Issue: 2018 January

Pen of Inspiration – Life Through Death

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The lesson of seed sowing teaches liberality. “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

The Lord says, “Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32:20). To sow beside all waters means to give wherever our help is needed. This will not tend to poverty. “He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” By casting it away the sower multiplies his seed. So by imparting we increase our blessings. God’s promise assures a sufficiency, that we may continue to give.

More than this: as we impart the blessings of this life, gratitude in the recipient prepares the heart to receive spiritual truth, and a harvest is produced unto life everlasting.

By the casting of grain into the earth, the Saviour represents His sacrifice for us. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,” He says, “it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). Only through the sacrifice of Christ, the Seed, could fruit be brought forth for the kingdom of God. In accordance with the law of the vegetable kingdom, life is the result of His death.

So with all who bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ: self-love, self-interest, must perish; the life must be cast into the furrow of the world’s need. But the law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation. The husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So the life that will be preserved is the life that is freely given in service to God and man.

The seed dies, to spring forth into new life. In this we are taught the lesson of the resurrection. Of the human body laid away to molder in the grave, God has said: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power” (1 Corinthians 15:42, 43).

As parents and teachers try to teach these lessons, the work should be made practical. Let the children themselves prepare the soil and sow the seed. As they work, the parent or teacher can explain the garden of the heart, with the good or bad seed sown there, and that as the garden must be prepared for the natural seed, so the heart must be prepared for the seed of truth. As the seed is cast into the ground, they can teach the lesson of Christ’s death; and as the blade springs up, the truth of the resurrection. As the plant grows, the correspondence between the natural and the spiritual sowing may be continued.

The youth should be instructed in a similar way. From the tilling of the soil, lessons may constantly be learned. No one settles upon a raw piece of land with the expectation that it will at once yield a harvest. Diligent, persevering labor must be put forth in the preparation of the soil, the sowing of the seed, and the culture of the crop. So it must be in the spiritual sowing. The garden of the heart must be cultivated. The soil must be broken up by repentance. The evil growths that choke the good grain must be uprooted. As soil once overgrown with thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor, so the evil tendencies of the heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Christ.

In the cultivation of the soil the thoughtful worker will find that treasures little dreamed of are opening up before him. No one can succeed in agriculture or gardening without attention to the laws involved. The special needs of every variety of plant must be studied. Different varieties require different soil and cultivation, and compliance with the laws governing each is the condition of success. The attention required in transplanting, that not even a root fiber shall be crowded or misplaced, the care of the young plants, the pruning and watering, the shielding from frost at night and sun by day, keeping out weeds, disease, and insect pests, the training and arranging, not only teach important lessons concerning the development of character, but the work itself is a means of development. In cultivating carefulness, patience, attention to detail, obedience to law, it imparts a most essential training. The constant contact with the mystery of life and the loveliness of nature, as well as the tenderness called forth in ministering to these beautiful objects of God’s creation, tends to quicken the mind and refine and elevate the character; and the lessons taught prepare the worker to deal more successfully with other minds.

Education, 109–111.

Keys to the Storehouse – Whom Do You Reflect?

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When I think about all of the time I have wasted in the past dwelling on the faults of my employers, my children, my spouse, which time could have been used in walking with the Lord and not with the devil and his accusers, what a waste! We do not have time “to live on the husks of others’ faults or failings.” The Ministry of Healing, 492.

Too much time has been wasted and will be wasted that could be used in walking in peace with the Lord Jesus and not riled up with the devil and his cohorts. Did you know that the “very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look”? Ibid.

Is that why I have a scowl on my face—which really is a reflection of the devil and which causes me to sit on my “pity pot”? Get out of the devil’s atmosphere! If you do not have peace in your heart, in your mind, then it is time to place your thoughts upon heavenly places! Why waste your time sitting with the devil and lose out on that peace which God has promised through Jesus Christ. Put a smile on your face, put a scripture song or verse in your heart. Remember what Philippians 4:8 says: “… whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Paul knew what things he needed to dwell upon—we must know those same things!

“Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say,

  • I must work out my own salvation.
  • If I co-operate with Him who desires to save my soul, I must watch myself diligently.
  • I must put away every evil from my life.
  • I must overcome every fault.
  • I must become a new creature in Christ.

Then, instead of weakening those who are striving against evil, I can strengthen them by encouraging words.” Ibid.

Heavenly Father: Thank you for Your word which sets us free from the devil’s distractions. You have shown us how to keep our minds in heavenly places and to walk in that atmosphere. “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Psalm 17:5). Do not allow me to live on the husks of others’ faults! I choose not to sit with the devil and his cohorts, for my joy is found in Your presence. Amen.

Current Events – Sunday’s Coming – Poland votes to make Sunday a Day of Rest

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“The bishops underscore the need to restore Sunday to society.”

