Confession and Restitution
Confession & Restitution
“ When Brother G once takes a
position on the wrong side, it is not easy
for him to confess that he has erred; but if he can let his wrong
course pass out of his mind and pass from the memory of others, and he can make
some changes for the better without an open acknowledgment of his wrong, he
will do so. But all
these errors and unconfessed sins stand registered in heaven and will not be
blotted out until he complies with the directions given in the word of God: "Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." If
Brother G has found another plan besides that given us by our Lord, it is not a safe way and will
prove his ruin at last. This
other way is ruinous to the church, and ruinous to the prosperity and
happiness of his family. He needs to soften his heart and to let tenderness,
humility, and love into his soul. He needs to cultivate unselfish qualities.
Brother and Sister G, you should cultivate qualities of mind which will make
you pure, forgetful of self, and more interested in those with whom you are
brought in contact. There
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is a vein of self-love and care for self which does not increase
your happiness, but brings to you grief and sorrow. You have a conflict with
yourself in which you alone can act a part. Both of you should control the
tongue and keep back many things to which you give utterance. The first evil is in thinking wrong; then come the words which are wrong. But you leave undone the work of cultivating
love, deference, and respect for
each other. Be kindly considerate of each other's feelings, and seek to
sacredly guard each other's happiness. You can do this only in the strength and
name of Jesus.....If Brother G had received the light that the Lord sent him
months ago and had frankly conversed with his wife, if both had broken their
hard hearts before the Lord, how different would be their present state. They both slighted the words of reproof and
entreaty of the Spirit of God, and did not reform their lives. But closing
their eyes to the light God had sent them did not make one of their faults less
grievous in the sight of God nor lessen their accountability. They have hated the
reproof which the Lord in pitying tenderness gave them. Brother G
has naturally a kind and tender heart, but it is crusted over with self-love,
vanity, and evil
surmising. His heart is not callous, but he lacks moral power. He is a coward as soon as the
necessity of self-denial and self-sacrifice is brought before him, for he loves
himself. To control self, to put a
watch upon his words, to
acknowledge that he has done wrong or spoken wrongly, is a cross which he feels
is too humiliating to lift; and yet if he is ever saved this cross must be lifted. {4T 242.2}
Brother
and Sister G, both of you need to watch your words; for just as surely as there
is not a sentinel placed over your thoughts and actions, you will discourage each other
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and make it a sure case that neither of you can be saved. Both of you need to guard against a hasty spirit,
which prompts hasty words and actions. Resentment, which is indulged because you think you have been
misused, is the spirit of Satan and leads to great moral evil. When you are controlled by a hasty spirit you deprive your reason, for the time, of the power
of regulating your words and your conduct, while you make yourselves
responsible for all the evil consequences. That
which is done in haste and anger is not excusable.”
Sins must not be covered over, but completely confessed in
principle, and as far as possible, the wrong done, set as if it had not been. We need to express that which is true confession
and repentance, in terms of doing all we can to set the record
and the influence straight, thereby proving that we have received
complete forgiveness. That is why we are told: “He that covereth his sins
shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Prov. 28:13
“The love of God is something more than a mere negation; it is a
positive and active principle, a living spring, ever flowing to bless
others. If the love of Christ
dwells in us, we shall not only cherish no
hatred toward our fellows, but we shall seek in every way to manifest love
toward them. {MB
58.1}
Jesus
said, "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift." The sacrificial offerings expressed faith that through
Christ the offerer had become a partaker of the mercy
and love of God. But for
one to express faith in God's pardoning love, while he himself indulged an
unloving spirit, would be a mere farce. {MB 58.2}
When
one who professes to serve God wrongs or injures a brother, he misrepresents the character of God to that
brother, and the wrong must be confessed, he must acknowledge it to be
sin, in order to be in harmony with God. Our brother may have done us
a greater wrong than we have done him, but this does not lessen our
responsibility. If when we come before God we remember that another has aught
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against us, we are to leave our gift of prayer, of thanksgiving, of
freewill offering, and go to the brother with whom we are at variance, and in
humility confess our own sin and ask to be forgiven. {MB
58.3}
If
we have in any manner defrauded or injured our brother, we should make
restitution. If we have unwittingly borne false witness, if we
have misstated his words, if we have injured his influence in any way, we should go to the ones with whom
we have conversed about him, and take back all our injurious
misstatements. {MB 59.1}
If
matters of difficulty between brethren were not laid open before others, but
frankly spoken of between themselves in the
spirit of Christian love, how much evil might be prevented! How many roots
of bitterness whereby many are defiled would be destroyed, and how closely and tenderly might the followers of
Christ be united in His love! {MB
59.2}” See page 68.
