1904

January 7, 1904

Written for Our Admonition—No. 2

EGW

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 1

The people of God, and especially the men who occupy positions of trust, need to study the history of Moses’ failure to enter Canaan. Let them stop and think what it means to become angry, to show a spirit unworthy of a leader of God's people. There are those in God's service who have given way to anger, and who have not felt the repentance that Moses felt. These men have braced themselves to follow an unchristian course, and have gone on from one wrong to another.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 2

And there are murmurers in the church, who easily lose their self-control. If everything does not move to please them, they become irritated, and provoke one another to evil. They have not the light and love of God in their souls; if their way is crossed, they give loose rein to an unsanctified, irritable spirit.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 3

I have been instructed to present this before our people, and to urge them to make diligent work for repentance.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 4

The instruction given to the children of Israel is for us also. Happy will be the church when its members study the directions given to the Israelites during their journeyings in the wilderness. In this instruction are specified the virtues that the church in the wilderness must have in order to be approved of God. The church of today has far greater light than had the church in the wilderness. She should stand on vantage ground, cherishing the pure, holy principles that God declares men must cherish in their dealing with their fellow men, if they would grow in grace and wisdom, and be honored as obedient subjects. Only by following these principles can we adorn the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 5

The importance of the law of God, and Christ's relation to it, are to be presented before those who have placed themselves under Satan's banner, full of self-importance and self-sufficiency. In a wicked world God's servants are to obey the principles of his government, by their righteousness testifying that fallen man can be loyal to God.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 6

Christ is our Leader. Clothing his divinity with humanity, he humbled himself, that he might stand in person at the head of the human race. He laid aside his kingly crown, and yielded up his high position as commander of the angels, who loved to do his bidding. For our sake he became poor, that through his humiliation and poverty, human beings might be made rich, heirs to an eternal weight of glory. The Saviour came to the world in lowliness, and lived as a man among men. On all points except sin, divinity was to touch humanity. Living on this earth as a man among men, Christ answered in the affirmative the question, “Can man keep the law of God?” He was tempted in all points as man is tempted, “yet without sin.” He was tempted that he might know how to succor those that should afterward be tempted. He became 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.” He gave himself to the world as a spiritual teacher, a genuine medical missionary.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 7

O that our workers realized what privileges are theirs! They would know by experience what it means to hear and obey 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.”RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 8

Christ came to our world to teach men what is meant by genuine religion,—the religion that will make men and women lights in the world. To all he offers power to form a true, noble character. The converted man rejoices that he has a Saviour who is so mighty. He is a partaker of the divine nature. His repentance is not a farce, but a reality, and the fruits of it appear in Christlike words and deeds. Every day, every hour, he reveals faith in the Sin-bearer. Love, hope, long-suffering, patience, kindness, are revealed in his life. In self-denial he lifts the cross and follows Jesus. He is a representative of the Saviour.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 9

“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart to unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 10

Mark the words “deceitfulness of sin.” Often Satan presents his temptations under the guise of goodness. Beware that you yield not to them. One violation of straight-forward truthfulness prepares the way for the second violation, and wrongs are repeated until the heart of unbelief becomes hardened, and the conscience loses its sensitiveness.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 11

Let us humble our hearts before God, and ask him to forgive us for speaking words of unbelief, words that cast a reflection on him who is too wise to err, and too good to do us harm.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 12

“We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 13

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.... Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”RH January 7, 1904, Art. A, par. 14