Preparation for Christ’s Coming
In the late vision given me at
Battle Creek during our general camp meeting, I was shown our danger, as a
people, of becoming assimilated to the world rather than to the image of
Christ. We are now upon the very borders of the eternal world, but it is the
purpose of the adversary of souls to lead us to put far off the close of time.
Satan will in every conceivable manner assail those who profess to be the
commandment-keeping people of God and to be waiting for the second appearing of
our Saviour in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will lead as
many as possible to put off the evil day and become in spirit like the world, imitating
its customs. I felt alarmed as I saw that the spirit of the world was controlling
the hearts and minds of many who make a high profession of the truth. Selfishness and
self-indulgence are cherished by them, but true godliness and sterling
integrity are not cultivated. The angel of God pointed to those
who profess the truth, and in a solemn voice repeated these
words: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so
that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that
shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” In consideration of the shortness
of time we as a people should watch
and pray, and in no case allow
ourselves to be diverted from the solemn work of preparation for the great
event before us. Because the time is apparently extended, many have
become careless and indifferent in regard to their words and
actions. They do not realize their danger and do not see and understand the
mercy of our God in lengthening their probation, that they may have
time to form characters for the future,
immortal life. Every moment is of
the highest
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value. Time is granted them, not
to be employed in studying their own ease and becoming dwellers on the
earth, but to be used in the work of overcoming every defect in their
own characters and in helping others, by example and personal effort,
to see the beauty of holiness. God has a people upon the earth who in
faith and holy hope are tracing down the roll of fast-fulfilling prophecy and
are seeking to purify their souls by obeying the truth, that they may not be
found without the wedding garment when
Christ shall appear. Many who have called themselves
Adventists have been time setters. Time after time has been set for
Christ to come, but repeated failures have been the result. The
definite time of our Lord’s coming is declared to be beyond the ken of mortals.
Even the angels who minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation
know not the day nor the hour. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Because the times
repeatedly set have passed, the world is in a more decided state of
unbelief than before in regard to the near
advent of Christ. They look upon
the failures of the time setters with disgust; and because men have
been so deceived, they turn from the truth substantiated by the word of God
that the end of all things is at hand. Those who so presumptuously
preach definite time, in so doing gratify the adversary of souls;
for they are advancing infidelity rather than Christianity. They produce
Scripture and by false interpretation
show a chain of argument which
apparently proves their position. But their failures show that they are
false prophets, that they do not rightly interpret the language of
inspiration. The word of God is truth and verity, but men have perverted its
meaning. These errors have brought the truth of God for these last days into
disrepute. Adventists are derided by ministers of all denominations,
yet God’s servants must not hold their peace. The signs foretold in
prophecy are fast fulfilling around us. This
should arouse every true follower
of Christ to zealous action.
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Those who think they must preach
definite time in order to make an impression upon the people do not work from
the right standpoint. The feelings of the people may be stirred and their fears
aroused, but they do not move from principle. An excitement is created; but
when the time passes, as it has done repeatedly, those who moved out upon time fall
back into coldness, darkness, and sin, and it is almost impossible to arouse
their consciences without some great excitement. In Noah’s day the inhabitants
of the old world laughed to scorn what they termed the superstitious fears and
forebodings of the preacher of righteousness. He was denounced as a visionary
character, a fanatic, an alarmist. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it
be also in the days of the Son of man.” Men will reject the solemn message of
warning in our day, as they did in Noah’s time. They will refer to those false
teachers who have predicted the event and set the definite time, and will say
that they have no more faith in our
warning than in theirs. This is the attitude of the world today. Unbelief is widespread,
and the preaching of Christ’s coming is mocked at and derided.
This makes it all the more essential that those who believe present truth
should show their faith by their works. They should be sanctified through
the truth which they profess to believe; for they are a savor of life unto
life or of death unto death. Noah preached to the people of
his time that God would give them one hundred and twenty years in
which to repent of their sins and find refuge in the ark, but they
refused the gracious invitation. Abundant time was given them to turn from
their sins, overcome their bad habits, and develop righteous characters.