“Now God
requires that you who have thus done the
least injustice to another shall confess
your fault, not only to the one you have injured, but to those who through your
influence have been led to regard their brother in a false light, and to make of none effect the work God has
given him to do. . . . By repentance
and confession you can have pardon registered against your name; or you can resist the
conviction of the Spirit of God, and during the rest of your life, work to make
it appear that your wrong feelings and unjust conclusions could not be helped. But there stands the action, there stands the evil committed, there stands the ruin of those in whose hearts
you planted the root of bitterness. . . . {SD 309.3}
Whatever the character of your sin, confess it. If
it is against God only, confess only to Him. If
you have wronged or offended others, confess also to them, and the blessing of
the Lord will rest upon you. In this way you die
to self, and Christ is formed within. . . . Our consecration to God must be unreserved,
our love ardent, our faith unwavering. Then the expressions of the lips will
testify to the quickened intelligence of the mind and the deep movings of the Spirit of God upon
the soul. ”
“ {2MCP
456.1}
There
is explicit instruction given concerning this matter. Confession
of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt
and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant
and careless way or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the
abhorrent character of sin.”
“If Saul had had true repentance, he would have made public confession of his sin;
but it was his
chief anxiety to maintain his authority and retain the allegiance of
the people. He desired the honor of Samuel's presence in order to
strengthen his own influence with the nation. {PP
631.4}”
“ The mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for all who love Him
will be peopled by those who are free from sin. But sins that
are not confessed will never be forgiven; the name of
him who thus rejects the grace of God will be blotted
out of the book of life. The time is at hand when every secret thing shall be brought
into judgment, and then there will be many
confessions made that will astonish the world. The secrets of all hearts
will be revealed. The confession of sin will be most public. The sad
part of it is that confession then made will be too late to benefit the
wrongdoer or to save others from deception. It only
testifies that his condemnation is just. . . . You
may now close the book of your remembrance in order to escape confessing your
sins, but when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, you cannot
close them. The recording angel has testified
that which is true. All that you have tried to conceal and
forget is registered, and will be read to you when it is too late for wrongs to
be righted. . . . Unless your sins are canceled, they will testify against you at that day. {TMK
238.3}”
“Chap.
23 - Closeness in Deal
Dear
Brother H: I have been waiting for an opportunity to write you, but have been
hindered. After my last vision I felt it to be my duty to speedily lay before
you what the Lord was pleased to present to me. I
was pointed back and shown that for years in the past, even before your
marriage, there had been in you a disposition to overreach in trade. You
possessed a spirit of acquisitiveness, a disposition for close dealing, which
was detrimental to your spiritual advancement and greatly injured your
influence. Your father's family
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viewed
these matters from the world's standpoint rather than from the high, exalted
standard quoted by our divine Lord: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all
thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." In this you have failed. To deal
in any way closely and unjustly is displeasing to God. He will not pass over errors and sins in this
direction without thorough confession and forsaking. {2T 152.1}
I was pointed far
back and shown the loose manner in which you regarded these things. The Lord
marked the transaction of carrying to market that load of animals that were so
inferior that they could not be profitable to keep, therefore were prepared for
food and carried to market to be bought and introduced into the human stomach.