Poland, once a communist-controlled nation, has very quickly exceeded Western Europe in morality. It has some of the most strict abortion laws on the continent, and has further solidified its Christian nation cred by voting to proclaim Sunday a day of rest and phase out shopping on Sunday by 2020.

The bill was proposed by trade unions that want shop workers to spend more time with their families with support from the ruling party that adheres to Catholic values. Critics say it would negatively affect Poland’s economy, eliminating tens of thousands of jobs as well as supermarket chains, which are mostly western.

Votes were dominated by the ruling party 254 for, with 156 against it with 23 abstentions to limit Sunday shopping to the first and last Sunday of the month from March 1 until the end of 2018; during 2019 only on the last Sunday each month; and a total ban starting in 2020. There will be exceptions that allow shopping before major holidays like Christmas and Easter. The Polish senate is expected to pass the bill which will be signed into law by President Duda.

Poland has continued to maintain a strong connection to its Catholic heritage in recent years, rejecting the progressive quest for abortion on demand and thwarting assaults on traditional marriage.

Poland›s Catholic bishops have praised the move as a bold step forward, though with reservations. Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, spokesman for the Polish Bishops Conference, said the bill is welcomed while still “unsatisfactory.”

“The bishops underscore the need to restore Sunday to society as a day of rest and time of building family ties as well as strengthening social relationships,” he said. “They point out also that Sunday rest cannot be a luxury for a chosen few but is an integral part of equal treatment for all employees. Therefore, there is an urgent need to make all Sundays free from work, just as is already the case in many European Union countries.”

Economists disagree and have denounced the bill as a “disgrace.”

“The government’s attempt to coerce part of the population not to sell or shop on Sundays is a disgrace and has nothing to do with Catholicism,” Wrocław-based economist and entrepreneur Piotr Zapałowicz told LifeSiteNews. “Some people will lose their jobs or part of their income, especially those employed on hourly wages.”

Michal Dybula, a Warsaw-based economic strategist at Bank BGZ BNP Paribas, said “any restriction of economic activity, such as retail trade, results in weaker economic growth.”

Extracts from www.dailywire.com/news/24046/christian-nation-poland-votes-make-sunday-day-rest-paul-bois?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro

No Good Reason for Being Discouraged

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There is no good reason for any one’s becoming discouraged. There is no sin, no matter how deeply seated in the physical man, or how long it has been indulged, but what if fully surrendered to Him who has all power in heaven and earth, it can be fully conquered.

By keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus by faith, we can resist every temptation. From all temptations that are too strong for us to bear, He has promised to make a way of escape. It is the mind of God that we live without sin; for if in His strength we can conquer every temptation that He allows to come upon us, and He makes a way of escape for temptations too strong to bear, there can be no reason why we should not become sinless, and live a pure life. It is sin that discourages us, and only sin.

That it is God’s mind that we live without sin, is evident from 1 John 2:1, first part: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” Why would God write to us, through His servant, “that ye sin not,” if there was no way to be kept from sinning? It would certainly be useless thus to admonish if there was no possible way for the admonition to take effect.

But strive as we may, and be as determined as we know how, we are told in Steps to Christ, 64, that “we shall often have to bow 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; for the Lord did not leave the text unfinished, but added, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous” (1 John 2:1, last part). Praise His name for this!

Many are perplexed over this text. They seem to think it impossible to live without sin, and positively declare that it cannot be done. They grasp the latter part of the text, “And if any man sin, we have an advocate,” etc., and then without any dependence of Christ, try in their own strength not to repeat the sin. The temptation can be met successfully only by keeping our eyes upon Jesus, and by exercising faith in His keeping power (1 Peter 1:5).

But our danger lies in losing sight of Christ, and our faith failing. If we do, we will certainly sin.

Let us illustrate: A man is thrown overboard at sea. A line is thrown within his reach, and he grasps it tightly. As long as he clings to it, he is drawn toward the ship. But as he nears the vessel, he begins to think himself quite secure, which causes him somewhat to loosen his grasp; and before he is aware of it, he has lost his hold entirely. He is again at the mercy of the wind and the waves. He awakens anew to his perilous condition, and again calls loudly for help. The deliverer again throws the life-line, which is grasped more tightly than ever. Had he been more careful not to lose his hold the first time, it would have been much better. A mountainous wave might have swept him away, just as he was reaching out to lay hold of the line.

It is just so with the sinner. He is shipwrecked on the sea of death; but God in His mercy has thrown the life-line of His promise (1 John 1:9), and many a shipwrecked mariner has grasped it, but again he has grown careless and lost his hold. Some have awakened again to grasp the life-line (1 John 2:1, last part), to lay hold of it more securely, pray more fervently, believe more fully, and watch more diligently; while others have been swept away by some great temptation, and have given up in despair.

