Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 169, 1897

God, Not Men, To Be Our Counseler

1897

Previously unpublished.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:14-16, 17, 18. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 1

The Lord has a wider outlook for men than they themselves can discern and that the educators of youth can take in. There is no living mortal, youth or man, whatever his experience of his influence, his learning or his supposed sharp intuition, that can make his chalk line for any other man to walk on. He may be in the highest place of responsibility, yet he must not in any sense lord it over his fellow man and think he can command or mark out what another man shall do. Although Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they cannot save son or daughter; they can only deliver their own souls by their own righteousness. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 2

We each have a responsibility to bear for our individual course of action. We need individually to consider our course, to take control of the time, the mind, the conscience. No one is to tell another what he shall do or what he shall not do, for we are under the control of God. The pupil is to learn all that is possible for him to learn from his teachers, but never to be under domination, for that human mind is God’s property, not to be bound about to do any man’s will. We have one Master, which is Jesus Christ. Every heart and mind should be lifted up to God. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 3

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering [doubting]. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 4

There is a divine life proffered to every blood-bought soul. The capabilities of that soul God alone knows. Every life must answer to the touch of God and be bound up with God. No human mind should dare take the responsibility of his finite mind guiding or controling the mind of the Lord’s servants and making them his servants. God Himself understands the experience every individual soul is to gain to do his appointed work. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 5

Times of perplexity are before us. This is the description: “The sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Luke 21:25, 26. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will be religious oppression. A voice comes through the past to the stormy future saying, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Verse 28. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 6

All may take courage by lifting up their heads. When we look away from man to our Redeemer, there need be not a bit of fear, or of heart and hands hanging down; no fear that the work waiting for us will be drudgery. Every man who is faithful to God will be faithful to his fellow man. There is no fear that such an one will be discouraged for want of appreciation. The unselfish heart always leads to unselfish purpose. If firmly connected with God, the heart is of courage in the Lord, and is satisfied that his labors are not in vain in the Lord. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 7

The Lord gives honor to whom honor is due. Finite judgment will judge from its own human standard. A man oft makes mistakes, in his own wisdom, in apportioning certain work for men to do which he supposes they can do, and is disappointed when they do not fill the bill. Then the man is discouraged by being blamed. He is fully conscious of his lack of success in his efforts in temporal lines, and thinks he will fail in doing God’s service. That man has had someone take the responsibility of outlining his work for him, and the time and courage lost may be very hard to win back. There are men who have felt they would do all possible to obtain a fitness in educational lines. They have entered Battle Creek with a full determination to give themselves to the opening of the Scriptures to others, and to the ministry. They have been encouraged with flattering presentations to become doctors. There has been a great dearth of ministerial workers. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 8

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They that “follow on to know the Lord” shall know that “his going forth is prepared as the morning.” Hosea 6:3. He that is unfaithful in the least will mar his conscience and separate himself from God. Unless he repents, even in the least dishonesty, he will go on in this course of action to become unfaithful in much. No one will now plead ignorance of what constitutes sin. All sin—the least to the greatest sin—is transgression of the law of God. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 9

We shall have temptations as long as Satan lives, but the Lord Jesus has promised, “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. All who will may come to Him for refuge, for strength and power. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. How little we honor God in doing this! How readily we complain and murmur, as did the children of Israel. We appeal to human beings. Letters come clear across the continent to me and to others for our prayers and our advice and our counsel. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 10

Christ says, “Come unto me.” He is close beside you. He wants you to ask Him. Many seek to every source but the true one. Here there is a great weakness, a great dishonoring of their God. The invitation comes from Him who has united humanity with His divinity, that He might save to the uttermost all who come unto Him. “Come,” is the invitation. “Come, ... all ye that labor and are heaven laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you (the yoke of obedience to all God’s commandments and of restraint from being Satan’s channel of sin, and a wrong example before other souls to perpetuate sin), and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 11

There would not be all this complaint and mourning and sadness because of being led astray from right doing if you were wearing Christ’s yoke of obedience and restraint. You would not be left to walk in the sparks of your own kindling. You would not feel that you are left to devise and plan for yourself. You would strive most earnestly, as did Jacob, for the blessing of being taught of God. You would read the Word; you would study the Word; you would increase in intellect in searching the Scriptures. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 12

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130. This does not mean those who are termed foolish, but those who feel their need of counsel from God, who realize their own weakness and come to God for enlightenment. They never solicit Him, in their sincerity and soul hunger, in vain. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 13

You know to whom to go to light your lamp. It is to Jesus Christ, the light of the world. You are not to send across the broad waters, soliciting help from those who have no help except they receive light and peace and grace from the Source of all light, all righteousness. Shall they seek that help for you? Without help from the same Source to which you are invited to come, they would be as weak and destitute as yourself. When the brazen serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, all who had been bitten with the fiery sting of the serpent were bidden to look, and all who looked were healed. 12LtMs, Ms 169, 1897, par. 14