Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 23, 1906

A God of Knowledge by Whom Actions are Weighed

February 8, 1906 [typed]

This manuscript is published in entirety in RH 03/08/1906.

The Lord is a God of knowledge. In His Word, He is represented as weighing men, their development of character, and all their motives, whether they be good or evil. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, the child granted her by God in answer to her earnest entreaty, said, “The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” [1 Samuel 2:3.] David declared, “Men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.” [Psalm 62:9.] Isaiah says, “Thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.” [Isaiah 26:7.] Solomon writes, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.” [Proverbs 16:2.] It is for the eternal interest of everyone to search his own heart and to improve every God-given faculty. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 1

There are many important lessons for each to learn. Let all remember that there is not a motive in the heart of any man that the Lord does not clearly see. The motives of each one are weighed as carefully as if the destiny of the human agent depended upon this one result. We need a connection with divine power, that we may have an increase of clear light and an understanding of how to reason from cause to effect. We need to have the powers of the understanding cultivated by our being partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Let us each one consider carefully the solemn truth: God in heaven is true, and there is not a design however intricate, not a motive however carefully hidden, that He does not clearly understand. He reads the secret devising of every heart. Men may plan out crooked actions for the future, thinking that God does not understand; but in that great day when the books are opened, and every man is judged by the things written in the books, those actions will appear as they are. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 2

David in the Psalms writes, “O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, and Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me before and behind, and laid Thine hand upon me.” [Psalm 139:1-5.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 3

“If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.” [Verses 11, 12.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 4

The Lord sees and understands all dishonesty in planning, all unlawful appropriation in any degree of property or means, all injustice in man’s dealing with his fellow men. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 5

There are many who need now to consider the words, “TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” [Daniel 5:27.] God’s holy, everlasting, immutable law is the standard by which man is to be tried. This defines what we shall do and what we shall not do, saying, Thou shalt, and, Thou shalt not. This law is summed up in the two great principles, 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, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 6

This means just what it says. O how few will be prepared to meet the law of God in the great day of judgment. If the work of individual preparation for which the Lord calls were carried on in the home circle and in the church, how much suffering, how much sin would be avoided. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 7

“TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” [Verse 27.] My brethren, day and night, and especially in the night season, this matter is presented to me: “TEKEL: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 8

How do we stand before God at this time? We may be sincere, and yet greatly deceived. Saul of Tarsus was sincere when he was persecuting the church of Christ. “I verily thought,” he declares, “that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus.” [Acts 26:9.] He was sincere in his ignorance. But after Christ had revealed Himself to him, he declared, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” [Philippians 3:7, 8.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 9

If we are uncleansed by the blood of Christ, we are altogether wanting. We know that there is no one, however earnestly he may be striving to do his best, who can say, “I have no sin.” He who would say this would be under a dangerous deception. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” [1 John 1:8.] How then can we escape the charge, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting”? [Daniel 5:27.] We are to look to Christ. At infinite cost He has covenanted to be our representative in the heavenly courts, our Advocate before God. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 10

Weighed in the balance and found wanting. Man, weighed against God’s holy law, is found wanting. We are enlightened by the precepts of the law, but no man can by them be justified. Weighed and found wanting is our inscription by nature. But Christ is our Mediator, and accepting Him as our Saviour, we may claim the promise, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Romans 5:1.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 11

“My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 12

“Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning. ... Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 13

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 14

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 15

“Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” [1 John 2:1-21.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 16

How important that we, living as we are at the very close of this earth’s history, shall be very careful to put away our own individual sins, so that we shall not grieve the heart of Christ. Let each one, old or young, be faithful in dealing with himself, lest he shall stumble along in darkness, making grievous mistakes and thus helping others to make mistakes. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 17

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ. He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 18

“And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.” [Verses 22-29.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 19

A liar is one that presents false theories and doctrines. He who denies the personality of God and of His Son Jesus Christ is denying God and Christ. “If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father.” [Verse 24.] If you continue to believe and obey the truths you first embraced regarding the personality of the Father and the Son, you will be joined together with them in love. There will be seen that union for which Christ prayed just before His trial and crucifixion: 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 20

“That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” [John 17:21-23.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 21

Christ is glorified in His saints. He, the propitiation for their sins, will be glorified in all who believe in Him as their Saviour, all who will commit themselves and their interests to His guidance. They are on Christ’s side, known by the manifestation that Christ makes through them of His power to save. They obtain victory after victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are made perfect in their victory through Christ. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 22

“This is My commandment, that ye love one another. ... Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you. 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 23

“These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.” [John 15:12-21.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 24

“These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33.] 21LtMs, Ms 23, 1906, par. 25