Lt 117, 1903

Caro, E. R.

“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California

June 24, 1903 [typed]

Portions of this letter are published in MM 19-21; TMK 54.

Dr. E. R. Caro

My dear brother,—

Several days ago I received your letter. I would say to you, the Lord lives and reigns. Take hold of His work in any place that you can. If you bring yourself to Him as a consecrated offering, making no reserve, He will accept you.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 1

In regard to your future connection with the Sanitarium, I do not know what to say, as I am not on the ground. I could not encourage you to go to the Sanitarium unless those now in charge of the institution have clear evidence that it is best for you to do this. You will have to seek God, and they will have to understand for themselves what their duty is. I dare not take this burden upon me. I know that, judging from past experience, your brethren do not look favorably upon your connection with the Sanitarium on account of your expensive habits. They fear the influence that your example would exert upon the institution.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 2

The carrying forward of sanitarium work requires self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. The Wahroonga Sanitarium must be managed by men who keep stern principle ever before them. Unless our workers submerge their own interests in the work for these last days, unless they deny self and bear the cross daily, self-indulgence will creep in little by little. An influence will be exerted that will do great harm.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 3

Christ came to this earth and lived for us the life that every one must live who is granted entrance into the city of God. He says, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” [Matthew 16:24.] “So shall he be My disciple.” [John 15:8.] Your failure to obey this word is the great hindrance to your success in God’s work. I dare not say to the workers at the Sanitarium that it would be advisable for you to connect with the Sanitarium. Should you do this, you would, unless you are greatly changed, exert an influence that is counter to the influence that the Lord would have exerted in the institution.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 4

This world has been visited by the Majesty of heaven, the Son of God. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] Christ came to this world as the expression of the very heart and mind and nature and character of God. He was the brightness of the Father’s glory, the express image of His person. But He laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown and stepped down from His high command to take the place of a servant. He was rich, but for our sake, that we might have eternal riches, He became poor. He made the world, but so completely did He empty Himself that during His ministry He declared, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” [Luke 9:58.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 5

He came to this world and stood among the beings He had created as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” [Isaiah 53:5.] He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 6

Christ stood at the head of humanity in the garb of humanity. So full of sympathy and love was His attitude that the poorest was not afraid to come to Him. He was kind to all; easily approached by the most lowly. He went from house to house, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners, soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the distressed. He took the little children in His arms and blessed them and spoke words of hope and comfort to the weary mothers. With unfailing tenderness and gentleness He met every form of human woe and affliction. Not for Himself, but for others did He labor. He was willing to humble Himself, to deny Himself. He did not seek to distinguish Himself. He was the servant of all. It was His meat and drink to be a comfort and a consolation to others, to gladden the sad and heavy-laden ones with whom He daily came in contact.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 7

Christ stands before us as the pattern Man, the great Medical Missionary—an example for all who should come after. His love, pure and holy, blessed all who came within the sphere of its influence. His character was absolutely perfect, free from the slightest taint of sin. He came as an expression of the perfect love of God, not to crush, not to judge and condemn, but to heal every weak, defective character, to save men and women from Satan’s power. He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the human race. He gives to all the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 8

What, then, is the example that we are to set to the world? We are to do the same work that the great Medical Missionary undertook in our behalf. We are to follow the path of self-sacrifice trodden by Christ.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 9

As I see so many claiming to be medical missionaries, the representation of what Christ was on this earth flashes before me. As I think of how far short the workers today fall when compared with the divine example, my heart is bowed down with a sorrow that words cannot express. Will men and women ever do a work that bears the features and character of the great Medical Missionary?18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 10

How did men treat Christ when He came? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” [John 1:1-5.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 11

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” [Verses 6-11.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 12

Thus it is today. This history is being repeated and will be repeated again and again before the Lord shall come in the clouds of heaven. The deceptions of Satan will be upon those who dwell on the earth. The enemy will claim to be Christ and will deceive all but those who are steadfast and true to God.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 13

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ... full of grace and truth. ... And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” [Verses 12, 14, 16.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 14

After fitting up this world as the dwelling place of man, God looked upon it, and rejoiced in it, pronouncing it very good. So He will accept of and rejoice in the reformation wrought out by those who, receiving Christ as their Saviour, have obtained power to become the sons of God. “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.] The first chapter of Colossians shows us the heights to which it is our privilege to attain. We may be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” walking “worthy of the Lord ... being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the powers of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” [Verses 9-14.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 15

Is there not woe enough in this sin-stricken, sin-cursed earth to lead us to consecrate ourselves to the work of proclaiming the message that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”? [John 3:16.] This earth has been trodden by the Son of God.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 16

He came to bring men light and life, to set them free from the bondage of sin. He is coming again in power and great glory, to receive to Himself those who during this life have followed in His footsteps.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 17

O how I long to see those who claim to be medical missionaries honoring the great Exemplar, whose life declares what is comprehended in the claim to be a medical missionary. I would that they were learning the Saviour’s meekness and lowliness. My heart aches to think that Christ is so greatly disappointed in His followers. They bear a name that their daily life does not give them the right to bear.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 18

We must be sanctified, soul and body, through the truth; then we shall honor the name, Medical Missionary. Oh, this name means so much. It calls for a representation altogether different from the representation given by many who bear it. Soon these will understand how far they have departed from the principles of heaven and how greatly they have grieved the heart of Christ.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 19

My brother, I have the tenderest feelings for you, and I should be so pleased to know that you were occupying a position in some part of the work of God, weighted with a sense of the importance of the truth for this time. Your mother has always been to me a precious friend and helper. It would be a great joy to me to see you established, strengthened, and settled upon the foundation principles of present truth.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 20

Jesus is coming soon. I want you and your wife to make ready for His appearing. I want you to wash your robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Christ said of the church at Sardis, “Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.” [Revelation 3:4.] I greatly desire that you shall be sanctified, body, soul, and spirit, through the truth. O my brother, I lift before you a crucified and risen Saviour, whom we are to receive as our Regenerator. I say to you, “Look and live.” [Numbers 21:8.] It is our privilege to enjoy the abiding presence of Christ in our hearts. He says, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him; and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” [John 14:23.] This is the identification that we must have with Christ in this world, if we are identified as His saints in the mansions that He has gone to prepare for those that love Him. We must know Christ here if we ever see the King in His beauty. Christ must be in us and we in Him. We must sit together with Him in heavenly places.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 21

God’s people are to show to the world the power that comes to those who live the life of Christ. The Saviour declares, “This is the Father’s will that sent Me, that of all that He hath given Me I should lose nothing. ... And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on Him should have everlasting life.” [John 6:39, 40.]18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 22

My brother, Christ loves you. He has shown you how much He loves you. I cannot find words to tell you how greatly you have disappointed Him in the past. You have allowed the enemy to sway you first in one way and then in another, and the tempter has exulted as you have given way to his temptations. You must have an entirely different experience before Christ can say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant, ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” [Matthew 25:23.] When you are thoroughly converted, you will be kept by the power of God from exhibiting the weak points in your character.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 23

May God bless you and your wife, giving you both clear discernment. May He teach you what it means to be a follower of Christ. May He put His Spirit upon you, that you may be enabled to reveal Christ to a world dead in trespasses and sins. This is my prayer for you. My soul longs for your salvation. I pray that you may be enabled to overcome as Christ overcame and sit down with Him on His throne.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 24

Your sister in Christ.18LtMs, Lt 117, 1903, par. 25