One of these was placed upon our table for some time to feed our large family
in the days of our poverty. You were not the only one to be blamed
in this. Others of your family were alike guilty. It
matters not whether it was designed that they should be bought and eaten by us
or by worldlings. It
is the principle of the thing which displeased God; you transgressed
His command. You
did not love your neighbor as you did yourself, for you would be unwilling to have the same thing done
to you. You would consider yourself insulted. An avaricious spirit led to
this departure from Christian principles, and caused you to descend to a
species of trading which advantaged yourself at others' disadvantage. {2T
153.1}
When
the meat-eating question was presented before me five
years ago, showing how little the people knew what they were eating for
food in the shape of flesh meats, this
transaction of yours was shown. The effect of eating the meat of these
unhealthy animals is diseased blood, sickness, and fevers. Many instances of
the kind were shown me as being acted over daily by worldlings. You, my dear
brother, have not seen this wrong on your part as the Lord sees it. You have
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never felt that it was a great sin on
your part. Many things of like character have taken place in your life, which
you will find that the recording angel has faithfully chronicled, and which you
will meet again, unless by repentance and confession you make these wrongs
right. {2T 153.2}
I was bidden to wait and see. I was directed to
speak plainly, give general principles, and leave you to make the application
yourself. I was shown that God would not frequently point out the wrongs
committed by His people, but would cause to be given in their hearing general
principles, close, pointed truths, and all should be open to conviction to see,
to feel, and understand whether or not they are condemned. You have not dealt
closely and faithfully with your own soul. Said the angel: "I will
prove him, I will test him, I will walk contrary unto him, until he
acknowledges the hand of God in thus dealing with him." {2T
154.1}
I
saw that while in ----- those connected with your family did not move right.
You manifested a close spirit, savoring of
overreaching and dishonesty. You could have
had no influence for good in that place until you had redeemed the past by an
entire change of conduct in dealing with your fellow men. Your light was darkness to the people, and your
influence while there was a great detriment to the cause of present truth. You brought reproach
upon the truth, and your close dealing caused your name to be a byword among the people.
You frequently fell below the standard of many worldlings in regard to
honorable dealing. Elder I can do no good in -----. His words are as water
spilled upon the ground, for the reason that he was connected with you and took
part in this close trading. In many respects he became like a worldling in business transactions. He was close and was
fast becoming selfish. His course in many things was calculated to destroy his
influence and was not becoming a minister of
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Christ.
Said the angel in the vision given at Rochester, New York, in 1866: "My
hand shall bring adversity. He may gather, but I
will scatter until he redeems the past and makes clean work for eternity."Every true Christian should feel above
condescending to the low, bartering, trading spirit of worldlings. {2T
154.2}
You are not a miser; you love to be benevolent,
free, open-hearted, and openhanded; but that which is
wrong in you is the spirit mentioned in this letter, of not loving your
neighbor as yourself; it is the
neglect of seeing your wrongs and making them right when the clear, forcible
light of truth has told you too plainly your duty. You are a
lover of hospitality, and God will not give you over to be deceived by the
great deceiver of mankind, but will come directly to you and show you where you
err that you may retrace your steps. He
now calls upon you to redeem the past, and to come up upon a higher plane of
action, and let your life record be unspotted with avarice or
selfish love of gain. {2T 155.1}
Your
judgment in worldly things will become foolishness unless you dedicate all to
God. You and your wife are not devotional. Your spirituality is not what God
would have it to be. Paralysis seems to be upon you; yet you are both capable
of exerting a strong influence for God and for His truth, if you adorn your
profession with well-ordered lives and godly conversation. You frequently get
in too great a hurry, and then become impatient and fretful, and order your
help in a hurried manner. This is detrimental to your spiritual advancement. {2T
155.2}
Time
is short, and you have no time to delay the preparation of heart necessary to
labor earnestly and faithfully for your own soul, and for the salvation of your
friends and neighbors, and all who come under your influence. Ever aim to so
live in the light that your influence can be sanctifying upon those with whom
you are associated in a business
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capacity
or in common intercourse. There is fullness in Jesus. You can obtain strength
from Him which will qualify you to walk even as He walked, but there must be no
separation of affections from Him. He requires the entire man, the soul, body,
and spirit. When you do all on your part
which He requires, He will work for you, and bless and strengthen you by
His rich grace.
-
{2T 155.3}
Chap.
24 - Oppressing the Hireling
Dear
Brother J: A great solemnity has rested upon my mind since the vision given
Friday evening, June 12, 1868. I was shown that you do not know yourself. You
have not felt reconciled to the testimony given in your case and have not made
thorough work to reform. I was referred to Isaiah: "Is not this the fast
that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break
every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the
poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" If you do these
things, the blessings promised will be given. {2T 156.1}
You
may raise the inquiry, "Wherefore have we fasted," "and Thou
seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest
no knowledge?" God has given reasons why your prayers were not answered.
