"Sanctify Them Through Thy
Truth"
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"Sanctify
Them Through Thy Truth" [Sermon at Sydney, Australia, December 12, 1891.] "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is
truth." This was the prayer of Christ in behalf of his disciples just
prior to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary, and his words refer not only to
those who heard him at that time, but they have reference also to us who
believe on his name; for he said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but
for them also which shall believe on me through their word." This is
what we are seeking to do, striving to be followers of our Lord Jesus, doers
of his commands. If we would be sanctified through the truth, we must believe
his message, and receive his messengers; for his word comes down along the
lines to us from patriarchs andprophets,
from one generation to another, that we may know the truth of God. {RH
February 23, 1892, par. 1} But in these days of peril we are not to accept everything
that men bring to us as truth. As professed teachers from God come to us
declaring that they have a message from God, it is proper to inquire
carefully, How do we know that this is truth? Jesus has told us that
"false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many." But we need
not be deceived; for the word of God gives us a test whereby we may know what
is truth. The prophet says, "To the law andto the testimony: if they speak not according to this
word, it is because there is no light in them." {RH February 23, 1892,
par. 2} From this statement it is evident that it becomes us to be
diligent Bible students, that we may know what is
according to the law and the testimony. We are safe in no other course of
action. Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so
every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down,and
cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Then
how very important it is that we sanctify ourselves through the grace given
us by Christ, that we may exert a sanctifying influence upon all those with
whom we associate. {RH February 23, 1892, par. 3} The work of sanctification begins in the heart, and we must
come into such a relation with God, that Jesus can put his divine mold upon us. We must be emptied of self in order to give
room to Jesus, but how many have their hearts so filled with idols that they
have no room for the Redeemer of the world. The world holds the hearts of men
in captivity. They center their thoughts and affections upon their business,
their position, their family. They hold to their opinions and ways, andcherish them as idols in the soul; but we cannot
afford to yield ourselves to the service of self, holding to our own waysand ideas, and excluding the truth of God. We must be
emptied of self. But this is not all that is required; for when we haverenounced our idols, the vacuum must be supplied. If
the heart is left desolate, andthe vacuum not
supplied, it will be in the condition of him whose house was "empty,
swept, and garnished," but without a guest to occupy it. The evil spirit
took unto himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they
entered in and dwelt there; and the last state of that man was worse than the
first. {RH February 23, 1892, par. 4} As you empty the heart of self, you must accept the
righteousness of Christ. Lay hold of it by faith; for you must have the mindand spirit of Christ, that you may work the works of
Christ. If you open the door of the heart, Jesus will supply the vacuum by
the gift of his Spirit, and then you can be a living preacher in your home,
in the church,and in the
world. You can diffuse light, because the bright beams of the sun of
righteousness are shining upon you. Your humble life, your holy conversation,
your uprightness and integrity, will tell to all around that you are a child
of God, an heir of heaven, that you are not making the world your
dwelling-place, but that you are a pilgrim and a stranger here, looking for a
better country, even a heavenly, living with an eye single to the glory of
God. {RH February 23, 1892, par. 5} When Jesus came to this world, he found that the things of
time had taken possession of the human heart, andoccupied
men's minds to the exclusion of an appreciation of eternal realities. Jesus
does not despise the world, for he made the world; but he does not design
that his children shall center their hopes andaffections
on earthly things that will pass away. He places the world in subordination
to the things pertaining to the future, immortal life. When Christ came to
earth, the world was covered with the darkness of error and superstition, and
men had lost sight of eternal interests, and Jesus parted the darkness with
the white beams of his righteousness, and eternity was brought to view, that
men might not drop from their reckoning the interests of the life that
measures with the life of God, that temporal things might not be permitted to
outweigh the exceeding and eternal weight of glory.{RH February 23, 1892,
par. 6} In order to keep the world in its proper subordination, it is
necessary to havemore than a mere casual, nominal
faith in Christ. Many might give assent to the fact that Jesus was the Son of
God, and yet fail to have saving faith. Jesus must be all in all to the soul.
