Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 13 (1898)

Ms 98, 1898

God’s Promises Our Plea

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

August 11, 1898

Previously unpublished. +^Note

We have time enough to do all that the Lord has appointed us, if we will only work, not in our own way, but in the Lord’s way. We have the Word of God, and we are to plead like the importunate widow for His blessing, for the power to live as children of God. 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 1

As you come with earnestness and assurance to God, tell the Lord all about your necessities. You want to build for time, and then you will build for eternity. Take the promises of God. He has given us the privilege of coming to Him, and we need not fear of wearying Him. Do not doubt His Word of promise. Study the Word, and with your Bible in your hand say, Here, Lord, I come to receive the gift thou hast promised me. And as you do this, be able to say, I have done as Thou hast said. Do not bring God’s Word before Him, asking Him to do things which He has promised when you are not entitled to the promise. The conditions are, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” [John 16:23; 14:14.] 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 2

What are the conditions? “If you love me, keep my commandments.” [Verse 15.] If you are disobedient, you bring to the Lord a note to be cashed when you have not fulfilled your part of the contract. [You] claim that your check is not honored when it is a forged check. Thus it is with those who bring the name of Christ as their authority for the fulfillment of the promise when they do not those things by which they show their love and faith in Jesus Christ. 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 3

Christ gave His life to make it possible for the human family to have another trial, to form such characters that it will be safe for the Lord to give them the title of sons and daughters, that He can make them members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. The Lord will comply with the conditions He has made, if they will show themselves true and faithful. “Abide in me,” He says, “and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except ye abide in me. ... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” [John 15:4, 7, 8.] 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 4

Those who bring their petitions to God, claiming that the promise of God has been made for them, and yet do not comply with the conditions God has made, insult Jehovah. They do not love God, and are not doing the things He has required of them. “As the Father hath loved me,” Christ said, “so have I loved you: continue ye in my love: if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [Verses 9-14.] This is the substance of the covenant which God has made with His people. 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 5

John declares: “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.” Then, lest the matter shall not be plainly understood, the apostle adds, “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning.” [1 John 2:3-7.] 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 6

In His mercy and love, the Lord has given me this testimony to bear. When weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, many are found wanting. The words that I have here traced should be carefully studied. There is need of close examination of your deed of trust wherewith you approach God. Many have forfeited, and are forfeiting, their conditions of acceptance with the Father. They approach God with His promise, and ask Him to fulfill them, when by so doing God would dishonor His name. There are so many who have no assurance. They love self. They do those things which dishonor Christ’s name, and Christ cannot take their name upon His lips. 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 7

With many, Christian principle is away down in the scale, and their profession of knowing Christ is a deception. “Whoso keepeth his word,” Christ declares, “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.” “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. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” [Verses 5, 6, 24, 25.] 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 8

I am commissioned to say that the piety and spiritual discernment and righteousness of those who profess to believe the present truth must be pure and holy. Their characters must be entirely transformed, else they will never see the kingdom of God. They will perish with the wicked. 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 9

I can write no more now, for my strength is so drawn upon, when I contemplate these startling things. I know not how to make the people understand. It is a case of life and death with them. Will the people arise? Will they confess their sins? Will they humble their hearts before God, before it shall be everlastingly too late? 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 10

“Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things that cannot be shaken may remain.” Will the people awake from their deathlike stupor? Will they place a lower estimate upon themselves, and seek most earnestly for purification of the spirit? “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which can not be move, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptable with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire.” [Hebrews 12:26-29.] 13LtMs, Ms 98, 1898, par. 11