Diary/“Learn of Me.”
NP
Circa May 1902
Previously unpublished.
I am burdened over many things. While attending council meetings in Oakland, there were some things presented before us. We do not see the necessity of our ever considering we are members of Christ's body, of His flesh and of His bones, if we are to act out the mind of God. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:1-3. The Lord did not choose them because they were naturally better than others, but [because] they accepted grace so freely offered. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” [John 1:12.] 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 1
If those who claim to be in service to Christ will remember to do to others as they wish others to do to them, they would be cultivating personal graces, knowing they must practice Christian politeness one to another if they are to become fitted to become members of the royal family in the kingdom of God. All who are learning of Christ are required to wear His yoke of restraint. And He has taught us our duty: “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:29.] Yes, thank God, rest in a living experience! As you practice His teachings, you know by your practice the lessons of Christ are true, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jealousies and evil surmisings are considered unprofitable guests to entertain. Perpetual dissension may be encouraged by taking notice of little things in others and feeding distrust, but it will not bring peace to an individual soul. 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 2
We are to consider we are preparing our minds and manners, our whole bodies and souls, for the wonderful, grand alliance in the assembly in the Lord's everlasting kingdom. All members of that alliance are members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King. Then let every person who claims to be [one of] God's little children practice the Bible principles here in this preparation school below. Just take your lessons in the grace and charm of good behavior. Have it your pleasure to practice the precious lessons that Christ has given us in His own sinless, amiable, attractive life. Then all such will have pleasant looks, pleasant refinement of manners, and refinement of speech. We can become persons of influence in all [our] religious association because God requires it of us to have beautiful behavior. He enjoins, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” [Matthew 5:48] There is no low standard for any of us. “Higher, still higher,” saith the Lord Jesus. 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 3
Why we should, by repetition, cultivate disagreeable traits of character? The little courtesies of life Christ has given us in His example are to be brought into our practice daily, as a sacred requirement of the Word. In one who is seeking to be an overcomer [there] will be a precious, energetic, earnestness, but free from all rudeness. You receive grace for grace. We can know, if we will, how much we will receive if we try to please and to be pleased. Selfishness, bound up in self, is not piety, it is Phariseeism. A happy manner is to be cultivated. Just such speech and just the graces that are to be represented in the City of our God, are to be cultivated in the preparation here in this life. This world is our school to learn our manners for the future life. 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 4
All of us are to learn of Christ, to wear His yoke gracefully. “Learn of me,” says the great Teacher, “for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,” to the submissive neck, “and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:29, 30.] Christ is the great Revealer of thoughts and intellect. He is sensitive of all that affects His believing children. One thing was revealed to Him in clearest light, and which He communicated with authority and power—that they must hear and understand that in the future kingdom none were to be admitted who practiced fraud and selfishness in this life. [Those whose] course of action was to take advantage of circumstances to benefit themselves [or] to disadvantage another, [exhibiting] pretentious piety while their heart was impure, would be denied a place. All those who would humble their hearts before God, repent and confess their sins, believing in Christ as their Redeemer, would become more than conquerors through Him that hath loved them. 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 5
God calls upon all who claim to believe in Him to put away their hardheartedness and to act justly and benevolently towards their fellow men. All humanity is to have the invitation to come to the Lord Jesus and believe in Him, to humble their naturally proud hearts, becoming truly repentant. God calls for most earnest work. It is through a reception of the Word that men receive that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The Lord calls for all believers to take an altogether higher, holier standard than they have heretofore conceived of. All dissension and strife [are to cease.] In the seventeenth chapter of St. John [we] have the prayer of Christ to become one as Christ was one with the Father. All who love the Lord Jesus will be doers of His Word. 17LtMs, Ms 239, 1902, par. 6