TOPICS FROM THE BOOK : STEPS TO CHRIST.
· REPENTANCE
· CONFESSION
· CONSECRATION
· TEST OF DISCIPLESHIP
· PRIVILAGE OF PRAYER
Monday
Repentance
How shall a man be just with God? How shall the
sinner be made righteous? It is only through Christ that we can be brought into
harmony with God, with holiness; but how are we to come to Christ? Many are
asking the same question as did the multitude on the Day of Pentecost, when,
convicted of sin, they cried out, "What shall we do?" The first word
of Peter's answer was, "Repent." Acts 2:37, 38. At another time,
shortly after, he said, "Repent, . . . and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out." Acts 3:19. {SC
23.1}
Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a
turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness;
until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. {SC 23.2}
There are many who fail to understand the
true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even
make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring
suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They
lament the suffering rather than the sin. Such was the grief of Esau when he
saw that the birthright was lost to him forever. Balaam, terrified by the angel
standing in his pathway with drawn sword, acknowledged his guilt lest he should
lose his life; but there was no genuine repentance for sin, no conversion of
purpose, no abhorrence of evil. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord,
exclaimed, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood." Matthew 27:4. {SC
23.3}
The confession was forced from his guilty
soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment.
The consequences that were to result to him filled him with terror, but there
was no deep, heartbreaking grief in his soul, that he had betrayed the spotless
Son of God and denied the Holy One of Israel. Pharaoh, when suffering under the
judgments of God, acknowledged his sin in order to escape further punishment,
but returned to his defiance of Heaven as soon as the plagues were stayed.
These all lamented the results of sin, but did not sorrow for the sin
itself. {SC 24.1}
But when the heart yields to the influence
of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will
discern something of the depth and sacredness of God's holy law, the foundation
of His government in heaven and on earth. The "Light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world," illumines the secret chambers of the
soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction
takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness
of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness,
before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness,
the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with
Heaven. {SC 24.2}
The prayer of David after his fall,
illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and
deep. There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escape the
judgment threatened, inspired his prayer. David saw the enormity of his
transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was
not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the
joy of holiness--to be restored to harmony and communion with God. This was the
language of his soul: "Blessed is
he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not
iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile." Psalm 32:1, 2.
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to Thy loving-kindness: According unto
the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot
out my transgressions. . . . For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. . . . Purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . .
. Create in me a clean heart, O
God; And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence; And
take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; And uphold me with Thy free spirit. . .
. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O
God, Thou God of my salvation: And my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness." Psalm 51:1-14. {SC 24.3}
A repentance such as this, is beyond the
reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who
ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men. {SC 25.1}
Just here is a point on which many may
err, and hence they fail of receiving the help that Christ desires to give
them. They think that they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent, and
that repentance prepares for the forgiveness of their sins. It is true that
repentance does precede the forgiveness of sins; for it is only the broken and
contrite heart that will feel the need of a Saviour. But must the sinner wait
till he has repented before he can come to Jesus? Is repentance to be made an
obstacle between the sinner and the Saviour?
{SC 26.1}
The Bible does not teach that the sinner
must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, "Come unto Me,
all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew
11:28. It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance.
Peter made the matter clear in his statement to the Israelites when he said,
"Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31. We
can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than
we can be pardoned without Christ. {SC
26.2}
Christ is the source of every right
impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin.
Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is
an evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts. {SC 26.3}
Jesus has said, "I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Christ must be
revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as
we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption
begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance.
In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as
the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and
inspires contrition in the soul. {SC
26.4}
It is true that men sometimes become
ashamed of their sinful ways, and give up some of their evil habits, before
they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make
an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of
Christ that is drawing them. An influence of which they are unconscious works
upon the soul, and the conscience is quickened, and the outward life is
amended. And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom
their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience. The
wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them.
They begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ, and exclaim,
"What is sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption
of its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this humiliation, demanded,
that we might not perish, but have everlasting life?" {SC 27.1}
The sinner may resist this love, may
refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to
Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the
cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God's
dear Son. {SC 27.2}
The same divine mind that is working upon
the things of nature is speaking to the hearts of men and creating an
inexpressible craving for something they have not. The things of the world
cannot satisfy their longing. The Spirit of God is pleading with them to seek
for those things that alone can give peace and rest--the grace of Christ, the
joy of holiness. Through influences seen and unseen, our Saviour is constantly
at work to attract the minds of men from the unsatisfying pleasures of sin to
the infinite blessings that may be theirs in Him. To all these souls, who are
vainly seeking to drink from the broken cisterns of this world, the divine
message is addressed, "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17. {SC 28.1}
You who in heart long for something better
than this world can give, recognize this longing as the voice of God to your
soul. Ask Him to give you repentance, to reveal Christ to you in His infinite
love, in His perfect purity. In the Saviour's life the principles of God's
law--love to God and man--were perfectly exemplified. Benevolence, unselfish
love, was the life of His soul. It is as we behold Him, as the light from our
Saviour falls upon us, that we see the sinfulness of our own hearts. {SC 28.2}
We may have flattered ourselves, as did
Nicodemus, that our life has been upright, that our moral character is correct,
and think that we need not humble the heart before God, like the common sinner:
but when the light from Christ shines into our souls, we shall see how impure
we are; we shall discern the selfishness of motive, the enmity against God, that
has defiled every act of life. Then we shall know that our own righteousness is
indeed as filthy rags, and that the blood of Christ alone can cleanse us from
the defilement of sin, and renew our hearts in His own likeness. {SC 28.3}
One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of
the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement
painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human
character. It makes apparent the unhallowed desires, the infidelity of the heart,
the impurity of the lips. The sinner's acts of disloyalty in making void the
law of God, are exposed to his sight, and his spirit is stricken and afflicted
under the searching influence of the Spirit of God. He loathes himself as he
views the pure, spotless character of Christ.
{SC 29.1}
When the prophet Daniel beheld the glory
surrounding the heavenly messenger that was sent unto him, he was overwhelmed
with a sense of his own weakness and imperfection. Describing the effect of the
wonderful scene, he says, "There remained no strength in me: for my
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength."
Daniel 10:8. The soul thus touched will hate its selfishness, abhor its
self-love, and will seek, through Christ's righteousness, for the purity of
heart that is in harmony with the law of God and the character of Christ. {SC 29.2}
Paul says that as "touching the
righteousness which is in the law"--as far as outward acts were concerned
--he was "blameless" (Philippians 3:6); but when the spiritual
character of the law was discerned, he saw himself a sinner. Judged by the
letter of the law as men apply it to the outward life, he had abstained from
sin; but when he looked into the depths of its holy precepts, and saw himself as
God saw him, he bowed in humiliation and confessed his guilt. He says, "I
was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and
I died." Romans 7:9. When he saw the spiritual nature of the law, sin
appeared in its true hideousness, and his self-esteem was gone. {SC 29.3}
God does not regard all sins as of equal
magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of
man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men,
no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment is partial, imperfect; but
God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised and is
told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and
covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially
offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to
that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He
who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and
poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it
closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to
give. {SC 30.1}
The poor publican who prayed, "God be
merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13), regarded himself as a very wicked
man, and others looked upon him in the same light; but he felt his need, and
with his burden of guilt and shame he came before God, asking for His mercy.
His heart was open for the Spirit of God to do its gracious work and set him
free from the power of sin. The Pharisee's boastful, self-righteous prayer
showed that his heart was closed against the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Because of his distance from God, he had no sense of his own defilement, in contrast
with the perfection of the divine holiness. He felt no need, and he received
nothing. {SC 30.2}
If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to
make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to
come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts?
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye
also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." Jeremiah 13:23. There is
help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better
opportunities, or for holier tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. We must
come to Christ just as we are. {SC
31.1}
But let none deceive themselves with the
thought that God, in His great love and mercy, will yet save even the rejecters
of His grace. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the
light of the cross. When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner,
let them look to Calvary. It was because there was no other way in which man
could be saved, because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human
race to escape from the defiling power of sin, and be restored to communion
with holy beings,--impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual life,--it was because of this
that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the
sinner's stead. The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify
to the terrible enormity of sin and declare that there is no escape from its
power, no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to
Christ. {SC 31.2}
The impenitent sometimes excuse themselves
by saying of professed Christians, "I am as good as they are. They are no
more self-denying, sober, or circumspect in their conduct than I am. They love
pleasure and self-indulgence as well as I do." Thus they make the faults
of others an excuse for their own neglect of duty. But the sins and defects of
others do not excuse anyone, for the Lord has not given us an erring human
pattern. The spotless Son of God has been given as our example, and those who
complain of the wrong course of professed Christians are the ones who should
show better lives and nobler examples. If they have so high a conception of
what a Christian should be, is not their own sin so much the greater? They know
what is right, and yet refuse to do it.
{SC 32.1}
Beware of procrastination. Do not put off
the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here
is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss. I will not
here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible
danger--a danger not sufficiently understood--in delaying to yield to the
pleading voice of God's Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this
delay really is. Sin, however
small it may be esteemed, can
be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome,
will overcome us and work out our destruction.