You must believe in him as your personal and complete Saviour; for unless you
take him for all that he is,—a complete Saviour,—you will not represent him
to the world as he is. Everywhere throughout the churches of Christendom
there is a dearth of spirituality, a lack of vital godliness, and those who
profess religion are many of them like dry bones. They need the breathing of
the Spirit of God upon them, that they may live. It
is because the aid of the Holy Spirit is not united with the efforts of men,
that there is not more true piety in the church; for the Holy Spirit is to
convince the world of sin, of righteousness,and of judgment to come. But even in the church
sin is suffered in our brethren. Men are not faithful to rebuke evil in the
professed servants of Christ. One does not go to another in the spirit of
love andmeekness, seeking to restore such as are
erring from the faith. They do not go to the erring one, and say, "My
brother, you are not representing the character of Christ. You do not
manifest his self-denial andself-sacrifice. You
need tenderness of heart, Christian politeness, that
you may manifest the courtesy that Jesus has enjoined upon us in his
word." But instead of going to your brethren when you see defects of
character, you go to others to talk over their imperfections. This is not
fulfilling the commands of Christ. {RH February 23, 1892, par. 7} While we are to deal kindly and lovingly with our brethren, we
are only to follow them so far as they follow Christ. We are to pattern our
lives after the divine Model. We cannot afford to imitate others. We cannot
afford to measure ourselves by human standards. The standards of men are as
various as the men who make them. One has one standard, and another has
another. You may copy some one whose standard you
regard as perfect, but fall below his example; and some
one else may imitate you, and fall below the mark;and
so human imperfections are passed along, and measuring yourselves among
yourselves, proves that you are not wise. The sacredness has been lost from
our labors, and we do not appreciate divine
realities as we should, because we havelost sight
of Jesus, and fastened our eyes upon humanity. We must awake from our sleep,
that Christ may give us life; for we cannot afford to live in a state of
stupidity. We must become representatives of our divine Master. {RH February
23, 1892, par. 8} Christ said, "I sanctify myself, that they also may be
sanctified." We are a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men.
Angels and men are taking note of us to see what manner of spirit we are of,
to see whether we are meeting the approval of heaven. You may feel that you
cannot meet the approval of heaven. You may say, "I was born with a
natural tendency toward this evil,and
I cannot overcome." But every provision has been made by our heavenly
Father whereby you may be able to overcome every unholy tendency. You are to
overcome even as Christ overcame in your behalf. He says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down withmy Father
in his throne." It was sin that imperiled the
human family; and before man was created the provision was made that if man
failed to bear the test, Jesus would become his sacrifice and surety, that
through faith in him, man might be reconciled to God, for Christ was the lamb
"slain from the foundation of the world." Christ died on Calvary that
man mighthave power to overcome his natural
tendencies to sin. But one says, "Can I not have my own way, and act
myself?—No, you cannot have your way, and enter the kingdom of heaven. No
"my way" will be there. No human ways will find place in the kingdom
of heaven. Our ways must be lost in God's ways. {RH February 23, 1892, par.
9} Abraham was a man who kept the wayof
the Lord, and he is called the father of the faithful, the friend of God. God
said of Abraham, "I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him,and they shall keep the way of
the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him." Do fathers and mothers follow the
example of Abraham, or do they indulge their children in evil ways, andsuffer wickedness in their households? Do they pass
over sin in their children, andforget that they are
younger members of the Lord's family? {RH February 23, 1892, par. 10} Mothers, you should begin to discipline your child when it is
a babe in your arms. Through childhood to youth, through youth to manhood,
you should train your children for the family above. God does not desire you
to take up your time in adorning your garments and decorating your homes, to
the neglect of the education of your children. You should take your children
out into the gardens, and show them the beautiful flowers that God has made.
God is the great master artist, and the pictures which are painted by human
artists and admired by the world, are only feeble imitations of the works of
God. God daily works miracles before us in the unfolding of the blossoms; for
no human hand can paint such delicate hues, or fashion such graceful plants.
All this speaks of the work of the divine Artist,and each flower is an expression of the love of
God to us. God has designed to make us happy. He has covered the earth with
the beautiful green verdure; for he knew that this color would be grateful to
our senses. Each beautiful thing in nature is a token of God's love and care.