By continually keeping our eyes fixed upon Christ, we can live without sin. By looking away from Him, we will sin. We can look to Him continually. We may become careless and lose sight of Him. But if we make calculations that we cannot live out the admonition, “that ye sin not,” we have already looked away from Christ, made provisions to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and will sink in despair.

May our faith take hold of His keeping power, and we be preserved from the terrible temptations that are awaiting us on every side.

Ellen G. White Present Truth and Review and Herald Articles, March 7, 1893.

The Beginning of the Sacrificial System

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“Heavenly angels more fully opened to our first parents the plan that had been devised for their salvation. Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through repentance and faith in Christ they might again become the children of God.

“The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the sacred character of the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen before, the guilt of sin and its dire results.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 66.

“To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God’s dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty.” Ibid., 68.

In time, Eve gave birth to two sons. Adam and Eve named the first son Cain and the second son Abel. As these two sons grew up, Adam and Eve faithfully instructed them in the great plan of redemption. When matured in age, the time came for them to build their own altars and offer their own sacrifices for their sin. The Bible record says,

“Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought … fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master’ ” (Genesis 4:2–7, literal translation).

“These brothers were tested, as Adam had been tested before them, to prove whether they would believe and obey the word of God. They were acquainted with the provision made for the salvation of man, and understood the system of offerings which God had ordained. They knew that in these offerings they were to express faith in the Saviour whom the offerings typified, and at the same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon; and they knew that by thus conforming to the divine plan for their redemption, they were giving proof of their obedience to the will of God. Without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin; and they were to show their faith in the blood of Christ as the promised atonement by offering the firstlings of the flock in sacrifice.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 71.

“Cain came before God with murmuring and infidelity in his heart in regard to the promised sacrifice and the necessity of the sacrificial offerings. His gift expressed no penitence for sin. He felt, as many now feel, that it would be an acknowledgment of weakness to follow the exact plan marked out by God, of trusting his salvation wholly to the atonement of the promised Saviour. He chose the course of self-dependence. He would come in his own merits. He would not bring the lamb, and mingle its blood with his offering, but would present his fruits, the products of his labor. He presented his offering as a favor done to God, through which he expected to secure the divine approval. Cain obeyed in building an altar, obeyed in bringing a sacrifice; but he rendered only a partial obedience. The essential part, the recognition of the need of a Redeemer, was left out.” Ibid., 72.

“ ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’ (Hebrews 11:4). Abel grasped the great principles of redemption. He saw himself a sinner, and he saw sin and its penalty, death, standing between his soul and communion with God. He brought the slain victim, the sacrificed life, thus acknowledging the claims of the law that had been transgressed. Through the shed blood he looked to the future sacrifice, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary; and trusting in the atonement that was there to be made, he had the witness that he was righteous, and his offering accepted.” Ibid.

“Abel chose faith and obedience; Cain, unbelief and rebellion. Here the whole matter rested.

“Cain and Abel represent two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time.” Ibid.

Altars were built, and sacrifices were offered by all the faithful patriarchal families to the time of the flood. Adam instructed Enoch in the purpose of these sacrifices. Enoch taught his son Methuselah, who lived 600 years with Noah, concerning the purpose of the sacrifices. But the majority of the people rebelled against God.

“The period of their probation was about to expire. Noah had faithfully followed the instructions which he had received from God. The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored with food for man and beast. …

“God commanded Noah, ‘Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation’ (Genesis 7:1). Noah’s warnings had been rejected by the world, but his influence and example resulted in blessings to his family. As a reward for his faithfulness and integrity, God saved all the members of his family with him.” Ibid., 98.

So God sent a flood upon the earth and destroyed mankind except for Noah and his family.

“Noah and his family anxiously waited for the decrease of the waters, for they longed to go forth again upon the earth. …

“At last an angel descended from heaven, opened the massive door, and bade the patriarch and his household go forth upon the earth and take with them every living thing. In the joy of their release Noah did not forget Him by whose gracious care they had been preserved. His first act after leaving the ark was to build an altar and offer from every kind of clean beast and fowl a sacrifice, thus manifesting his gratitude to God for deliverance and his faith in Christ, the great sacrifice.” Ibid., 105, 106.

In Genesis, we read that “Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.” “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth’ ” (Genesis 8:18, 20; 9:1).

Abraham, who was born only eight years after Noah died, learned of the meaning of the sacrifices from Noah’s son, Shem. Thus through the sacrificial system, the faith of the patriarchs in Jesus as the Lamb of God was preserved from generation to generation.

“It was to impress Abraham’s mind with the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith, that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was permitted that he might understand from his own experience something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the infinite God for man’s redemption. No other test could have caused Abraham such torture of soul as did the offering of his son. God gave His Son to a death of agony and shame. The angels who witnessed the humiliation and soul anguish of the Son of God were not permitted to interpose, as in the case of Isaac. There was no voice to cry, ‘It is enough.’ To save the fallen race, the King of glory yielded up His life. What stronger proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of God? ‘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’ (Romans 8:32)?” Patriarchs and Prophets, 154.