{SC 32.2}
Adam and Eve persuaded themselves that in
so small a matter as eating of the forbidden fruit there could not result such
terrible consequences as God had declared. But this small matter was the
transgression of God's immutable and holy law, and it separated man from God
and opened the floodgates of death and untold woe upon our world. Age after age
there has gone up from our earth a continual cry of mourning, and the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain as a consequence of man's
disobedience. Heaven itself has felt the effects of his rebellion against God.
Calvary stands as a memorial of the amazing sacrifice required to atone for the
transgression of the divine law. Let us not regard sin as a trivial thing. {SC 33.1}
Every act of transgression, every neglect or
rejection of the grace of Christ, is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening
the heart, depraving the will, benumbing the understanding, and not only making
you less inclined to yield, but less capable of yielding, to the tender
pleading of God's Holy Spirit. {SC
33.2}
Many are quieting a troubled conscience
with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose; that
they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again
impressed. They think that after doing despite to the Spirit of grace, after
casting their influence on the side of Satan, in a moment of terrible extremity
they can change their course. But this is not so easily done. The experience,
the education, of a lifetime, has so thoroughly molded the character that few
then desire to receive the image of Jesus.
{SC 33.3}
Even one wrong trait of character, one
sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power
of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul's aversion to God.
The man who manifests an infidel hardihood, or a stolid indifference to divine
truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. In all the
Bible there is not a more fearful warning against trifling with evil than the
words of the wise man that the sinner "shall be holden with the cords of
his sins." Proverbs 5:22. {SC
34.1}
Christ is ready to set us free from sin,
but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will
itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will
not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by our
determined rejection of His love. "Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation." "Today if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts." 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:7, 8. {SC 34.2}
"Man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart"--the human heart, with its
conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow; the wandering, wayward heart, which is
the abode of so much impurity and deceit. 1 Samuel 16:7. He knows its motives,
its very intents and purposes. Go to Him with your soul all stained as it is.
Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye, exclaiming,
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23, 24. {SC 34.3}
Many accept an intellectual religion, a
form of godliness, when the heart is not cleansed. Let it be your prayer,
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within
me." Psalm 51:10. Deal truly with your own soul. Be as earnest, as
persistent, as you would be if your mortal life were at stake. This is a matter
to be settled between God and your own soul, settled for eternity. A supposed
hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin.
{SC 35.1}
Study God's word prayerfully. That word
presents before you, in the law of God and the life of Christ, the great
principles of holiness, without which "no man shall see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14. It convinces of sin; it plainly reveals the way of salvation.
Give heed to it as the voice of God speaking to your soul. {SC 35.2}
As you see the enormity of sin, as you see
yourself as you really are, do not give up to despair. It was sinners that
Christ came to save. We have not to reconcile God to us, but--O wondrous
love!--God in Christ is "reconciling the world unto Himself." 2
Corinthians 5:19. He is wooing by His tender love the hearts of His erring
children. No earthly parent could be as patient with the faults and mistakes of
his children, as is God with those He seeks to save. No one could plead more
tenderly with the transgressor. No human lips ever poured out more tender
entreaties to the wanderer than does He. All His promises, His warnings, are
but the breathing of unutterable love.
{SC 35.3}
When Satan comes to tell you that you are
a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits. That which
will help you is to look to His light. Acknowledge your sin, but tell the enemy
that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" and that you
may be saved by His matchless love. 1 Timothy 1:15. Jesus asked Simon a
question in regard to two debtors. One owed his lord a small sum, and the other
owed him a very large sum; but he forgave them both, and Christ asked Simon
which debtor would love his lord most. Simon answered, "He to whom he
forgave most." Luke 7:43. We have been great sinners, but Christ died that
we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to
the Father in our behalf. Those to whom He has forgiven most will love Him
most, and will stand nearest to His throne to praise Him for His great love and
infinite sacrifice. It is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we
best realize the sinfulness of sin. When we see the length of the chain that
was let down for us, when we understand something of the infinite sacrifice
that Christ has made in our behalf, the heart is melted with tenderness and
contrition.
Tuesday
Confession
"He that covereth his sins shall not
prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13. {SC 37.1}
The conditions of obtaining mercy of God
are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some
grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not
make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend
our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that
confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy. {SC 37.2}
The apostle says, "Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed."
James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your
faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor,
you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you.
Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have
wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his
Creator and Redeemer. The case is brought before the only true Mediator, our
great High Priest, who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin," and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities,"
and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity. Hebrews 4:15. {SC 37.3}
Those who have not humbled their souls
before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance.