So take your children out into the open air beneath the canopy of the
heavens, under the noble trees, into the gardens, and point them through
nature up to nature's God. Carry their minds up to contemplate the works of
God in nature that they may learn to love him in their childhood and youth.
Do not weary them with long prayers and tedious exhortations, but teach them
to be obedient to the law of God. Teach them to be kindand
courteous, tell them that if they are rude and unlovely in disposition, they
cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven where all is peace and love. We are
here to be trained for the family above. {RH February 23, 1892, par. 11} Do you teach your children that Jesus is soon coming? Do you
read to them the promise, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would havetold you. I go to prepare
a place for you.And if I go to prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also"? I began to teach my children about the love of Jesus
when they were mere babes. I could not leave the work of training mychildren to the hands of servants. They weremy first considerations. When visitors came, I told
them that they must excuse me until I had set my children their little task,
or provided some suitable amusement for them. It is the duty of every parent
to do as did Abraham; for he did not betray his sacred trust. If you allow
your children to grow up in rebellion against your authority, they will be
receiving a training that will cause them to rebel against the authority of
God. Their religious experience will be molded by
their training in childhood, andthey
will not be controlled by the rules of the church. The influence of neglect
in the home training is seen on every side; for this is the reason that so
few of the youth are impressed by the Spirit of God. Christian fathers and
mothers, are you seeking to train your children so that they will be as
lights in the world? A well-ordered family is one of the best testimonies we
can present to the world of the value of our religion. This living testimony
has more weight than sermons and professions. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 1} Then tell your children what God expects of them. Let Jesus
put his mold upon them. Teach them moral
independence. Teach them to look neither to the right nor to the left to
engage in evil, but to do justice andjudgment, and
keep the way of the Lord. Give them the invitation of Jesus to come to him
and find rest unto their souls. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 2} Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you, andlearn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light." We are to wear the yoke of Christ,and then he bears the burden for us. When I was a
little girl, I saw them yoking up the oxen, and I asked my mother why they
put that heavy yoke on the oxen. She replied, "It makes the load easier
to draw, andlightens the burden." This is why
Christ invites us to wear his yoke. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden." What has made them heavy
laden?—It is because they have manufactured yokes of their own. They have not
had the meekness and lowliness of Christ which lifts the soul above the heavy
burdens, andmakes the yoke easy. {RH March 1, 1892,
par. 3} Christians are to be laborers
together with God. They are to lift up Jesus. He says, "And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." We are to talk of
his love, of the mansions he has gone to prepare for those that love him; we
are to talk of his mercy, and magnify his righteousness. Why is it that we
have so little freedom in speaking of the love of Jesus?—It is because we
have not educated the tongue to talk of his goodnessand
tell of his power. Why is it that wehave so little
freedom in prayer?—It is because we have not educated ourselves in the
exercises of devotion. If we prayed three times a day, as did Daniel, we
should be able to say, "I place my hand in the hand of Jesus, and I will
not gratify the enemy by talking doubt. I will not dishonormy
Redeemer." {RH March 1, 1892, par. 4} Jesus knows everything in your life andcharacter.
He knows your down-sitting andyour uprising, and
your words are all registered in the books of heaven. Not a sparrow falls to
the ground without the notice of your heavenly Father, and the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 5} There are many who do not have vital faith. They do not
realize that Jesus knows all about them. They do not have the faith of the
poor woman who was compassed with infirmity, and who said, "If I might
but touch the hem of his garment, I should be whole.".
Jesus knew all about her desire,and
her faith in him, and as he was on hisway to heal
the ruler's daughter, he passed by the place where this poor woman was, going
out of his way that she might have a chance to act out her faith.And as Jesus came near, the crowds thronged about
him, and the woman pressed her way toward the Master. Step by step she gets
near to him. She pressed her way until by reaching her hand through those who
stood nearest him, she touched his garment, and immediately she knew that she
was healed. Then Jesus turned,and
said, "Who touched me?" His disciples were astonished that he
should ask such a question, and Peter spoke up in surprise, saying,
"Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said,
Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And
when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down
before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed
immediately." She told him the whole story; and did Jesus rebuke her?