You have thought that you had found reasons in others and have charged the
fault upon them. But I saw that there are sufficient reasons in yourself. You
have a work to do to set your own heart in order. You should realize that the
work must begin with yourself. You have oppressed the destitute and have
benefited yourself by taking advantage of their necessities. In regard
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to
means, you nave been close and dealt unjustly. You
have not possessed that kind, noble, and generous spirit which should ever
characterize the life of a follower of Christ. You have oppressed the hireling
in her wages. You saw a poorly clad, hard-working person who you knew was
conscientious and God-fearing; yet you took advantage of her because you could
do so. I saw that the neglect of seeing and understanding her wants, and the small wages paid her, are all written in heaven as done to Jesus in the
person of one of His saints. As you have done this unto the least of
Christ's disciples, you have done it unto Him. Heaven has regarded all your
closeness to those who have served in your house, and it will
stand faithfully chronicled against you unless it is repented of and
restitution made. One wrong move does more harm than can be
undone in years; if the wrongdoer could see the extent of the evil, it would wring from his soul cries of anguish. You are selfish in
regard to means. In the case of Brother K the angel of God pointed to you and
said: "Inasmuch as ye have done this to one of Christ's disciples, ye have
done it to Jesus in His person." {2T 156.2}
The cases I have mentioned are not the only ones. I
would you could see these things as Heaven has opened them before me. There is
a sad deception upon minds. It is the religion of Christ that you need. He
pleased not Himself, but lived to benefit others. You have a work to do, and should lose no
time in humbling your heart before God, and by humble confessions remove the
blots from your Christian character. Then can you engage in the
solemn work of laboring for the salvation of others
without making so many mistakes. {2T 157.1}
What
has your time amounted to, spent as it has been spent while engaged in a work
which God did not set you about? Impressions have been made on minds, and experiences
gained, which it will require much labor for them to efface.
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Souls will wander in darkness,
perplexity, and unbelief, and some will
never recover. With fasting and earnest prayer, with deep
heart searching, stern self-examination, lay bare the soul; let no act escape
your critical examination. Then, with self dead and your
life hid with Christ in God, offer your humble petitions. If you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear you. If He had heard your prayers,
you would have been exalted. Satan has
stood by, prepared to make the most of the advantage he has gained. {2T
157.2}
Oh, how important it is that faithfulness in little
things characterize our lives, that true integrity mark all our course of
action, and that we ever bear in mind that angels
of God are taking cognizance of every act! That which we mete to others
shall be meted to us again. A fearfulness should ever attend you lest you
should deal unjustly, selfishly. By sickness and adversity the Lord
will remove from us much more than we obtain by grinding the face of the poor. A just God truly
estimates all our motives and actions. {2T 158.1}”
“External
forms, even though they be such as God has commanded, are of no value unless
accompanied by an inward work of cleansing. Outward works alone will never make
a man perfect before God. Nothing but repentance and faith can make an impure
heart pure. {YI, July 31,
1902 par. 6}
In
the great day of judgment how will transgressors appear in their own sight as
they are permitted to see the record of their life as they have chosen to make
it, regardless of the law which through eternity will govern the universe?
During their lifetime they utterly refused to be made better. The efforts put
forth in their behalf were in vain. They knew the claims of God, but they
refused to comply with the conditions laid down in his word. By their own
choice they united with the enemy. The powers given them to use in God's
service they used in the service of self. They made self their god, refusing to
submit to any other control. They arrayed themselves on the side of the power
of darkness, and encouraged others to do the same. {YI,
July 31, 1902 par. 7}
As they stand before
the bar of God, this opens before them.
A flash of light will come to all lost souls. Scene after scene will rise
before them. They will see the power of the mystery of godliness, which in this life they despised and hated. They will see what they
might have become through the power of Christ. They will understand the robbery
they have practised toward God. They will see the good they might have done but
did not do. {YI, July 31, 1902 par. 8}
The picture can not be
changed. Their cases are forever decided. They realized that they must perish with the
one whose ways and works they have chosen, and in terror they cry to the rocks
and mountains, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the face of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is
come, and who shall be able to stand?" Mrs.