“It had been difficult even for the angels to grasp the mystery of redemption—to comprehend that the Commander of heaven, the Son of God, must die for guilty man. When the command was given to Abraham to offer up his son, the interest of all heavenly beings was enlisted. With intense earnestness they watched each step in the fulfillment of this command. When to Isaac’s question, ‘Where is the lamb for a burnt offering’ (Genesis 22:7)? Abraham made answer, ‘God will provide Himself a lamb’ (verse 8); and when the father’s hand was stayed as he was about to slay his son, and the ram which God had provided was offered in the place of Isaac—then light was shed upon the mystery of redemption, and even the angels understood more clearly the wonderful provision that God had made for man’s salvation (1 Peter 1:12).” Ibid., 155.

Excerpts from High Priest & Coming King, by Maurice Hoppe, pages 21–25.

Do You Have the Faith of Jesus?

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“Here the patience of the saints is. Here are those keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” 

Revelation 14:12, literal translation (Hendrickson)

From the writings of Ellen G. White, we understand that Seventh-day Adventists have always held this verse to be an integral part of the third angel’s message. However, early in our history the law was emphasized to the point of minimizing the faith of Jesus. A number of statements bear this out. One statement in point is the following:

“The law of God has been largely dwelt upon and has been presented to congregations, almost destitute of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His relation to the law as was the offering of Cain.” Faith and Works, 18.

At another time Sister White described such discourses as being as dry as the hills of Gilboa upon which neither dew nor rain would fall (see 2 Samuel 1:21 for context).

The law demands righteousness from the sinner, which he is utterly incapable of producing. However, through faith in Christ’s righteousness, which He wrought out in His life of perfect obedience, that sinner is accounted righteous—hence, righteousness by faith.

The above is a very brief introduction to what is presented next. During a week of prayer held by Ellen G. White and Elder A. T. Jones at the Battle Creek Tabernacle—following shortly after the 1888 Minneapolis Conference—Sister Ellen wrote these significant words:

“The message that was given to the people in these meetings presented in clear lines not alone the commandments of God—a part of the third angel’s message—but the faith of Jesus, which comprehends more than is generally supposed. And it will be well for the third angel’s message to be proclaimed in all its parts [Revelation 14, including verses 9–11], for the people need every jot and tittle of it. If we proclaim the commandments of God and leave the other half scarcely touched, the message is marred in our hands.

“There was precious truth and light presented before the people, but hearts that were obdurate received no blessing. They could not rejoice in the light which, if accepted, would have brought freedom and peace and strength and courage and joy to their souls.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 227.

Another very clear statement about the “faith of Jesus” is provided in the Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 217:

“The third angel’s message is the proclamation of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ. The commandments of God have been proclaimed, but the faith of Jesus Christ has not been proclaimed by Seventh-day Adventists as of equal importance, the law and the gospel going hand in hand. I cannot find language to express this subject in its fullness.

“ ‘The faith of Jesus.’ It is talked of, but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that He might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take His righteousness. Faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus.”

These words are full of meaning to each one of us. Should we not be so thrilled with all that Jesus means to us that we cannot help but share our experience with others? Ellen White had that urgency with which to share. On March 28, 1889, she, along with her secretary Fanny Bolton and Elder A. T. Jones, left Battle Creek for Chicago where they held meetings especially for Adventists. However, Sister White stated that she wished “every church, whatever their faith and doctrines, could … have the precious light of truth as it has been so clearly presented. I know it would have been a rich feast to very many souls not of our faith to see the plan of salvation so clearly and simply stated.” Ibid., 280.

This next quotation shows what a precious relationship we might have with the Lord Jesus. 

“The religion of Jesus Christ has not been as clearly defined as it should be, that the souls who are seeking for the knowledge of the plan of salvation may discern the simplicity of faith. In these meetings this has been made so clear that a child may understand that it is an immediate, voluntary, trustful surrender of the heart to God—a coming into union with Christ in confidence, affectionate obedience to do all His commandments through the merits of Jesus Christ. It is a decisive act of the individual, committing to the Lord the keeping of the soul. It is the climbing up by Christ, clinging to Christ, accepting the righteousness of Christ as a free gift. The will is to be surrendered to Christ. Through faith in the righteousness of Christ is salvation.” Ibid., 281.

Thus Galatians 2:20 takes on new meaning: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and 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.”

Consider some of the ways in which Jesus in His earthly life revealed faith, even in His youth. “To every temptation He had one answer, ‘It is written.’ … Often He was accused of cowardice for refusing to unite with them [his brothers] in some forbidden act; but His answer was, It is written. ‘The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding’ (Job 28:28).” The Desire of Ages, 88, 89. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). 

Jesus and His disciples were in a boat when a storm arose. While the disciples battled to keep the boat afloat Jesus was peacefully sleeping.

