Spiritual Gifts, vol. 4b

Surety, Oath-Taking, etc

I saw that God was displeased with his people for being surety for unbelievers. I was directed to these texts. Proverbs 22:26. “Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are surety for debts.” Proverbs 11:15. “He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; and he that hateth suretyship is sure.” Unfaithful stewards! They pledge that which belongs to another—their heavenly Father—and Satan stands ready to aid his children to wrench it out of their hands. 4bSG 41.1

I saw that Sabbath-keepers should not be in partnership with unbelievers. God's people trust too much to the words of strangers, ask their advice and counsel, when they should not. The enemy makes them his agents, and works through them to perplex and take from God's people. 4bSG 41.2

I was shown that some have no tact at wise management of worldly matters. They lack the qualifications, and Satan takes advantage of them. When this is the case, such should not remain in ignorance of their lack. They should be humble enough to counsel with their brethren, whose judgment they can have confidence in, before they carry out plans. I was directed to this text, “Bear ye one another's burdens.” Some are not humble enough to let those who have judgment, calculate for them, until they have followed their own plans, and they involved themselves in difficulties. Then they see the necessity of having the counsel and judgments of their brethren; but how much heavier the burden then, than at the first. Brethren should not go to law, if it can be possibly avoided; for they give the enemy great advantage to entangle and perplex them. It would be better to make a settlement at some loss. 4bSG 41.3

I saw that some of God's children have made a mistake in regard to oath-taking, and Satan has taken advantage of this to oppress them, and take from them their Lord's money. I saw that the words of our Lord, “Swear not at all,” do not touch the judicial oath. “Let your communication be yea, yea; and nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil.” This refers to common conversation. Some exaggerate in their language. Some swear by their own life. Others swear by their head. As sure as they live—as sure as they have a head—some take Heaven and earth to witness that such things are so. Some hope that God will strike them out of existence if what they are saying is not true. It is this kind of common swearing that Jesus warns his disciples against. 4bSG 42.1

I was shown that we have men placed over us for rulers, and laws to govern the people. Were it not for these laws, the world would be in a worse condition than it is now. Some of these laws are good, and some bad. The bad have been increasing, and we are yet to be brought into straight places. But God will sustain his people in being firm, and living up to the principles of his word. Where the laws of men conflict with God's word and law, we are to obey the word and law of God, whatever the consequences may be. The laws of our land requiring us to deliver a slave to his master, we are not to obey, and we must abide the consequences of the violation of this law. This slave is not the property of any man. God is his rightful Master, and man has no right to take God's workmanship into his hands, and claim his as his own. 4bSG 42.2

I saw that the Lord yet has something to do with the laws of the land. While Jesus is in the sanctuary, God's restraining spirit is felt by rulers and people. But Satan controls to a great extent the great mass in the world, and were it not for the laws of the land, we should experience great suffering. It was shown me that it was no violation of God's word, when it is actually necessary, for his children, when called upon to testify in a lawful manner, to solemnly take God to witness that what they say is the truth, and nothing but the truth. 4bSG 43.1

Man is so corrupt that laws are made to throw the responsibility upon his own head. Some men do not fear to lie to their fellow-man; but they have been taught, and the restraining Spirit of God has impressed them, that it is a fearful thing to lie to God. The case of Ananias and Sapphira his wife, is given for an example. The matter is carried from man to God, so that if he bears false witness, it is not to man, but to the great God. He reads the heart and knows the exact truth in every case. Our laws make it a high crime to take a false oath. God has often visited the one who has taken the false oath, and even while the oath was on his lips, the destroying angel has cut him down. This was to prove a terror to evil-doers. 4bSG 43.2

And I saw if there was any one on earth who could consistently testify under oath, it is the Christian. He lives in the light of God's countenance. He grows strong in his strength. And when matters of importance must be decided by law, there is no one who can so well appeal to God as the Christian. I was bid by the angel to notice that God sware by himself. Genesis 22:16; Hebrews 6:13, 17. He sware to Abraham, Genesis 26:3, to Isaac, Psalm 105:9; Jeremiah 11:5, and to David, Psalm 132:11; Acts 2:30. God required of the children of Israel an oath between man and man. Exodus 22:10, 11. Jesus submitted to the oath in the hour of his trial. The high priest said unto him, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said.” If Jesus meant the judicial oath in his teachings to his disciples, he would have reproved the high priest, and there enforced his teachings for the good of his followers present. 4bSG 43.3

Satan has been pleased to have some view oath-taking in a wrong light, for it has given him opportunities to oppress them, and take from them their Lord's money. The stewards of God must be more wise, lay their plans, and prepare themselves to withstand Satan's devices; for he is to make greater efforts than he has ever made. 4bSG 44.1

Some, I saw, have a prejudice against our rulers and laws; but if it was not for law, this world would be in an awful condition. God restrains our rulers, for the hearts of all are in his hands. Bounds are set, beyond which they cannot go. Many of our rulers are those whom Satan controls; but I saw that God has his agents, even among the rulers; and some of them will yet be converted to the truth. They are now acting the part that God would have them. When Satan works through his agents, propositions are made that, if carried out, would impede the work of God, and would produce great evil. The good angels move upon these agents of God to oppose the propositions, with strong reasons, which Satan's agents cannot resist. A few of God's agents will have power to bear down a great mass of evil. Thus the work will go on until the third message has done its work, and at the loud cry of the third angel, these agents will have an opportunity to receive the truth, and some of them will be converted, and endure with the saints through the time of trouble. When Jesus leaves the most holy, his restraining Spirit is withdrawn from rulers and people. They are left to the control of evil angels. Then such laws will be made by the counsel and direction of Satan, that unless time should be very short, no flesh could be saved. 4bSG 44.2