But inclination to sin, though weak at first with many, strengthened
through repeated indulgence and hurried them on to irretrievable ruin.
The merciful warning of God was rejected with sneers, with mockery and
derision; and they were left in darkness to follow the course that their
sinful hearts had chosen. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted
event. It came, and great was the wrath of God which was seen in the general
ruin.
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These words of Christ should sink
into the hearts of all who believe present truth: “And take heed to
yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and
drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares.” Our danger is presented before us by Christ Himself. He
knew the perils we should meet in these last days, and would have us
prepare for them. “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the
days of the Son of man.” They were eating
and drinking, planting and
building, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the day that
Noah entered into the ark, and the Flood came and swept them all away. The
day of God will find men absorbed in like manner in the business
and pleasures of the world, in feasting and gluttony, and in indulging
perverted appetite in the defiling use of liquor and the narcotic tobacco. This is
already the condition of our world, and these indulgences are found
even among God’s professed people,
some of whom are following the
customs and partaking of the sins of the world. Lawyers, mechanics,
farmers, traders, and even ministers from the pulpit are crying, “Peace and
safety,” when destruction is fast coming upon them. Belief in the near coming of the
Son of man in the clouds of heaven will not cause the true Christian
to become neglectful and careless of the ordinary business of life.
The waiting ones who look for the soon appearing of Christ will not be
idle, but diligent in business. Their work will not be done carelessly and
dishonestly, but with fidelity, promptness,
and thoroughness. Those who
flatter themselves that careless inattention to the things of this life is an
evidence of their spirituality and of their separation from the world are
under a great deception. Their veracity, faithfulness, and integrity are
tested and proved in temporal things. If they are faithful in that which
is least they will be faithful in much. I have been shown that here is
where many will fail to bear the test. They develop their true
character in the management of temporal concerns. They manifest
unfaithfulness, scheming, dishonesty, in dealing with their fellow men. They do
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not consider that their hold upon
the future, immortal life depends upon how they conduct themselves
in the concerns of this life, and that the strictest integrity is
indispensable to the formation of a righteous character. Dishonesty is
practiced all through our ranks, and this is the cause of lukewarmness on the part
of many who profess to believe the truth. They are not connected
with Christ and are deceiving their own souls. I am pained to make the
statement that there is an alarming lack of
honesty even among
Sabbathkeepers. I was referred to Christ’s Sermon
on the Mount. Here we have the injunction of the Great Teacher: “All
things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even
so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” This command of
Christ is of the highest importance and should be strictly obeyed. It is
like apples of gold in pictures of silver. How many carry out in their lives
the principle Christ has here enjoined, and deal with others just as they
would wish to be dealt with under similar circumstances? Reader, please
answer. An honest man, according to
Christ’s measurement, is one who will manifest unbending integrity.
Deceitful weights and false balances, with which many seek to advance their
interests in the world, are abomination in the sight of God. Yet many who
profess to keep the commandments of God are dealing with false
weights and false balances. When a man
is indeed connected with God, and
is keeping His law in truth, his life will reveal the fact; for all his
actions will be in harmony with the teachings of Christ. He will not
sell his honor for gain. His principles are built upon the sure
foundation, and his conduct in worldly matters is a transcript of his
principles. Firm integrity shines forth as gold amid the dross and rubbish of the
world. Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness
may be glossed over and hidden
from the eyes of man, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of
God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth,
record in the books of heaven these minor transactions which reveal
character. If a workman in the daily vocations
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of life is unfaithful and slights
his work, the world will not judge incorrectly if they estimate his
standard in religion according to his standard in business. “He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in much:and he that is unjust in the
least is unjust also in much.” It is not the magnitude of the matter that
makes it fair or unfair. As a man deals with his fellow men, so will he
deal with God. He that is unfaithful in
the mammon of unrighteousness,
will never be entrusted with the true riches. The children of God
should not fail to remember that in all their business transactions they are
being proved, weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. Christ has said: “A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit.” “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” The deeds of a man’s
life are the fruit he bears. If he is unfaithful and dishonest in
temporal matters he is bringing forth briers
and thorns; he will be unfaithful
in the religious life and will rob God in tithes and offerings. The Bible condemns in the
strongest terms all falsehood, false dealing, and dishonesty. Right
and wrong are plainly stated. But I was shown that God’s people have
placed themselves on the enemy’s ground; they have yielded to his
temptations and followed his devices until their sensibilities have become
fearfully blunted. A slight deviation from truth, a little variation from the
requirements of God, is thought to be, after all, not so very sinful, when
pecuniary gain or loss is involved. But sin is sin, whether committed by the
possessor of millions or by the beggar in the streets. Those who secure
property by false representations are bringing condemnation on their souls. All
that is obtained by deceit and fraud will be only a curse to the receiver.