“When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. It was not as the ‘Master of earth and sea and sky’ [“Master, the Tempest is Raging,” Mary Ann Baker, 1875] that He reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, ‘I can of Mine own self do nothing’ (John 5:30). He trusted in the Father’s might. It was in faith—faith in God’s love and care—that Jesus rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power of God.

“As Jesus rested by faith in the Father’s care, so we are to rest in the care of our Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 336. How beautiful! 

There is more. “In all that He did, Christ was co-operating with His Father. Even He had been careful to make it evident that he did not work independently; it was by faith and prayer that He wrought His miracles.” Ibid., 536.

On the cross of Calvary Christ won His greatest victory of faith. “Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Father’s acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love. By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever been His joy to obey. And as in submission He committed Himself to God, the sense of the loss of His Father’s favor was withdrawn. By faith, Christ was victor.” Ibid., 756.

Are we to have the same kind of faith that Jesus exhibited? Above in the quote from The Desire of Ages, 336, we learn that is so. We have the privilege of resting “in the care of our Saviour.”

Remember, it was by faith and prayer that Jesus accomplished all that He did for humanity. We too may do this. “As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength. … The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch.” Ibid., 668.

Finally, “Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.” Ibid., 664.

O Lord, grant us the faith of Jesus, and may it grow and grow.

E. M. Anderson King was a former teacher of Marshal Grosboll (2 classes) and his sister Gwen (4th Grade) at the Longmont SDA School, Colorado.

Religious Liberty by Law

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A few days since the writer was very much interested in reading the story of the experience of an agent of the Bible Society in South America. It told of narrow escapes from Roman Catholic mobs, and of the power of the preaching of the pure Gospel, to remove prejudice. In the last paragraph of the article there occurred this statement: “No less a personage than the public school teacher came to warn me that, not bonds and imprisonment (we have religious liberty by law), but death at the hands of a mob awaited me if I did not desist from entering Orobe Grande.” 

This started a train of thought. What is religious liberty? and is it something which can be secured to people by law? Is its existence doubtful if it be not upheld by law? and can oppressive laws deprive people of it? The answers to the last three questions depend upon the answer to the first. According to the popular idea of religious liberty, the last three questions must be answered in the affirmative; but there is at least a strong probability that the popular idea of the matter is wrong. How can we find out the true definition? 

A question concerning religious liberty is one that pertains to religion; and where should we go for information concerning religion, except to the Bible? There we learn that, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). 

How can one keep himself “unspotted from the world”? – Again we read the answer, in the statement that the Lord Jesus Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4). Therefore true religion is a religion of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are very many kinds of religion in the world, but only one true religion. That is not a form, but a life. It consists not in a creed and ceremonies, but in a living faith in Christ. The word religion is not synonymous with Christianity, but true religion is. It promises what no other religion does, and fulfils its promises. It alone gives salvation. Besides the name of Jesus, “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” There is not salvation in any other (Acts 4:12). And this salvation is not merely something, promised for the future, but is a present reality. It is deliverance “from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4), and that means deliverance from the evil of this present world. (See John 17:15.) 

The word deliverance means freedom. To deliver is to free. Therefore we find that the religion of Jesus Christ is a religion of freedom. Read the words of Christ, and the opening of His earthly ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). 

Read again what He said to the Jews who followed Him: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32). Then when the Jews demurred, saying that they were never in bondage, He continued, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (verse 34). And so the apostle Peter, speaking of false prophets that were to arise, teaching false light, said: “While they promised them [that is, their followers] liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is He brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19). 

We have just read the Scripture which says that the Spirit of the Lord anointed Jesus to preach deliverance to the captives, and to set at liberty them that are bound. Now read in 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That means, as well, that where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is not liberty. If it were otherwise, there would be no point in Christ’s work. He came to grant liberty, for the reason that liberty could be obtained from no other source. 

We have therefore the answer to our first question. Religious liberty is the possession of the Spirit of the Lord. The others are easily answered. Can religious liberty be secured by law? – Not unless the Holy Spirit can be secured by law. What saith the Scripture? – “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 every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). The Spirit of God is subject to no men, or the will of the men. God is not a subject; He is the King of kings; and therefore His Spirit cannot be controlled by any human power. The Spirit can no more be affected by human law than the north wind can by legal enactment be made to blow from the south. Therefore since religious liberty is obtained only through the Spirit, it is evident that religious liberty is something with which human laws have no more to do than with the blowing of the wind or the shining of the sun. 

That which is ordinarily called religious liberty is not religious liberty in any sense of the term. Legal permission to worship in public without molestation, is of precisely the same nature as liberty to open a shop, or to carry on any business without interference. But liberty to think or to believe, is something with which laws can have nothing to do. The slave is as free to think as is his master. Prison bars cannot stop a man from thinking what he pleases, nor can they take away man’s freedom to believe. Nay, more, they cannot take away a free man’s freedom to speak what he will. The apostles spoke in spite of all the laws against them; and their words were with power because of the very liberty which they enjoyed through Christ, which could not be checked by bonds and imprisonment. 