If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and
have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our
sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of
sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The
only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are
not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of
truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning this matter. Confession of sin,
whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not
to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless
way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent
character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul
finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, "The Lord is
nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit." Psalm 34:18. {SC 37.4}
True confession is always of a specific
character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to
be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to
individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character,
and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite
and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. {SC 38.1}
In the days of Samuel the Israelites
wandered from God. They were suffering the consequences of sin; for they had lost their faith in God,
lost their discernment of His power and wisdom to rule the nation, lost their
confidence in His ability to defend and vindicate His cause. They turned from
the great Ruler of the universe and desired to be governed as were the nations
around them. Before they found peace they made this definite confession:
"We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king." 1
Samuel 12:19. The very sin of which they were convicted had to be confessed.
Their ingratitude oppressed their souls and severed them from God. {SC 38.2}
Confession will not be acceptable to God
without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in
the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result
of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly
set before us: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings
from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve
the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." Isaiah 1:16,
17. "If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk
in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he
shall not die." Ezekiel 33:15. Paul says, speaking of the work of
repentance: "Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought
in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what
fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all
things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." 2
Corinthians 7:11. {SC 39.1}
When sin has deadened the moral
perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character nor
realize the enormity of the evil he has committed; and unless he yields to the
convicting power of the Holy Spirit he remains in partial blindness to his sin.
His confessions are not sincere and in earnest. To every acknowledgment of his
guilt he adds an apology in excuse of his course, declaring that if it had not
been for certain circumstances he would not have done this or that for which he
is reproved. {SC 40.1}
After Adam and Eve had eaten of the
forbidden fruit, they were filled with a sense of shame and terror. At first
their only thought was how to excuse their sin and escape the dreaded sentence
of death. When the Lord inquired concerning their sin, Adam replied, laying the
guilt partly upon God and partly upon his companion: "The woman whom Thou
gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." The woman
put the blame upon the serpent, saying, "The serpent beguiled me, and I
did eat." Genesis 3:12, 13. Why did You make the serpent? Why did You
suffer him to come into Eden? These were the questions implied in her excuse
for her sin, thus charging God with the responsibility of their fall. The
spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been
exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Confessions of this order are
not inspired by the divine Spirit and will not be acceptable to God. True
repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without
deception or hypocrisy. Like the poor publican, not lifting up so much as his
eyes unto heaven, he will cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner," and
those who do acknowledge their guilt will be justified, for Jesus will plead
His blood in behalf of the repentant soul.
{SC 40.2}
The examples in God's word of genuine
repentance and humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no
excuse for sin or attempt at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield
himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his
guilt. He says, "Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my
voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled
them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them
even unto strange cities." Acts 26:10, 11. He does not hesitate to declare
that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am
chief." 1 Timothy 1:15. {SC
41.1}
The humble and broken heart, subdued by
genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost
of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly
penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, "If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
Wednesday
Consecration
God's promise is, "Ye shall seek Me,
and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah
29:13. {SC 43.1}
The whole heart must be yielded to God, or
the change can never be wrought in us by which we are to be restored to His
likeness. By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our
condition in such words as these: "Dead in trespasses and sins;"
"the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;" "no soundness
in it." We are held fast in the snare of Satan, "taken captive by him
at his will." Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 1:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:26. God desires to
heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a
renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him. {SC 43.2}
The warfare against self is the greatest
battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will
of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed
in holiness. {SC 43.3}
The government of God is not, as Satan
would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control.
It appeals to the intellect and the conscience. "Come now, and let us
reason together" is the Creator's invitation to the beings He has made.
Isaiah 1:18. God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an
homage that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submission
would prevent all real development of mind or character; it would make man a mere
automaton. Such is not the purpose of the Creator. He desires that man, the
crowning work of His creative power, shall reach the highest possible
development. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to
bring us through His grace. He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He may
work His will in us. It remains for us to choose whether we will be set free
from the bondage of sin, to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God. {SC 43.4}
In giving ourselves to God, we must
necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour
says, "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33. Whatever shall draw away the heart from
God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire
for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and
worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and
freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must
be broken. We cannot be half the Lord's and half the world's. We are not God's
children unless we are such entirely.
{SC 44.1}
There are those who profess to serve God,
while they rely upon their own efforts to obey His law, to form a right
character, and secure salvation. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense
of the love of Christ, but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian
life as that which God requires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion
is worth nothing. When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled
with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him;
and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be
the spring of action. Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not ask
how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; they do not ask for
the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their
Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all and manifest an interest
proportionate to the value of the object which they seek. A profession of
Christ without this deep love is mere talk, dry formality, and heavy
drudgery. {SC 44.2}
Do you feel that it is too great a
sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question, "What has
Christ given for me?" The Son of God gave all--life and love and
suffering--for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of
so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? Every moment of our lives we
have been partakers of the blessings of His grace, and for this very reason we
cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been
saved. Can we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and yet be willing to
do despite to all His love and sacrifice? In view of the infinite humiliation
of the Lord of glory, shall we murmur because we can enter into life only
through conflict and self-abasement? {SC
45.1}
The inquiry of many a proud heart is,
"Why need I go in penitence and humiliation before I can have the
assurance of my acceptance with God?" I point you to Christ. He was
sinless, and, more than this, He was the Prince of heaven; but in man's behalf He became sin for the race. "He
was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12. {SC 45.2}
But what do we give up, when we give all?
