Brethren
“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California
August 5, 1903
Portions of this letter are published in TDG 226.
My dear brethren,—
I will try to write you a few lines this morning. But I am too weary to write much. And I think that the letters that I sent yesterday will be sufficient. Let us now trust in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Let us not allow the enemy to gain any advantage over us. The Lord is our Helper, and we must not become discouraged. The cause of God has suffered much, and we need now to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He will be our frontguard and our rearward. Let us work and wait and watch and pray. God will not suffer the enemy to overcome us if we will be careful of our words, saying nothing which Satan can use as a handle. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 1
There is before us a great work, and the doing of this work requires careful preparation. Let us call to mind the sure promises of the Word, and present them to God for fulfilment. He is very careful to keep His Word. After we have done our part, let us wait patiently and hopefully, in calmness and faith. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 2
My brethren, pray and counsel together, and believe. We have much to present to the people. But we shall have to give our reasons for warning them to be guarded and never, never to venture to follow in the track of kingship that Dr. Kellogg is now taking. Let us walk humbly with God. He never leads one man to exalt himself above his fellow men, to dictate to them, and to rule over them. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 3
The truth in regard to the way in which the work of God is to be carried on at the present time must be spoken. Heavenly intelligences are waiting and longing to co-operate with human instrumentalities. God would reveal to the world what His people may become through the working of the Holy Spirit. Let us do all we can, and then wait patiently for Him. Through union with divine agencies, we may accomplish much in saving souls ready to perish. Faithful efforts on our part will result in winning to Christ those whom God will make bright and shining lights in the world. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 4
Christ, the Son of the infinite God, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, humbled Himself, to take our nature, and to do the work of a servant. All this He did in our behalf, to lead us to humble ourselves, so that through us He may work to reach the human beings ready to die. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 5
Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church. Nothing else is watched over by Him with such jealous care. Nothing else so grieves His heart of love as the injuries inflicted on His church by those who would hurt and destroy. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 6
Human might and human wisdom did not establish the church of God, and neither can they destroy it. The members of the church will have to meet the seducing arts of the enemy. They will be assailed by the representatives of Satan. Let them not get into controversy with those who are adept at warfare of this kind. If they will answer their assailants in the words of the Scripture, Satan’s arguments will sink into nothingness. The Word of God in their hearts is a power of life and salvation. Fighting under the divine Commander, they will obtain the victory. The Life-giver will strengthen them to overcome. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 7
There is comfort and encouragement for us in the representation given in the third chapter of Zechariah. We read: “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 8
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 9
“And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then thou shalt also judge My house, and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.” [Verses 1-7.] 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 10
Joshua, standing before the angel of the Lord with defiled garments, represents those whose religious life has been faulty, who have been overcome by Satan’s temptations, and are unworthy of God’s favor. Today human beings stand before God with defiled garments. All their righteousness is “as filthy rags.” [Isaiah 64:6.] Satan uses against them his masterly accusing power, pointing to their imperfections as evidence of their weakness. He points scornfully at the mistakes of those who claim to be doing God service. They have been deceived by him, and he begs for permission to destroy them. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 11
But they trust in Christ, and Christ will not forsake them. He came to this world to take away their sins and to impute to them His righteousness. He declares that through faith in His name they may receive forgiveness and perfect Christlike characters. They have confessed their sins to Him and have asked for pardon, and Christ declares that because they look to and believe on Him, He will give them power to become sons of God. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 12
Their characters are defective, but because they have not trusted in their own merits and excused their sins, because they have asked for forgiveness through the merits of Christ, the Lord receives them and rebukes Satan. Because they have humbled themselves, confessing their sins, He refuses to listen to the enemy’s accusations. He has abundantly pardoned the penitent ones and will carry forward in them His work of redeeming love if they will continue to believe in Him and to trust Him. He will perfect their redemption, defeating the enemy and glorifying His name in their salvation. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 13
This lesson is given to show how entirely out of place it is for human beings to lift up the soul unto vanity, cherishing pride and self-sufficiency and boasting of their achievements. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 14
Those who, by divine grace, have gained the mastery over their faults are to teach others how to overcome, pointing them to the Source of strength. To every converted soul is given the privilege of helping those around him who do not rejoice in the light in which he is standing. They also may know the joy that has come to him. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” [John 1:12.] They may take their place in the world as God’s light-bearers. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 15
How helpful we can be to one another by receiving from Christ the divine blessing and then sharing it with those in need. The true Christian will leave nothing undone that he can do to raise to newness of life those who are dead in trespasses and sins. He will work as Christ worked. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 16
Especially are those whom God has set over His church to watch for souls as they that must give an account. They may accomplish great good if they will walk humbly with God, hiding self in Christ. Those who have a living connection with Christ become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Those who are workers together with Christ, those who give to others the light and truth they have received from the Word, are representatives of the Saviour, the heavenly Worker. A warm, earnest love for souls fills their hearts. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 17
God has chosen a people to keep His commandments and to reveal to the world a unity and love that will convince unbelievers that God did indeed send His Son to this earth as a miracle-working missionary, able to pardon transgression, able to make men and women laborers together with God in the great, grand work of saving the lost. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 18
When the followers of Christ walk in His footsteps, their sympathy for one another will be plainly seen. There will be no envy, no fear lest one shall be more esteemed than the others. All will rejoice when prosperity comes to one. Their hearts will be filled with unselfish love. They will faithfully reprove wrongs, refusing to pass them by unnoticed, knowing that thus they would be sustaining them. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 19
O how foolish the ways of the world appear to God! With their pride, their boasting, their intrigues, their deceptions, worldlings are preparing to receive the wages of sin—death. It is not possible for faith and peace and love, the gifts of God, to abide in the heart of the falsifier, or the criticizer. Falsehood and criticism are part of Satan’s stock-in-trade. O how pleased he is when professing Christians enter into partnership with him. We would better walk humbly with God than to walk with princes. The chastening rod will fall upon all who have not improved the opportunity to cultivate a kind disposition. They are never happy. Christ would impress His image upon the human heart. He will give His peace to all who will appreciate the gift and impart it to others. 18LtMs, Lt 173, 1903, par. 20