Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Ms 23, 1868

The Case of Asa Green

Battle Creek, Michigan

Circa January 5, 1868

Previously unpublished.

In the last vision I was shown the case of Brother Asa Green in connection with his wife and brothers. I was shown that God was calling after these brothers to follow the example of their godly father in walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord’s house. These men will stop short of the glory of God if they do not believe present truth and exemplify in their lives the sanctifying influence of the truth, and manifest to all around them that they have accepted Christ as their only Saviour, and lean upon Him, the Rock that is higher than they. I saw that God could be glorified by these men devoting their lives to His service and laboring harmoniously and unitedly together as faithful soldiers of the cross of Christ, as they have harmoniously stood united in their course of action in relation to the things of this life. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 1

Brother Asa Green, you have lived a consistent life as far as this world is concerned. You have managed with system and have manifested wise calculation. In your deal with your neighbors you have had a principle not to overreach or play the part of a deceiver. You have been determined to wrong no man, to give to every man his just dues. You have made it a principle to be just with your fellow man. These things are all good. You possess excellent qualifications, which very excellent, desirable traits of character Satan is taking advantage of to present before you in such a light that you really do not feel your need of a Saviour. You think that your life, in the main, is as good as professed Christians generally, and is more faultless than the lives of many who profess to be Christ’s followers. Satan has ensnared you with his sophistry, which is threatening to bind you in chains of unbelief and sin. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 2

But you have not been just with God. To whom do you owe gratitude for your wise judgment? All that you now possess of qualifications which are desirable are not to be accredited to yourself, but to God. How soon God could remove wisdom from the prudent man! 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 3

You, my brother, are self-deceived. You are self-righteous, therefore do not feel your need of a Saviour. You have been more just with man than with God. You have robbed God of the service due Him the many years of your life, thus showing great ingratitude to your Creator who has been so profuse in His gifts to you. You have slighted His dear Son, whom He gave up from His bosom to die for the guilty race. Your course of action has plainly said, “We have no need of such a sacrifice.” You are trusting in your own righteousness, which is in the sight of a just and holy God as filthy rags. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 4

God has made a great sacrifice for man. If Adam, after his transgression, could by his righteous acts have obtained the favor of God or even could by a life of long repentance have recommended himself to God, and redeemed himself from the wrath of his Creator, then Christ, the Lord of glory, need not have been subject to a life of humiliation, insult, reproach, and indignity, and finally the most painful of deaths, the crucifixion. But because it was the only sacrifice God could accept to save the fallen race, Christ consented to die. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 5

All through your life you have said by your course, “I have no need of a Saviour.” Your example of unbelief has shown disrespect to the Son of God and has had an influence upon others, to keep them from Christ. You have been pointed to, and souls have shielded themselves behind you. There are the sons of good Mr. William Green, who are not Christians, yet they are upright men. They possess good judgment, and they are not Christians. They do not believe as their father did, but say, If I do not regard those things which appear to be truth, I am in good company. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 6

You are really a stumbling block to sinners. All these years of your life you have withheld that reasonable service from God which He requires you to render to Him, your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. You have stood directly in the way of your wife, who would have yielded to God that reasonable service which He requires of her, had your example been what it ought to have been in accepting Christ as your Redeemer and acknowledging the high claims Heaven has upon you. Your wife has for quite a length of time been leaning to the truth. Had she yielded to her convictions of duty, she would have wholly taken her stand upon the Lord’s side years ago. Your standing as you have has robbed God of that reasonable service He required of her. 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 7

Is there nothing that you have to repent of in thus neglecting your dear Saviour? God has higher claims upon you than mortal man can have, and yet these years have you withheld from Him that which He paid so dear a price to purchase and redeem from Satan’s claims. “Ye are not your own,” “ye are bought with a price,” even with the precious blood of the Son of God. [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.] 1LtMs, Ms 23, 1868, par. 8