E. G. White. {YI, July 31,
1902 par. 9}”
“Brother
Rupert has a work of confession. I told him two years ago when at Potterville,
and he has heard the same again and again from my lips, but Brother Smith has
been his stumbling block and the stumbling block of many others.--Letter 73,
1890, p. 2. (To Brother Uriah Smith, Nov. 25, 1890.) {3MR 200.3}
I received two
important letters from Elder Olsen and Leroy Nicola,
with a most thorough confession of the part he acted in Minneapolis. It is
thorough, and I praise the Lord for the victory he has gained over the enemy
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who
has held him four years from coming into the light. Oh,
how hard it is to cure rebellion! How strong the deceiving power of Satan! . . . {3MR
200.4}”
“Sunday,
Elder Smith came to me, and we had a lengthy talk; I was encouraged to see that
he did not brace against me, and I withheld nothing from him as to how I
regarded his position and how hard he had made my work. He felt deeply over
this. Tuesday he called on me again and asked me to attend a meeting which
should be composed of a select few. This meeting was held on Wednesday. Brother
Smith read the matter I had written to him, and he made a straightforward
confession to Professor Bell who was present, of the manner in which he had
treated him. Then he commenced with Minneapolis, and made his confession. He
had fallen on the Rock and was broken. I cannot describe to you my joy. Brother
Rupert then confessed quite fully, and this was a very solemn meeting indeed. I
knew the Lord was in our midst. As we separated, Brother Smith took my hand and
said, "Sister White, will you forgive me for all the trouble and distress
that I have caused you? I assure you this is the last time if the Lord will
pardon me. I will not repeat the history of the past three years." Bless
the Lord, O my soul! Bless His holy name! My return from Washington, D. C., to
Battle Creek was indeed the Lord's doing, and as soon as I reached home, the
affliction left my heart and has not returned since.--Ms 3, 1891, pp. 2, 3.
(Biographical, Jan. 9, 1891.) ”
“Brother
Will Smith is a man that was converted last year. He was in the truth years
ago, but for some reason gave it up, and the devil took
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possession
of him, and he became a desperado. His wife kept the Sabbath. He is a tall,
well developed, powerfully built man. He went into all sorts of lawlessness,
stealing, and tried to kill, but his victim did not come in just when he was
prepared to kill him. Last year at Fresno under the labors
of Elder [E.P.] Daniels he was powerfully wrought
upon, and he repented with another backslider who had gone with him in all his
wickedness. Then commenced the work of confession and restitution. One man they
went to see and met him in the road and down they went in the very dust and
dirt on their knees, weeping and confessing, and the infidel wept like a child.
"Now," said they, "We want you to forgive us, and we do not ask
you to arrest us for stealing your sheep, but we ask pardon; we will pay every
cent of the cost of the sheep." {6MR 150.3}
The
man who had been wronged said, "What has wrought upon you to make this
confession?" Said they, "We have been attending the campmeeting, and the spirit and power of God and the
religion of Jesus Christ have taken hold upon us." "Well," said
the man, "If the work done there is of this order I must go there,"
and he did go, and he did tremble under the sharp arrows of God. The influence
of these confessions made to many others who have been wronged, is as far
reaching as eternity. This man in his wickedness had nothing, but since his
conversion the Lord has blessed him greatly with means, and he is using it in
making restitution and in advancing the cause of truth. He is free, generous to
a fault, he is humble as a child, sitting at the feet of Jesus, ready and
willing to do anything. He takes 150 Signs and distributes. He has done more
missionary work alone the past year than the whole Fresno Church
together.--Letter 47, 1888, pp. 2-4. (To "Dear Brethren," circa
March, 1888.) ”
“As the erring one accepts the reproof offered in
the love of Christ, and acknowledges his wrong, asking forgiveness from God and
from his brother, the sunshine of heaven fills his heart. The controversy is
ended; friendship and confidence are restored. The oil of love removes the
soreness caused by the wrong; the Spirit of God binds heart to heart; and there
is music in heaven over the union brought about. {GW 499.4}
As
those thus united in Christian fellowship offer prayer to God, and pledge
themselves to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God, great
blessing comes to them. If they have
wronged others, they continue the work of repentance, confession, and
restitution, fully set to do good to one another. This is the fulfilling of the
law of Christ. {GW 500.1}”
“Some
have engaged in canvassing for other books than those bearing on present truth.
