Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)
Lt 55, 1900
White, J. E.; White, Emma
“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
April 8, 1900
Portions of this letter are published in BTS 06/1910. +Note
Dear Children Edson and Emma:
We need not expect that things will move smoothly in this life, when we have such enemies to contend with. When we see people suffering from spiritual blindness, we greatly desire them to see things in a correct light, and we do all we can to help them. But if Satan can interpose his sophistries between us and them, his object is gained. Satan tries to bring division among those who should work in perfect harmony. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 1
There are those who in word and conversation are two-sided. We cannot but feel contempt for such characters. We are living in a time when our words must be few and well-chosen. I think I have fully learned the lesson of doing my duty in helping and strengthening others without expecting them to appreciate my efforts. They receive my favors and make no acknowledgment, but I do not worry about this. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 2
I feel sorry for those who receive everything they have from God, but do not as much as say, “I thank thee, my Father, for the great love thou hast expressed for me.” O, let us individually cultivate gratitude to God. Let us thank Him for the blessing of health and reason and for His precious love, which is all that makes life worth having. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” [John 1:12.] Sons and daughters of God—what a close relationship! What condescension on His part to receive us into His family! What a debt of gratitude we owe to Him! Should we not express our grateful appreciation of the favors He has bestowed on us? 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 3
To others we should impart the love and tenderness which God has abundantly bestowed on us. When we meet each other around the throne of God, we shall remember every ungrateful action we have done. We should put every gift of God to the best possible use, making it a producer of good. To God we can give nothing which is not already His, but we can help the suffering ones around us. We can supply them with the necessities of this life and at the same time speak to them of the wonderful love of God. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 4
Money is needed, O so much, to carry the truth into destitute regions. God has charged us to carry the gospel message to all parts of the world, and this work we must do. Doing this, we are making God’s goodness known and awakening praise to Him in the hearts of others. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 5
Christ identifies His interests with those of His people. He has plainly stated that we can minister to Him by ministering to His suffering ones. Words of encouragement and cheer, spoken when the soul is sick and the pulse of courage is low, these are regarded by the Saviour as if spoken to Himself. The heavenly angels look on in pleased recognition. In no better way can we express our love for God than by unselfish, self-sacrificing actions, performed because the grace of God has been incorporated into our hearts. In all our ways we are to reveal the Saviour. We can express gratitude to God by reproducing the Christlikeness in our lives. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 6
God has chosen human beings to co-operate with Him in communicating His blessings to the world. As we take a kindly interest in those who are members of the household of faith, we are making God’s goodness known. Christ sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied. Then let us do our best to help one another. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 7
Be assured that your labors are not in vain in the Lord. God would have those who are leaders in His work first submit to be led. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 8
While on this earth we are to bear witness to God’s goodness by our obedience to His commandments. The Lord declares, “Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them, then will I give you rain in due season, and your land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” [Leviticus 26:2-5.] 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 9
Then comes the warning to the disobedient: “But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and [if] ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you the consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.” [Verses 14-16.] 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 10
The time of this prophecy, I am instructed to say, is nearly accomplished. Soon He whose right it is to reign will come. To Him the kingdom will be given, and He shall sit upon the throne of His Father. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 11
We may now present the strongest arguments in favor of the Sabbath. As you give the last message of warning to the people, you must speak as Christ did, with authority. We must know that we have the truth. Knowing that this truth is just what the people need, we must speak it with conviction and solemn earnestness. We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Our strength is not in ourselves. When we feel that we are strong in our own strength, then comes defeat. Trusting God we shall be victorious. Entire trust in God brings success and victory. The Lord Jehovah is our strength and our shield. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 12
Let those who try to serve God and mammon remember the warning given by Christ, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” [Matthew 6:24.] The experiment has been tried and has been pronounced impossible. Those who trust in God and serve God are not attracted by the world. Those who substitute riches, property, earthly treasure of any kind, for the Lord, will reap the sure result—separation from God and heaven. They lay their souls as manacled victims upon the altar of mammon, placing gain where godliness should be. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 13
As the truth is carried to new fields, God’s workers will meet with opposition. The strong passions of unrenewed hearts are aroused to antagonism against it. When the tent is pitched in a community, and people are given the opportunity of hearing the warning message, the conviction comes to them that the law of God has power to pardon the transgressor. Then the enemy comes in and sets the religious teachers at work to oppose the truth. And too often they follow his guidance without carefully examining the Scriptures to see if the things being preached are true or false. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 14
Two ways are presented before every soul, the way of obedience to God’s commandments, which brings the rich blessings of heaven, and the way of disobedience, which brings death, for no sinner can inherit eternal life. Those who are awakened by the message of warning have a serious decision to make. They go to their pastors for instruction, and he should never attempt to quench the spirit which is leading his people to seek for more light. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 15
In this new field many church members have been convicted and led to inquire, “What shall I do to be saved?” The lawyer came to Christ with the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” Christ said. The lawyer answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” “Thou hast answered right,” Christ said, “this do, and thou shalt live.” [Luke 10:25-28.] 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 16
Let the religious teachers of the people search the Word of God for evidence. Let them humble themselves and become willing to receive fresh light. Let them not reason upon false premises, making clear statements mysterious by their explanations. Many will refuse to yield to evidence. Not only will they refuse to enter in themselves, into a deeper knowledge of truth, but they will take away the key, so that those who would enter in will not be able. They will misinterpret and misapply the Word of God, giving it a meaning which is the opposite of truth. They will wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction and to the destruction of many others. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 17
The second and third chapters of Second Peter gives a description of the situation. God wants us to make special efforts for the ministers. Make personal efforts in their behalf. Ask them to search the Scriptures with you. It is the duty of those who open the Scriptures to others to know for themselves what is written in the law. This is for the present and eternal good of their own souls and the souls of those they claim to be guiding in the path of holiness. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 18
Ministers of the gospel should not pronounce truth to be error before making a careful, prayerful investigation of the Scriptures, comparing Scripture with Scripture, seeking like the noble Bereans to see if these things are so. It will then be appropriate for them to pray as did David, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” [Psalm 119:18.] How much safer it would be for them to do this than to tear down the barrier of God’s law and let the people loose on the wide common of transgression. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 19
When the minister condemns truth as a dangerous error, let the seeker for truth note down the objections that he makes, that they may be compared with the testimony of the Word of God. It means a great deal to men whether they obey God’s commandments or turn from the words of the great Teacher. God declares, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gate into the city.” [Revelation 22:14.] Obedience to God’s commandments is a vital question, and in settling it men are to listen to no human voice. They are to accept no human assertion which is not supported by a plain statement of the Word of God. Let God be true, and every man a liar. 15LtMs, Lt 55, 1900, par. 20