A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to
save by His matchless love. And yet men think it hard to give up all! I am
ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed to write it. {SC 46.1}
God does not require us to give up
anything that it is for our best interest to retain. In all that He does, He
has the well-being of His children in view. Would that all who have not chosen
Christ might realize that He has something vastly better to offer them than
they are seeking for themselves. Man is doing the greatest injury and injustice
to his own soul when he thinks and acts contrary to the will of God. No real
joy can be found in the path forbidden by Him who knows what is best and who
plans for the good of His creatures. The path of transgression is the path of
misery and destruction. {SC 46.2}
It is a mistake to entertain the thought
that God is pleased to see His children suffer. All heaven is interested in the
happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any
of His creatures. The divine requirements call upon us to shun those
indulgences that would bring suffering and disappointment, that would close to
us the door of happiness and heaven. The world's Redeemer accepts men as they
are, with all their wants, imperfections, and weaknesses; and He will not only
cleanse from sin and grant redemption through His blood, but will satisfy the heart-longing of all who
consent to wear His yoke, to bear His burden. It is His purpose to impart peace
and rest to all who come to Him for the bread of life. He requires us to
perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which
the disobedient can never attain. The true, joyous life of the soul is to have
Christ formed within, the hope of glory.
{SC 46.3}
Many are inquiring, "How am I to make
the surrender of myself to God?" You desire to give yourself to Him, but
you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits
of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You
cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of
your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own
sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not
despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the
governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice.
Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has
given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you
cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him.
You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do
according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under
the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him,
your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.
{SC 47.1}
Desires for goodness and holiness are
right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many
will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to
the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be
Christians. {SC 47.2}
Through the right exercise of the will, an
entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you
ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You
will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant
surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of
faith. {SC 48.1}
Thursday
The Test of Discipleship
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17. {SC 57.1} A person may not be able to tell the exact
time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances in the process of
conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. Christ said to
Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
everyone that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8. Like the wind, which is
invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of
God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human
eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image
of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects
are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will
bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or
to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to
ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is
dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the
pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been
and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and
occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts. {SC 57.2}
It is true that there may be an outward
correctness of deportment without the renewing power of Christ. The love of
influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered
life. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart
may perform generous actions. By what means, then, shall we determine whose
side we are on? {SC 58.1}
Who has the heart? With whom
are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest
affections and our best energies? If we are Christ's, our thoughts are with
Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated
to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please
Him in all things. {SC 58.2}
Those who become new
creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,
"love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance." Galatians 5:22, 23. They will no longer fashion themselves
according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God they will
follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is
pure. The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved
they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The
vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober,
and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid
aside. Christians will seek not the "outward adorning," but "the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of
a meek and quiet spirit." 1 Peter 3:3, 4.
{SC 58.3}
There is no evidence of genuine repentance
unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had
robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be
sure that he has passed from death unto life.
{SC 59.1}
When, as erring, sinful beings, we come to
Christ and become partakers of His pardoning grace, love springs up in the
heart. Every burden is light, for the yoke that Christ imposes is easy. Duty
becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure. The path that before seemed
shrouded in darkness, becomes bright with beams from the Sun of
Righteousness. {SC 59.2}
The loveliness of the
character of Christ will be seen in His followers. It was His delight to do the
will of God. Love to God, zeal for His glory, was the controlling power in our
Saviour's life. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions. Love is of God.
The unconsecrated heart cannot originate or produce it. It is found only in the
heart where Jesus reigns. "We love, because He first loved us." 1
John 4:19, R.V. In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the principle of
action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions,
subdues enmity, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul,
sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around. {SC 59.3}
There are two errors against which the children of God--particularly
those who have just come to trust in His grace--especially need to guard. The
first, already dwelt upon, is that of looking to their own works, trusting to
anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is
trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an
impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness
and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us
holy. {SC 59.4}
The opposite and no less dangerous error
is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since
by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have
nothing to do with our redemption. {SC
60.1}
But notice here that obedience is not a
mere outward compliance, but the service of love. The law of God is an
expression of His very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of
love, and hence is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. If our
hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in
the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life? When the
principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the
image of Him that created him, the new-covenant promise is fulfilled, "I
will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."