The man who depends upon civil law for liberty to believe, is not a free man, even though the law be the most liberal ever known. For the fact that he derives his freedom from the law, shows that if the law were adverse, he would at once lose his liberty; and that shows that his is not the liberty of Christ, for that comes from heaven. 

It is evident therefore, that they who think to advance the cause of religious liberty by political action, are really working against it. The very existence of laws concerning religion is a badge of slavery. When men wish a law to “protect” them in the performance of religious duties, or what they conceive to be religious duties, they thereby show that they are slaves to fear. They want a law to help them to do what they have not the power or the courage to do without the support of “public sentiment.” “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). 

“The word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9), and therefore whosoever has it abiding in him has liberty. Let us “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1), and not dishonour Him by intimating that He or His cause depends to any degree whatever on human laws. 

Present Truth UK, November 23, 1893, 531, 532.

Perfection, What is It?

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Seventh-day Adventists are fond of claiming that we are the remnant church. The proof text normally used to prove our case is Revelation 12:17, which says, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 

Many Protestants will tell you the “woman” represents the virgin Mary. Revelation 12:1–6 speaks of a woman with child, who cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. The dragon that stood before the woman ready to give birth was ready to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 

It says here that this woman bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Revelation 19:11–15 describes in symbolic language the Second Coming of Christ. Verse 15 says, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

The person who rules all nations with a rod of iron is Jesus Christ. It also says something very similar to that in Revelation 2:26, 27: “… he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessel shall be broken in pieces, so I also have received from My Father” (literal translation).

Jesus Christ is the ruler of the nations. He was a male child, and was caught up to heaven, to God, and to His throne (Revelation 12:5). Looking at the text that says a great sign appeared in heaven, we notice that John is not here talking about a literal man or woman, dragon or beast. This is a vision that has been given in symbolic language. The Greek word is semeion, which means a symbol or a sign. 

The woman standing on the moon and clothed with the sun that brings forth a male child cannot be the virgin Mary for Revelation 12:1 speaks in symbolic language. Paul wrote, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). Notice, Christ is to be formed in the church. The church is to bring forth the spiritual image of Jesus Christ. 

In Colossians 1:27 we are told: “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It is when Christ is formed within a person that he has hope of eternal life. 

A symbolic woman in Scripture refers to the church. One example of many is found in Hosea 1:2. Hosea is told to take a wife of harlotry and this harlot wife has three children. This sad story of Hosea and his wife is a type or an example of God’s experience with the children of Israel, God being the husband and the children of Israel who were supposed to be married to Him, but continually fall in love with other lovers. You can see in chapters 3 and 4 that the book of Hosea uses the symbolism of a woman representing a church and her husband representing the Lord.

Jeremiah 3:14 says, “ ‘Return, O backsliding children,’ says the Lord; ‘for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’ ”

“Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the Lord” (verse 20).

The whole book of Song of Solomon is based on this imagery where Solomon, the husband, represents the Lord, and where the wife, a Shulamite woman, represents the church. In his letter written to the church in Corinth, Paul says, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

To interpret the woman in Revelation 12 as the church is in harmony with the way this symbol is used throughout Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments. We also know from other language used in this chapter that this woman could not be the virgin Mary. It was the seed of the woman, the church, that was to bring forth the Messiah. Verse 6 says, “Then the woman fled into the wilderness (the desert), where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” There is no record of that being the experience of the virgin Mary.

Verses 13–16 say, “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.”

Clear back at the time of the flood, the Lord had made preparation for His people. In the mountains north of Milan, Italy, were the Alps and seven Piedmont Valleys. The passageway to get into some of these valleys was so narrow that to enter you had to go single file. A small force of men could defend the valley against a huge army. 

As a result of persecution, God’s people fled from all over the world to the kingdom of Theodoric, who controlled Italy and offered people religious freedom. Many from the eastern part of the Roman Empire, where they did not have religious freedom, fled to Italy. Freedom was short lived there; so the Christians travelled north to Milan and then north of Milan where they worshiped the Lord in freedom of conscience for hundreds of years in obscurity.

Finally, the papacy tried to wipe out the Waldenses and Revelation 12:14–16 describes the persecution against God’s saints that continued for one thousand, two hundred and sixty years, as was prophesied. Verse 17 says, “… the dragon was enraged with the woman (not the virgin Mary, for she had been dead for about 2,000 years by then). The dragon was enraged with the woman (the church), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring (the last remnant of the church), who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The testimony of Jesus Christ is defined in Revelation 19:10: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ ” God’s last church on the earth will keep the commandments and will have the spirit of prophecy. 