Because they professed to be Christians, they were trusted. Their claim to be
Seventh-day Adventists led their employers to put confidence in them, and it
was not thought necessary to place them under restrictions. Some had a very low
standard of righteousness and honesty, and they took advantage of this
confidence. They squandered the money taken for books, money that belonged to
their employers. They made false statements; and some even committed theft,
forgery, and robbery.
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Several
of those who did this thought it a good opportunity, and laughed with one
another over the matter. But every one of
these dishonest transactions is registered in the books of heaven, and there it
will remain until the Judgment, unless by
confession, repentance, and restitution, the guilty one shall ask God to write
pardon against his name. {MC
62.3}”
“We
felt burdened for those who had been bearing
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the
message of truth to others, lest they should close their hearts to some of the
precious rays of heaven's light that God has sent them. Jesus rejoiced when His
followers received His messages of truth. . . . {3SM 180.3}
On
Sabbath afternoon, many hearts were touched, and many souls were fed on the
bread that cometh down from heaven. After the discourse we enjoyed a precious
social meeting. The Lord came very near, and convicted souls of their great
need of His grace and love. We felt the necessity of presenting Christ as a
Saviour who was not afar off, but nigh at hand. When
the Spirit of God begins to work upon the hearts of men, the fruit is seen in
confession of sin and restitution for wrongs. All through the meetings, as the
people sought to draw nearer to God, they brought forth works meet for repentance by confessing one to
another where they had wronged each other by word or act. . . . {3SM
181.1}
There
were many, even among the ministers, who saw the truth as it is in Jesus in a
light in which they had never before reviewed it. They saw the Saviour as a
sin-pardoning Saviour, and the truth as the sanctifier of the soul. "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." . . . {3SM 181.2}”
“If we would offer acceptable prayer, there is a
work to be done in confessing our sins to one another. If I have sinned against
my neighbor in word or action I should make confession to him. If he has
wronged me he should confess to me. So far as is possible the one who has wronged another
is to make restitution. Then in contrition
he is to confess the sin to God, whose law has been transgressed. In sinning against our brother, we sin against God, and we must seek pardon from Him. Whatever our sin, if we but
repent and believe in the atoning blood of Christ we shall be pardoned. . . .
We have only one channel of approach to God. Our prayers can come to Him
through one name only --that of the Lord Jesus, our advocate. {TMK
260.4}”
“Repentance,
confession, and restitution are all required. But these cannot
atone for the sin, for God has been wronged in the person of His saints. The
Lord Jesus alone is able to atone for sin, by the application of His
blood, shed for the guilt of the sinner. His blood cleanses from all
sin.--Manuscript 47, April 2, 1902, "Lessons From the Eighteenth of
Matthew." {UL 106.6}”
“God requires repentance
and confession, and restitution will always follow
genuine repentance. If you have prevaricated,
if you have borne false witness, if you
have misjudged and misinterpreted your brother, if
you have misstated his words, ridiculed him, if
you have injured his influence in any way, go right to the persons with
whom you have conversed about him, with whom you have united in this work, and take all your
injurious misstatements back. Confess
the wrong that you have done your brother; for your
sin will stand charged against you in the books of record until you do all that
lies in your power to correct the evil your words have wrought.
When you have done all that God requires of you, pardon will be written against
your name. {RH, May 28, 1889 par. 13}”
“{PH096 71.1}
Now you have urged upon others the duty to confession,
have you made confession of the wrong that you have done to the brethren?
Have you told them of your errors? Have you told them of your schemes.....”
