbid that we shall be asleep at this time. FSG 239.1

“I am so thankful to see with our ministering brethren a disposition to search the Scriptures for themselves. There has been a very great lack of deep searching of the Scriptures, storing the mind with the gems of truth. How much we all lose because we do not put to the tax our minds to search with much prayer for divine enlightenment to understand His holy word. I believe there will be a decided advance among our people, a more earnest endeavor to keep pace with the third angel’s message.”—MS. 10, 1889. FSG 239.2

Some may well ask, What was this teaching of righteousness by faith which became the mainspring of the great Adventist revival, as taught and emphasized by Mrs. White and others? It was the same doctrine that Luther, Wesley, and many other servants of God had been teaching. This is easily seen when one reads the articles by Mrs. White in our papers for many years, and also her large books. Salvation by faith alone is beautifully set forth in the small book Steps to Christ, first printed in 1892. It is also strongly stressed in books like Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, Christ’s Object Lessons, and above all in that grand book, The Desire of Ages. FSG 239.3

To show just what Adventists believe and what Mrs. White taught concerning Christ as our righteousness and justification by faith we quote the following: FSG 239.4

“We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. ‘Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sins not; whosoever sinned hath not seen Him, neither known Him.’ Here is the true test. if we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law.... FSG 240.1

“We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Savior, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.”—Steps to Christ, 66, 67. FSG 240.2

One phase or part of the truth concerning Christ’s righteousness, which many seem to have passed by unnoticed, was strongly stressed and explained in those years of blessed revival. I refer to the Bible truth that the “righteousness of God” which we have by faith is the righteous life of Christ as lived here on earth in human flesh. There can be, of course, but one perfect righteousness, which is the righteous character of the Father and Christ. This righteousness as far as men are concerned is taught perfectly in the law and it is also revealed in all its divine perfection and beauty in the sinless life of Christ on earth. This is thus stated by Mrs White: FSG 240.3

“Christ came from the courts of glory to this sin-polluted world, and humbled Himself to humanity. He identified Himself with our weaknesses, and was tempted in all points like as we are. Christ perfected a righteous character here upon the earth, not on His own account, for His character was pure and spotless, but for fallen man. His character He offers to man if he will accept it. The sinner, through repentance of his sins, faith in Christ, and obedience to the perfect law of God, has the righteousness of Christ imputed to him; it becomes his righteousness, and his name is recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. He becomes a child of God, a member of the royal family.”—Testimonies for the Church 3:371, 372. FSG 240.4