The remnant of anything is what is left at the end. It will be the church described in Ephesians 5:26, 27, which says, “… that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

There are other places where the apostles describe the remnant. Paul says, “Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:8). Various other apostles talked about the church being blameless when Jesus comes. 

Peter says in 2 Peter 3:14: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” John said the same in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

This is an unpopular doctrine and many, recognizing their own imperfections feel it is an impossible goal and look for some other way to be saved without being perfect. But Paul says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). The Holy Spirit can work a miracle in your life. 

Paul discusses the growth of the Christian life. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

“Therefore, as the elect of God (the remnant), holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:1–14, literal translation).

Notice verse 14. More important than anything else that you try to either leave aside or adopt as part of your character, Paul says to put on love because that is the bond of perfection. 

A perfect person is one who has perfect love in his heart. It is just that simple. Love will develop all other Christian graces, leaving off the sins that have been mentioned in the previous verses. In fact, love is so powerful that the apostle Paul says you will never fail to reach Christian perfection if you have love in your heart. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails.” 

Love “bears (protects) all things and believes all things.” When things get unbelievable, it still “hopes all things,” and then when it seems altogether hopeless, it “endures all things” (verse 7). “Love never fails” (verse 8, first part).

If love is the way to perfection, how can I get it? It is not a natural attribute of the carnal man. Our nature is to be selfish, to love self more than anybody else. It is a perverted form of love, the way the devil loves—selfishness. 

Jesus loved selflessly so we could be saved. The experience of His lowly birth in Bethlehem, His life, His ministry, His trial, His death on the cross; He endured it all to open the gates of Paradise for others who did not deserve it. 

Love is the bond of perfection; it is something I do not naturally have in myself, or have the ability to generate. It is given as a precious gift that we receive from Jesus.

In The Desire of Ages, 22, Ellen White wrote that love cannot be awakened by force or by authority. And then is this interesting sentence, that I have pondered many times. She says, “Only by love is love awakened.” 

Solomon talked about this. “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave, its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised” (Song of Solomon 8:6, 7).

Love cannot be bought with money, “Only by love is love awakened.”

Many years ago, an orphanage took in infants that had no mothers. These infants were not gaining weight as they should. It was found that the reason the infants were not thriving was that nobody took time to hold them or to cuddle them. They were fed but they were not being loved; so they did not thrive. Though babies are born selfish, they crave love. As the mother loves the baby and it feels secure and happy, it very quickly responds. A baby does not feel that same security and happiness with a stranger. 

There are many people, even Christians, who have never really been loved as a child and do not know how to love and often grow up emotionally crippled, which often affects that person for the rest of his life. 

The Bible talks about this. Paul says in Hebrews 12:12, 13, “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”

This person is not one needing a cane to walk but a person who is spiritually crippled, spiritually lame and not able to walk the path the same way as somebody else. For this reason, we are not to judge people in the church, for we do not know their background. When the Lord comes again, He is going to heal these people, but for now we have a work to do. Make the paths straight and do not put an obstacle in it that they won’t be able to get over. Make special allowances for these people. 

When Jesus met people, He bent over them with a tenderness that exceeded the love of a mother for her child. Those who were healed or forgiven knew that this Person loved them, He wanted them to have everlasting life. If only one person had responded to Him, He still would have come to this world. Remember, the Shepherd had a hundred sheep and went out to find the one that was lost. 

Love comes from Jesus and to receive it from Him we must spend time with Him. Only then will we have love to give to other people and to give back to the Lord. 

Two questions about love: What is it, and What it is not?

1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” The one that doesn’t love Me, doesn’t keep My commandments (see John 14:22, 23). 

So, if I receive the love of Jesus into my heart, I will be obedient.

Luke 6:27, 28: “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

That command is impossible from a human point of view and only possible if the Holy Spirit gives you a new heart and a new spirit. 

John 13:34 and 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for one another.”

Until Jesus went to the cross, His disciples did not know the depth of love their Master had for each one and what He was willing to give up to save mankind. Then He said, You love one another, the way I love you. 

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down One’s life for His friends.” And, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

Look at 1 John 4:7, 8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” “We love Him because He first loved us” (verse 19).

In the book Education, 114, Ellen White says, “Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only he in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul.”

And by the way, friends, there are wounded people all around us. But if we do not have love in our heart, we cannot heal them. 

“Love’s agencies have wonderful power, for they are divine. The soft answer that ‘turneth away wrath,’ the love that ‘suffereth long, and is kind,’ the charity that ‘covereth a multitude of sins’ (Proverbs 15:1; 1 Corinthians 13:4 R.V.; 1 Peter 4:8)—would we learn the lesson, with what power for healing would our lives be gifted!  How life would be transformed, and the earth become a very likeness and foretaste of heaven!” Education, 114.

