Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 23 (1908)

Lt 201, 1908

Belden, F. E.

St. Helena, California

June 1908

Previously unpublished.

Frank Belden

My dear Nephew:

Once more I make my appeal to you. You are my sister’s son—the child of one who unselfishly did the work of the Lord. Will you not now turn square about? 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 1

Genuine conversion from sin to righteousness is your only hope. Thus saith the Lord, “If he will seek Me with all his heart, confessing his sins, I will be found of him. But he will receive no help by lowering the standard of righteousness to meet his erratic ideas.” When you yield up your own will and become converted, then there will be hope for you. When you fall on the rock and are broken, when genuine conversion takes place in your life, you will respond to the invitation of Christ. You will join your weakness to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your unworthiness to His merit, your spiritual weakness to His enduring might, your poverty to His boundless wealth. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 2

When you surrender all to God, and thus become one with Christ, He will use you to the glory of His name. When you do this, you will have the spirit of peace. But I am bidden to say to you that you are working decidedly against Christ. God cannot accept you unless you make a decided stand for truth. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 3

At different times you have sent documents to me to read. I have read a few pages, and then God has declared to me that your time in writing these documents was lost. Your mind has become changed into the likeness of the evil agencies that have controlled it. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 4

On one occasion, as I looked at the batch of MSS you had sent, the word of the Lord came to me, It is a mixture of such a character that no human mind could understand it. Frank Belden is serving his own unsanctified heart. He does not understand his own spirit, and he never will, unless he is converted. Unless he is born again, he will never be permitted to pass through the gates of the holy city. His whole mind and soul will have to be renewed before he can be perfect in righteousness. He has caused great perplexity to those who are trying to work in truth and righteousness. He can never untangle the perplexities he has made for others and for himself. If he would give himself to the Lord by covenant, God would let His light shine into his perplexed, confused mind. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 5

Once more I say, When you give yourself to God, and wed your heart to Him who gave His life to you, you will become an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. You will become a sharer in His kingdom. If you continue in the faith, you have the promise, “Where I am there shall ye be also.” [John 14:3.] You will have the indwelling of the spirit of peace. A thorough conversion will change your whole conception of truth. I am charged to say to you, Cease your continual controversy with God and His believing ones. When you really lay down your battle axe, and become meek and lowly, your heart will be joined to the heart of Christ. Your life will be joined by hidden links to His life. You will join yourself to the Lord by a perpetual covenant. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 6

In writing this, I have relieved my soul. Break the bands with which Satan has bound you. This you must do before you can enter into covenant relation with God. 23LtMs, Lt 201, 1908, par. 7