Adam and Eve suffered the
terrible consequences of disobeying the express command of God. They
might have reasoned: This is a very small sin, and will never be
taken into account. But God treated the matter as a fearful evil,
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and the woe of their
transgression will be felt through all time. In the times in which we live, sins
of far greater magnitude are often committed by those who profess to
be God’s children. In the transaction of business, falsehoods are
uttered and acted by God’s professed people that bring His frown upon them
and a reproach upon His cause. The least departure from truthfulness and
rectitude is a transgression of the law
of God. Continual indulgence in
sin accustoms the person to a habit of wrongdoing, but does not lessen
the aggravated character of the sin. God has established immutable
principles, which He cannot change without arevision of His whole nature. If
the word of God were faithfully studied by all who profess to believe the
truth, they would not be dwarfs in spiritual things. Those who
disregard the requirements of God in this
life would not respect His
authority were they in heaven. Every species of immorality is
plainly delineated in the word of God and its result spread before us.
The indulgence of the lower passions is presented before us in its most
revolting character. No one, however dark may be his understanding, need to
err. But I have been shown that this sin is cherished by many who profess
to be walking in all the commandments
of God. God will judge every man
by His word. Said Christ: “Search the
Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they
which testify of Me.” The Bible is an unerring guide. It demands
perfect purity in word, in thought, and in action. Only virtuous and
spotless characters will be permitted to enter the presence of a pure and holy
God. The word of God, if studied and obeyed, would lead the children
of men, as the Israelites were led by a pillar of fire by night and a
pillar of cloud by day. The Bible is God’s will expressed to man. It is the
only perfect standard of character, and marks out the duty of man in
every circumstance of life. There are many responsibilities resting
upon us in this life, a neglect of which will not only cause suffering to
ourselves, but others will sustain loss in consequence.
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Men and women professing to
revere the Bible and follow its teachings fail in many respects
to perform its requirements. In the training of children they follow
their own perverse natures rather than the revealed will of God. This
neglect of duty involves the loss of thousands of souls. The Bible lays down
rules for the correct discipline of children. Were these requirements of God
heeded by parents, we should today see a
different class of youth coming
upon the stage of action. But parents who profess to be Bible readers and
Bible followers are going directly contrary to its teachings. We hear the cry
of sorrow and anguish from fathers and mothers who bewail the conduct of
their children, little realizing that they are bringing this sorrow and
anguish upon themselves, and ruining their children, by their mistaken
affection. They do not realize their God-given responsibilities to train their
children to right habits from their babyhood. Parents, you are in a great
degree responsible for the souls of your children. Many neglect their duty
during the first years of their children’s lives, thinking that when they
get older they will then be very careful to repress wrong and educate them in
the right. But the very time for them to do this work is when the
children are babes in their arms. It is not right for parents to pet and humor
their children; neither is it right for them to abuse them. A firm, decided
straightforward course of action will be
productive of the best results.
*****
REFERENCE
Testimonies
for the Church
Volume
Four
Ellen
G. White
1881,page 306-311
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