 “True love is not a strong, fiery, impetuous passion. On the contrary, it is calm and deep in its nature. It looks beyond mere externals and is attracted by qualities alone. It is wise and discriminating, and its devotion is real and abiding. God tests and proves us by the common occurrences of life. It is the little things which reveal the chapters of the heart. It is the little attentions, the numerous small incidents and simple courtesies of life, that make up the sum of life’s happiness; and it is the neglect of kindly, encouraging, affectionate words, and the little courtesies of life, which helps compose the sum of life’s wretchedness. It will be found at last that the denial of self for the good and happiness of those around us constitutes a large share of the life record in heaven. And the fact will also be revealed that the care of self, irrespective of the good and happiness of others, is not beneath the notice of our heavenly Father.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 133.

“Mildness, gentleness, forbearance, long-suffering, being not easily provoked, bearing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things—these are the fruit growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth. This tree, if nourished, will prove to be an evergreen. Its branches will not decay, its leaves will not wither. It is immortal, eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven. 

“Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and cannot be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good, and to do nothing else than good. Whatsoever is done out of pure love, be it ever so little or contemptible in the sight of men, is wholly fruitful; for God regards more with how much love one worketh than the amount he doeth. Love is of God. The unconverted heart cannot originate nor produce this plant of heavenly growth, which lives and flourishes only where Christ reigns.    

“Love cannot live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will gain the victory when argument and authority are powerless. Love works not for profit nor reward; yet God has ordained that great gain shall be the certain result of every labor of love. It is diffusive in its nature and quiet in its operation, yet strong and mighty in its purpose to overcome great evils. It is melting and transforming in its influence, and will take hold of the lives of the sinful and affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful. Wherever the power of intellect, of authority, or of force is employed, and love is not manifestly present, the affections and will of those whom we seek to reach assume a defensive, repelling position, and their strength of resistance is increased. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to bring resistance and authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom and strength He could command, but the means He employed with which to overcome evil were the wisdom and strength of love. Suffer nothing to divide your interest from your present work until God shall see fit to give you another piece of work in the same field.” Ibid., 134–136.

“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). Ibid., 136.

Perfection is not a bad word, as many people think. Perfection simply means to have perfect love in your heart. If you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and you love your neighbor as yourself, you are perfect. 

Perfection is not complicated. We are talking about spiritual perfection. Physical perfection will not be acquired until Jesus comes when He will change you and give you a new body. You are not even required to have mental perfection, but rather spiritual perfection. Spiritual perfection is achieved simply when a person loves God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and his neighbor as himself. And that can happen in your life when you get acquainted with Jesus. He will put that love in your heart through His Holy Spirit. Love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

When you receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into your life and the first thing that happens is you receive the gift of love in your heart. And being perfect simply means to have perfect love.

It would be dangerous to take anybody to heaven who did not love God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and his neighbor as himself, for it would not be heaven for very long. Pray for that gift of perfect love so you will be ready to meet Jesus when He returns.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – The Reluctant Prophet

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Jonah was the prophet who did not want to be a prophet. The Bible does not give all the reasons for Jonah’s reluctance, but it does record his complaint against God in Jonah 4.  Jonah was afraid for his own reputation. He feared that since he had stated the prophecy in unconditional terms, as God had instructed, he could be considered a false prophet if God showed mercy and his prophecy did not come to pass.

There are many people today to whom God has given the last message of warning and mercy to give to the world who are like Jonah. Instead of going east they go west. Instead of taking the message to everyone whom the Lord places in their pathway of influence, they are simply engaging in worldly business—not doing anything illegal (it was not illegal for Jonah to travel to Tarshish), but not getting the message out.

If you are one of those people, are you going to awake before it is too late? The ship’s captain said to Jonah, “What do you mean sleeping. Get up” (Jonah 1:6)! This wake-up call needs to be given to many who are asleep today. Will you hear the wake-up call before it is too late? Read the mission letter in this magazine for a suggestion what you could do.

“Not one in a hundred among us is doing anything beyond engaging in common, worldly enterprises. We are not half awake to the worth of the souls for whom Christ died.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 148.

Remember, there are people that you can reach who cannot be reached by others. This is especially true of many “timid” women who think that all the evangelism can be done by their husbands or sons or male relatives. Notice what God said women can do.

“Women as well as men can engage in the work of hiding the truth where it can work out and be made manifest. They can take their place in the work at this crisis, and the Lord will work through them. If they are imbued with a sense of their duty, and labor under the influence of the Spirit of God, they will have just the self-possession required for this time. The Saviour will reflect upon these self-sacrificing women the light of His countenance, and this will give them a power that will exceed that of men. They can do in families a work that men cannot do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men cannot reach. Their work is needed. Discreet and humble women can do a good work in explaining the truth to the people in their homes. The word of God thus explained will do its leavening work, and through its influence whole families will be converted.” Ibid., vol. 9, 128, 129.