Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 44, 1899

James, G.

March 17, 1899

Portions of this letter are published in OHC 104.

Dear Brother:

I have words to speak to you. I have an interest in your soul. While the Holy Spirit is working upon human hearts and characters, will you not take your stand fully on the platform of truth? The regeneration of the Spirit of God is needed in your heart, that you may become a new man in Christ Jesus, not another man, but the same man renewed. The Spirit of God does not create new faculties in the converted man, but works a decided change in the employment of those faculties. When the mind and heart and soul are changed, man is not given a new conscience, but his will is submitted to a conscience renewed, a conscience whose dormant sensibilities are aroused by the working of the Holy Spirit. We hope that the work of the Holy Spirit will not be regarded indifferently by you and no change be made in your individual experience. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 1

God does not call upon you, my brother, to wait for a special movement upon your mind, for you are well acquainted with the evidences of truth. Why have you not taken your position on the platform of truth? “He that knoweth his Master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.” [Luke 12:47.] The Spirit of God is calling you in every discourse you hear. You did not at first comply with the invitation, and it is becoming habit for you to neglect every call of the Spirit. This morning I am drawn out to ask you to give yourself to the Lord. Surrender your will and mind to God. You have thought that because you have been non-committal you have not opposed the truth. Hear the words of Christ to you: “He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad.” [Matthew 12:30.] This is how the Lord regards your position. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 2

Your work now is to turn to the obedience of God’s holy law. He has given you six days in which to labor, but has reserved the seventh as His own. He does not consult your convenience in this matter; it is His prerogative to specify His will to His human agents. He has given you His holy law to be obeyed, and your love for God and your faith in Jesus Christ can only be revealed by obedience to that law. By the position you take in this matter, you reveal whether you receive Christ as your Saviour or reject Him. You do not openly oppose the truth, but by not receiving it, you place yourself on Satan’s side of the question. The Lord calls for you to take your position under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 3

You know that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, but your influence testifies that your will is not in the line of obedience to this command. Christ says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (of obedience) upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] Why not now take a decided stand, and say, I will be a Christian; I will be on the Lord’s side. You are losing time. Every hour is a loss to you while you refuse to surrender your will, your way, and your purpose to God. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 4

My brother, you will be judged by your works. If you do not care to please and honor God in this world, He cannot honor you by receiving you into the kingdom of heaven. Your refusal to do the things you know to be right cannot prepare you for a place in the family of God. Every one who enters heaven will here be obedient to the knowledge he has of the truth. He will receive the truth and be sanctified by the truth. When the will is placed on the Lord’s side, the Holy Spirit takes that will and makes it one with the divine will. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 5

The Lord loves man. He has given evidence of this love by giving His only begotten Son to die for man, that through His grace He might redeem him from hostility to God, and bring him back to his loyalty. If man will co-operate with God, the Lord will bring his will into connection with Himself and will vitalize it by His own Spirit. But if man refuses to obey the plain requirements of the Word of God, God has no place for him in His kingdom. This is the reason I write to you. I feel a deep interest in your soul. A heart is said to be opened to receive the truth. Is your heart open to receive the truth? The gospel must be received in order to regenerate the heart, and the reception of truth will mean the surrender of mind and will to the will of Divine Power. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 6

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “How then shall they call upon him whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” [Romans 10:17, 13, 14.] This is the provision God has made for the saving of souls. The truth must be made known. Christ prayed the Father in behalf of His disciples, saying, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” [John 17:17.] The work had already begun in their hearts, and the Holy Spirit, operating on heart and will, showed that the truth was the instrument in their conversion. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 7

“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” [John 14:26.] “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believed not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” [John 16:8-11.] 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 8

You need to see the necessity of obedience to all the commandments of God. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. You are now ranked with unbelievers, and are standing under the banner of rebellion. You are surely deciding your own destiny. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 9

Your mother has been losing her first love. She has not the zeal, the ardor, the courage and faith she once had. God calls upon you to take your position wholly on His side, and give your mother the help she should have. You should stand firm as a rock to duty and to principle, and give your mother all the strength of your will. She needs encouraging and reviving. There is not that tender regard and sympathy shown by Sister James for your mother that there should be. The combating of her ideas in the little things of the daily life has made a heart very sore which should have been comforted and encouraged and affectionately deferred to. The difficulties thus created could and should have been avoided. These things have left a scar and have had a tendency to confuse the mind. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 10

Brother James, I ask you to consider these things. You cannot live a life pleasing to your Maker unless you are an obedient child of God. The Holy Spirit is seeking an approach to your heart. The agencies God has provided are to be received. God requires your obedience to all His commandments. The Lord is seeking to call you to love and obedience, but He finds in you the spirit of the world—selfishness, pride, and rebellion against God. If this were not the case, you would be an obedient and happy child of God. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 11

It is yours to refuse or accept the invitation, “Come, for all things are now ready.” [Luke 14:17.] You may accept the truth or you may place yourself in a position where the truth cannot reach you. The Lord calls upon you to vindicate his law, not only by precept, but by example. Give your heart to God as a New Year’s gift. Make no halfway surrender. Decide now and forever that you can no longer serve God and mammon. Take the Word of God as it reads, and say, This shall be my Counsellor. 14LtMs, Lt 44, 1899, par. 12