Did he turn coldly from her?—No, he comforted her. He said, "Daughter,
be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole;
go in peace." O, I would rather haveone word
of comfort from Jesus than all the wealth and all the mansions in Sydney. I
would rather have one smile of approval from Jesus than all the gold of the
world. I love him, I love him. I praise him for his wonderful mercy and
goodness to the children of men. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 6} It is our privilege to have an experience more precious than
gold. We are to come in living faith to Jesus. We need not be among those who
have only a casual faith, who get no answers of peace when they pray. We may
have a living experience in the things of God; but we must take time to pray.
We must take time to search the Scriptures, digging for truth as for hidden
treasures. When Jesus came to the world, Satan had obscured the truth under
the rubbish of men's opinions, and Jesus commanded his disciples to search
the Scriptures, saying, "They are they which testify of me." {RH
March 1, 1892, par. 7} We are to be sanctified through the truth, but Jesus declares,
"Thy word is truth." We can be sanctified only through a knowledge of the word of God, and that word is to become
a part of our life. God has given you a Bible, and when your will is
submitted to God's will, you will know what is truth. The law of God is the
standard to which we are to come. It is the mirror which reveals to us our
defects of character. But while it reveals our defects, there is no power in
the mirror to cleanse us from the stains of sin. In looking into the law of
God, we see our short-comings and failures, but there is no power in law to
redeem the transgressor of law. A remedy has been provided for the sinner. A
fountain has been opened for uncleanness, where Judah andJerusalem
may wash and be made clean. We must have repentance toward God. Why?—Because
we have broken his law. We must have faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ,
because he is the sacrifice for sin.And where do we
get repentance?—It is the Holy Spirit that imparts repentance to us. Jesus
draws us to himself through the agency of his divine Spirit; and through
faith in his blood we are cleansed from sin; "for the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin."
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But suppose that we sin
after we have been forgiven, after wehave become
the children of God, then need we despair?—No; for John writes, "My
little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any
man sin, wehave an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous." Jesus is in the heavenly courts pleading with the
Father in our behalf. He presents our prayers, mingling with them the
precious incense of his own merit, that our prayers may be acceptable to the
Father. He puts the fragrance into our prayers, and the Father hears us
because we ask for the very things which we need, and we become to others a savor of life unto life. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 8} Jesus came to suffer in our behalf, that he might impart to us
his righteousness. There is but one way of escape for us,and that is found only in becoming partakers of
the divine nature. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 9} But many say that Jesus was not like us, that he was not as we
are in the world, that he was divine, and that we cannot overcome as he
overcame. But Paul writes. "Verily he took not on him the nature of
angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he
might be a merciful andfaithful high priest in
things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." "For wehave not a high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need." Jesus says, "To him that overcometh
will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down withmy Father in his throne." {RH March
1, 1892, par. 10} Jesus encircled the race with his humanity, and united
divinity with humanity; thus moral power is brought to man through the merits
of Jesus. Those who profess his name through his grace are to sanctify
themselves that they may exert a sanctifying influence on all with whom they
associate. Jesus says of his disciples, "Ye are the light of the
world." We are to be representatives of Christ, becoming sanctified
through the truth. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 11} There are rich treasures for us in the mine of God's word, and
we must dig deep for the precious jewels of truth. The rubbish of human
opinion must be swept aside, that the clear jewels of truth may be brought to
light; for we want the truth on every point, that we may be sanctified
through the truth. The Bible is the garden of God, and here we must learn to
gather the roses and the lilies and the pinks of God's promises. We must hang
them as precious pictures upon the wall of memory,and have our eyes fixed upon the glorious things
of God, so that we shall be able to go through the world and not dwell upon
its corruptions, or be polluted by its wickedness. {RH March 1, 1892, par.
12} Fasten your faith to the eternal throne,and all the promises of God are at your command.
When God gave his Son, he gave us all in that precious gift. "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?" How glad would our Lord be to
see our faces lighted up with the light of his Holy Spirit.
He wants us tohave love and joy and peace. He says,
"He that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life." Then let us talk of the
power of Jesus; for help has been laid upon One that is mighty. Isaiah says
that "his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace." So let us elevate our souls through faith in Christ above the
lowlands of earth, andbreathe the atmosphere of
heaven. {RH March 1, 1892, par. 13} |