Hebrews 10:16. And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the
life? Obedience--the service and allegiance of love--is the true sign of
discipleship. Thus the Scripture says, "This is the love of God, that 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." 1 John 5:3;
2:4. Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that
makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render
obedience. {SC 60.2}
We do not earn salvation by our obedience;
for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience
is the fruit of faith. "Ye know that He was manifested to take away our
sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever
sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him." 1 John 3:5, 6. Here is the
true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our
feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the
will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. "Little
children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,
even as He is righteous." 1 John 3:7. Righteousness is defined by the
standard of God's holy law, as expressed in the ten precepts given on
Sinai. {SC 61.1}
That so-called faith in Christ which
professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith,
but presumption. "By grace are ye saved through faith." But
"faith, if it hath not works, is dead." Ephesians 2:8; James 2:17.
Jesus said of Himself before He came to earth, "I delight to do Thy will,
O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Psalm 40:8. And just before He
ascended again to heaven He declared, "I have kept My Father's
commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10. The Scripture says,
"Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. . . . He
that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk even as He
walked." 1 John 2:3-6. "Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that ye should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21. {SC 61.2}
The condition of eternal life is now just
what it always has been,--just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our
first parents,--perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If
eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of
the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all
its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized. {SC 62.1}
It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character
by obedience to God's law. But he failed to do this, and because of his sin our
natures are fallen and we cannot make ourselves righteous. Since we are sinful,
unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our
own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way
of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have
to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our
sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him
as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are
accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character, and
you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. {SC 62.2}
More than this, Christ
changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this
connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to
Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according
to His good pleasure. So you may say, "The life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for
me." Galatians 2:20. So Jesus said to His disciples, "It is not ye
that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Matthew
10:20. Then with Christ working in you, you will manifest the same spirit and
do the same good works --works of righteousness, obedience. {SC 62.3}
So we have nothing in
ourselves of which to boast. We have no ground for self-exaltation. Our only
ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that
wrought by His Spirit working in and through us. {SC 63.1}
When we speak of faith, there
is a distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a kind of belief that
is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His
word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible
says that "the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this is not
faith. James 2:19. Where there is not only a belief in God's word, but a
submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the
affections fixed upon Him, there is faith--faith that works by love and
purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God.
And the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the
psalmist, "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day."
Psalm 119:97. And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, "who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. {SC 63.2}
There are those who have
known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God,
yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they
are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit.
To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow
down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes,
but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are
not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, "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." 1 John 2:1. And do
not forget the words of Christ, "The Father Himself loveth you." John
16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness
reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun
a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more
fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us
trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of
our countenance. {SC 64.1}
The closer you come to Jesus,
the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be
clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to
His perfect nature. This is evidence that Satan's delusions have lost
their power; that the vivifying
influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you.
{SC 64.2}
No deep-seated love for Jesus
can dwell in the heart that does not realize its own sinfulness. The soul that
is transformed by the grace of Christ will admire His divine character; but if
we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakable evidence that we have
not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ. {SC 65.1}
The less we see to esteem in ourselves,
the more we shall see to esteem in the infinite purity and loveliness of our
Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; and when the
soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal
Himself in power. The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to the word
of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character, and the more fully
we shall reflect His image. {SC
65.2}
Friday
The Privilege of Prayer
Through nature and revelation, through His
providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us. But these are
not enough; we need also to pour out our hearts to Him. In order to have
spiritual life and energy, we must have actual intercourse with our heavenly
Father. Our minds may be drawn out toward Him; we may meditate upon His works,
His mercies, His blessings; but this is not, in the fullest sense, communing
with Him. In order to commune with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning
our actual life. {SC 93.1}
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God
as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we
are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down
to us, but brings us up to Him. {SC
93.2}
When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught
His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before
God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that
their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us. {SC 93.3}
Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men,
was often in prayer. Our Saviour identified Himself with our needs and
weakness, in that He became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father
fresh supplies of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial.
He is our example in all things. He is a brother in our infirmities, "in
all points tempted like as we are;" but as the sinless one His nature
recoiled from evil; He endured struggles and torture of soul in a world of sin.
His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy
in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt
the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the
necessity of fervent, constant prayer.
{SC 93.4}
Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon
us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the
fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is
ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children,
and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants
to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who
are subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward
them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so
little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love
to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet
the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem
satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His
presence. {SC 94.1}
The darkness of the evil one encloses
those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them
to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God
has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and
daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of
faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?
Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing
careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually
to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we may not by earnest supplication
and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation. {SC 94.2}
There are certain conditions upon which we
may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these
is that we feel our need of help from Him. He has promised, "I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground." Isaiah
44:3. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who long after God, may
be sure that they will be filled. The heart must be open to the Spirit's
influence, or God's blessing cannot be received. {SC 95.1}
Our great need is itself an argument and
pleads most eloquently in our behalf. But the Lord is to be sought unto to do
these things for us. He says, "Ask, and it shall be given you." And
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how
shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Matthew 7:7; Romans
8:32. {SC 95.2}
If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we
cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the
penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted,
we may believe that God will answer our petitions. Our own merit will never
commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save
us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with
the conditions of acceptance. {SC 95.3}
Another element of prevailing prayer is
faith. "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6. Jesus said to
His disciples, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that
ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. Do we take Him at
His word? {SC 96.1}
The assurance is broad and unlimited, and
He is faithful who has promised. When we do not receive the very things we
asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and
that He will answer our prayers. We are so erring and short-sighted that we
sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly
Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our
highest good--that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely
enlightened we could see all things as they really are. When our prayers seem
not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering
will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim
that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular
thing that we desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to
withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to
trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.
Rely upon His sure promise, "Ask, and it shall be given you." {SC 96.2}
If we take counsel with our doubts and
fears, or try to solve everything that we cannot see clearly, before we have
faith, perplexities will only increase and deepen. But if we come to God,
feeling helpless and dependent, as we really are, and in humble, trusting faith
make known our wants to Him whose knowledge is infinite, who sees everything in
creation, and who governs everything by His will and word, He can and will
attend to our cry, and will let light shine into our hearts. Through sincere
prayer we are brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite. We may have
no remarkable evidence at the time that the face of our Redeemer is bending
over us in compassion and love, but this is even so. We may not feel His
visible touch, but His hand is upon us in love and pitying tenderness. {SC 96.3}
When we come to ask mercy and blessing
from God we should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in our own hearts. How
can we pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," and
yet indulge an unforgiving spirit? Matthew 6:12. If we expect our own prayers
to be heard we must forgive others in the same manner and to the same extent as
we hope to be forgiven. {SC 97.1}
Perseverance in prayer has been made a
condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and
experience. We are to be "instant in prayer," to "continue in
prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Romans 12:12; Colossians
4:2. Peter exhorts believers to be "sober, and watch unto prayer." 1
Peter 4:7. Paul directs, "In everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6.
"But ye, beloved," says Jude, "praying in the Holy Ghost, keep
yourselves in the love of God." Jude 20, 21. Unceasing prayer is the
unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life;
and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God. {SC 97.2}
There is necessity for diligence in
prayer; let nothing hinder you. Make every effort to keep open the communion
between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where prayer is
wont to be made. Those who are really seeking for communion with God will be
seen in the prayer meeting, faithful to do their duty and earnest and anxious
to reap all the benefits they can gain. They will improve every opportunity of
placing themselves where they can receive the rays of light from heaven. {SC 98.1}
We should pray in the family circle, and
above all we must not neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul.
It is impossible for the soul to flourish while prayer is neglected. Family or
public prayer alone is not sufficient. In solitude let the soul be laid open to
the inspecting eye of God. Secret prayer is to be heard only by the
prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burden of such petitions.
In secret prayer the soul is free from surrounding influences, free from
excitement. Calmly, yet fervently, will it reach out after God. Sweet and
abiding will be the influence emanating from Him who seeth in secret, whose ear
is open to hear the prayer arising from the heart. By calm, simple faith the
soul holds communion with God and gathers to itself rays of divine light to
strengthen and sustain it in the conflict with Satan. God is our tower of
strength. {SC 98.2}
Pray in your closet, and as you go about
your daily labor let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was thus that
Enoch walked with God. These silent prayers rise like precious incense before
the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed upon
God. {SC 98.3}
There is no time or place in which it is
inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent
us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of
the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to
God and plead for divine guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request
before King Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever we are. We
should have the door of the heart open continually and our invitation going up
that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in the soul. {SC 99.1}
Although there may be a tainted, corrupted
atmosphere around us, we need not breathe its miasma, but may live in the pure
air of heaven. We may close every door to impure imaginings and unholy thoughts
by lifting the soul into the presence of God through sincere prayer. Those
whose hearts are open to receive the support and blessing of God will walk in a
holier atmosphere than that of earth and will have constant communion with
heaven. {SC 99.2}
We need to have more distinct views of
Jesus and a fuller comprehension of the value of eternal realities. The beauty