“If
there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive
him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed: for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his
evil deeds." {AA
554.2}
We are authorized to
hold in the same estimation as did the beloved disciple those who claim to
abide in Christ while living in transgression of God's law. There exist
in these last days evils similar to those that threatened the prosperity of the
early church; and the teachings of the apostle John on these points should be carefully heeded. "You
must have charity," is the cry heard everywhere,
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especially from those who profess
sanctification. But true
charity is too pure to cover an unconfessed sin. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, we are to make no compromise with evil.We are not to unite with the rebellious and call this charity. God
requires His people in this age of the world to stand
for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors. {AA
554.3}
The apostle teaches that while we should manifest
Christian courtesy we are authorized to deal in plain terms with sin and
sinners; that this is not
inconsistent with true charity. "Whosoever
committeth sin," he writes, "transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law. And ye know that He was
manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in
Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him." {AA 555.1}
As a
witness for Christ, John entered into no controversy, no wearisome contention. He declared what he knew, what he had seen and
heard. He had been intimately associated with Christ, had listened to
His teachings, had witnessed His mighty miracles. Few could see the beauties of
Christ's character as John saw them. For him the darkness had passed away; on
him the true light was shining. His testimony in regard to the Saviour's life
and death was clear and forcible. Out of
the abundance of a heart overflowing with love for the Saviour he spoke; and no power could stay his words. {AA 555.2}”
“The love of God will never lead to the belittling
of sin; it will never cover or excuse an unconfessed wrong. . . . It has to do with all our acts and
thoughts and feelings. It follows us, and reaches every secret spring of
action. By indulgence in sin, men are led to lightly regard the law of God. Many conceal their transgressions from
their fellow men, and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to mark iniquity.But His law is the great
standard of right, and with it every act of life must be compared in that day
when God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether
it be good or evil. Purity of heart will
lead to purity of life. All excuses for sin are vain. Who can plead for the sinner when God testifies
against him? {CC 120.5}”
“The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover
unconfessed and unforsaken sin. . . . {CC
302.2}
Every
converted soul will, like Zacchaeus, signalize the
entrance of Christ into his heart by an abandonment of the unrighteous
practices that have marked his life. Like
the chief publican, he will give proof of his sincerity by making restitution.
. . . {CC 302.3}”
“"Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed." Many a sin is left
unconfessed, to be confronted in the day of final accounts; better far to see your sins now, to confess them,
and put them away, while the atoning Sacrifice pleads in your behalf. Do not dislike to learn the will of God on this
subject. The health of your soul, the
unity of your brethren, may depend upon the course you pursue in these things.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you in due time, "casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." {FE 239.1}
It is a lamentable fact that
the erring heart is unwilling to be criticised, or to subject itself to
humiliation by the
240
confession of sin. Some see
their faults, but thinking confession will detract from
their dignity, they excuse their wrong, and shield themselves from the
discipline that confession would give to the soul. The thought of their manifest error will remain to
embitter their enjoyments and embarrass their movements; for in passing out of
the path of confession, they fail to be
faithful examples to the people. They
see the errors of others; but how can they have courage to give the advice,
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed," when they have failed to follow this instruction in their own
lives? How much will ministers or people learn of a truth which they thrust
aside, and forget if possible, because it is not
agreeable; because it does not flatter their pride, but reproves and pains?Ministers and people, if saved at all, must be
saved day by day, hour by hour. They must hunger and thirst for the
righteousness of Christ, the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Church members,--
those placed in positions of trust,-- must be baptized with the Spirit of God,
or they will not be qualified for the positions they accept. {FE 239.2}
A man may have a knowledge of the Scriptures which
will not make him wise unto salvation, although he may be able to master his
opponents in public controversy. If he does not have a yearning of soul after
God; if he does not search his own heart as with a lighted candle, fearing that
any wrong should lurk there; if he is not possessed with a desire to answer the prayer of Christ, that His disciples may be oneas He is one with the Father, that the
world may believe that Jesus is the Christ,-- he flatters himself in vain that he is a Christian. His knowledge, begun in ambition, is carried
forward in pride; but his soul is destitute of the divine love, the gentleness
and meekness of Christ. He is not a wise man in the sight of God. He may have wisdom to
overcome an opponent; but wise unto salvation, he cannot possibly be without
the agency of the Holy Spirit. And the "fruit of the
241
Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance." Neither talent,
eloquence, nor selfish study of the
Scriptures, will produce love to God or conformity to the image of Christ. Nothing but divine power can regenerate the human heart and character,
and imbue the soul with the love of Christ, which will ever manifest itself in
love to those for whom He died.--Review and Herald, Nov. 28, 1893. {FE 240.1}”
See T5. 646
“Here
is given a lesson for all Christ's followers. The
gospel makes no compromise with evil. It cannot excuse sin. Secret sins are to be confessed in secret to God; but,
for open sin, open confession isrequired. The reproach of the disciple's sin is cast
upon Christ. It causes Satan to triumph, and wavering souls to stumble. By
giving proof of repentance, the disciple, so far as lies in his power, is to
remove this reproach. {DA
811.2}”