of holiness is to fill the hearts of God's children; and that this may be
accomplished, we should seek for divine disclosures of heavenly things. {SC 99.3}
Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that
God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to
God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally
as the flower turns to the sun. {SC
99.4}
Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows,
your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary
Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of
His children. "The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James
5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of
them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for
Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the
universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to
notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there
is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the
least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere
prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in
which He takes no immediate interest. "He healeth the broken in heart, and
bindeth up their wounds." Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each
soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the
earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved
Son. {SC 100.1}
Jesus said, "Ye shall ask in My name: and
I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself
loveth you." "I have chosen you: . . . that whatsoever ye shall ask
of the Father in My name, He may give it you." John 16:26, 27; 15:16. But
to pray in the name of Jesus is something more than a mere mention of that name
at the beginning and the ending of a prayer. It is to pray in the mind and
spirit of Jesus, while we believe His promises, rely upon His grace, and work
His works. {SC 100.2}
God does not mean that any of us should
become hermits or monks and retire from the world in order to devote ourselves
to acts of worship. The life must be like Christ's life--between the mountain
and the multitude. He who does nothing but pray will soon cease to pray, or his
prayers will become a formal routine. When men take themselves out of social
life, away from the sphere of Christian duty and cross bearing; when they cease
to work earnestly for the Master, who worked earnestly for them, they lose the
subject matter of prayer and have no incentive to devotion. Their prayers
become personal and selfish. They cannot pray in regard to the wants of
humanity or the upbuilding of Christ's kingdom, pleading for strength wherewith
to work. {SC 101.1}
We sustain a loss when we neglect the
privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage one another in
the service of God. The truths of His word lose their vividness and importance
in our minds. Our hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by their
sanctifying influence, and we decline in spirituality. In our association as
Christians we lose much by lack of sympathy with one another. He who shuts
himself up to himself is not filling the position that God designed he should.
The proper cultivation of the social elements in our nature brings us into
sympathy with others and is a means of development and strength to us in the
service of God. {SC 101.2}
If Christians would associate together,
speaking to each other of the love of God and of the precious truths of redemption, their own hearts would
be refreshed and they would refresh one another. We may be daily learning more
of our heavenly Father, gaining a fresh experience of His grace; then we shall
desire to speak of His love; and as we do this, our own hearts will be warmed
and encouraged. If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of self, we
should have far more of His presence. {SC
101.3}
If we would but think of God as often as
we have evidence of His care for us we should keep Him ever in our thoughts and
should delight to talk of Him and to praise Him. We talk of temporal things
because we have an interest in them. We talk of our friends because we love
them; our joys and our sorrows are bound up with them. Yet we have infinitely
greater reason to love God than to love our earthly friends; it should be the
most natural thing in the world to make Him first in all our thoughts, to talk
of His goodness and tell of His power. The rich gifts He has bestowed upon us
were not intended to absorb our thoughts and love so much that we should have
nothing to give to God; they are constantly to remind us of Him and to bind us
in bonds of love and gratitude to our heavenly Benefactor. We dwell too near
the lowlands of earth. Let us raise our eyes to the open door of the sanctuary
above, where the light of the glory of God shines in the face of Christ, who
"is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
Him." Hebrews 7:25. {SC 102.1}
We need to praise God more "for His
goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalm
107:8. Our devotional exercises should not consist wholly in asking and receiving. Let us
not be always thinking of our wants and never of the benefits we receive. We do
not pray any too much, but we are too sparing of giving thanks. We are the
constant recipients of God's mercies, and yet how little gratitude we express,
how little we praise Him for what He has done for us. {SC 102.2}
Anciently the Lord bade Israel, when they
met together for His service, "Ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and
ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households,
wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee." Deuteronomy 12:7. That which
is done for the glory of God should be done with cheerfulness, with songs of
praise and thanksgiving, not with sadness and gloom. {SC 103.1}
Our God is a tender, merciful Father. His
service should not be looked upon as a heart-saddening, distressing exercise.
It should be a pleasure to worship the Lord and to take part in His work. God
would not have His children, for whom so great salvation has been provided, act
as if He were a hard, exacting taskmaster. He is their best friend; and when
they worship Him, He expects to be with them, to bless and comfort them,
filling their hearts with joy and love. The Lord desires His children to take
comfort in His service and to find more pleasure than hardship in His work. He
desires that those who come to worship Him shall carry away with them precious
thoughts of His care and love, that they may be cheered in all the employments
of daily life, that they may have grace to deal honestly and faithfully in all
things. {SC 103.2}
We must gather about the cross. Christ and
Him crucified should be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our
most joyful emotion. We should keep in our thoughts every blessing we receive
from God, and when we realize His great love we should be willing to trust
everything to the hand that was nailed to the cross for us. {SC 103.3}
The soul may ascend nearer heaven on the
wings of praise. God is worshiped with song and music in the courts above, and
as we express our gratitude we are approximating to the worship of the heavenly
hosts. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth" God. Psalm 50:23. Let us
with reverent joy come before our Creator, with "thanksgiving, and the
voice of melody." Isaiah 51:3. {SC
104.1}
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