Spiritual
Weakness Inexcusable
By Mrs.
E. G. White
Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do." Is this promise true, or is it false? If it is false,
then our lack of spiritual strength is excusable. But is it not true? Is it not
the word of God? And is not our present condition wholly without reason? If there were greater humility, greater simplicity, and
unfaltering confidence in the name that is above every name, if we imitated the
divine Pattern that has been given us, would we not receive the blessings
promised? It is our privilege to tell the
Lord, with the simplicity of a little child, exactly what we want. We may state
to him our temporal matters, asking him for bread and raiment, as well as for
the bread of life and the robe of Christ's righteousness. Your Heavenly Father
knows that you have need of all these things; and you are invited to ask him
concerning them. It is through the name of Jesus that every favor is received. God will honor that name, and will supply your
necessities from the riches of his liberality.
The Lord is our helper. It is not his good pleasure that
any should perish, but rather that all should come to a
knowledge of the truth and be saved. God will not withhold from man the
fulfillment of the only real hope he can have in the world. Jesus says, "Without me, ye can do nothing;"
but in him, and through his righteousness imputed unto us, we may do all
things. The work of the Spirit of God will
stand forever, but the works of men will perish. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
To the worldly-wise the workings of the
Spirit of God that leads to confession and acknowledgement of sin and to the
acceptance of the truth as it is in Jesus, appear as foolishness. They cannot
reason out the "whys" and "wherefores" of its operation any
better than did Nicodemus, and they ridicule and denounce the work of God; their human wisdom cannot interpret it. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely
given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
Those who trust wholly in the righteousness of Christ,
looking to him in living faith, know the Spirit of Christ, and are known of
Christ. Simple faith enables the believer to
reckon himself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are
saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.
Should we try to unfold these precious promises to the worldly wise, they would
but ridicule us; for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned."
When Jesus was about to ascend on high, he said to his
disciples, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye
know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Again he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he
it is that loveth me; and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself
unto him." There are many who find
satisfaction in identifying themselves with false doctrines, that there may be
no disturbance or difference between themselves and the world; but the children
of God must bear testimony to the truth, not only by pen and voice, but by
spirit and character. Our Saviour declares that the world cannot receive the
spirit of truth. They cannot discern the truth, for they discern not Christ,
the author of truth. Lukewarm
disciples, cold-hearted professors, who are not imbued with the Spirit of
Christ, are not able to discern the preciousness of his righteousness; but they
go about to establish their own righteousness. [Note: what most professing
SDA's justify by some "grace" argument] The world seeks the things of the world,—business,
worldly honor, display, selfish gratification. Christ seeks to break this spell
which holds men away from him. He seeks to call men's attention to the world to
come, that Satan has managed to eclipse by his own shadow. Christ brings the
eternal world within the range of men's vision, he
presents its attractions before them, tells them that he will prepare mansions
for them, and will come again and receive them unto himself. It is the design
of Satan so to fill the mind with inordinate love of sensual things, that the
love of God and the desire for heaven shall be expelled from the heart.
At the Saviour's advent, men had become thoroughly
absorbed in earthly things. They did not with spiritual vision penetrate to the
glories of the world to come. A
view of heavenly things would have balanced the mind and engrossed the
affections, so that they would have borne the image of the heavenly instead of
the image of the earthly. Jesus sought
to correct this evil. He gave lesson upon lesson to break the spell of
infatuation that bound men to the earth. He asked, "What shall it profit a
man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul?" Christ presented the momentous claims
of eternity to inspire the efforts of man to reach heavenly things. He
presented before them the grandeur of the future in contrast with the
insignificance of the present. He assigned to worldly enterprises a place
subordinate to the interests of spiritual things. He opened before the minds of
men the fact that every moment of life is weighty with eternal consequences. He
showed them that the vanities of the world that bind men in a tyrannical
bondage are superfluous and worthless.
The Master has engaged us in his service, and has pointed
out our duty, and opened before us the reward that will attend patient
continuance in well-doing. He who came
down from heaven can speak of heaven, and rightly present the things which form
the currency of heaven, on which he has stamped his image and superscription.
He knows the danger in which those are placed whom he came to uplift from degradation, and to exalt to a place beside himself upon his
throne. He points out their peril in lavishing affection upon useless and
dangerous objects. He seeks to draw the mind away from the earthly to the
heavenly, that we may not waste time, talent, and opportunity, upon
things that are altogether vanity. He exhorts men, "Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also."
Our Saviour is constantly working to save men from the
devices of Satan, that they may not cheat themselves out of eternal happiness
by setting their hearts upon earthly gain. He whose heart is centered upon the
treasures of eternal interest, will have a right hold from above, and will
appreciate every earthly good as a gift from God, and will enjoy earthly
blessings with a superior relish. The only safe place to deposit our treasures
is in the bank of heaven. Every deposit made in this bank will accumulate
abundant interest; you will be laying up in store for
yourselves against the time to come.
God calls upon those to whom he has intrusted
his goods to acquit themselves as faithful stewards. The Lord would have all
things of temporal interest occupy a secondary place in the heart and thoughts;
but Satan would have the matters of the earth take the first place in our
lives. The Lord would have us approve the things that are excellent. He shows
us the conflict in which we must engage, reveals the
character and plan of redemption. He lays
open before you the perils you will meet, the self-denial that will be
required, and he bids you count the cost, assuring you that if you zealously
engage in the conflict, divine power will combine with human effort. The Christian's warfare is not a warfare waged against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. The
Christian must contend with supernatural forces, but he is not to be left alone
to engage in the conflict. The Saviour is the captain of his salvation, and with him
man may be more than conqueror.
The world's Redeemer would not have man in ignorance of
Satan's devices. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against those who
would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things that are not seen,
to the armies of heaven that encamp round about those who love God, to deliver
them. The angels of heaven are interested in behalf of men. The power of
Omnipotence is at the service of those who trust in God. The Father accepts the
righteousness of Christ in behalf of his followers, and they are surrounded
with light and holiness which Satan cannot penetrate. The voice of the Captain
of our salvation speaks to his followers, saying, "`Be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world.' I am your defense; advance to
victory."
Through Christ, restoration as well as reconciliation is
provided for man. The gulf that was made by sin has been spanned by the cross
of Calvary. A full, complete
ransom has been paid by Jesus, by virtue of which the sinner is pardoned, and
the justice of the law is maintained. All who
believe that Christ is the atoning sacrifice may come and receive pardon for
their sins; for through the merit of Christ, communication has been opened
between God and man. God can accept me as his child, and I can claim him and
rejoice in him as my loving Father. We must center our hopes of heaven upon
Christ alone, because he is our substitute and surety. We have transgressed the
law of God, and by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. The best
efforts that man in his own strength can make, are
valueless to meet the holy and just law that he has transgressed; but through
faith in Christ he may claim the righteousness of the Son of God as all-sufficient.Christ satisfied the demands of the law in his
human nature. He bore the curse of the law for the sinner, made an atonement for him, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.
[Note:
“The law claims from man entire obedience through the whole period of his life.
Hence it is impossible for him by future obedience to atone for even one sin.
And without the grace of Christ to renew the heart, we
cannot render obedience to the law of God....True,
man cannot be saved in disobedience, but his works should not be of himself.
Christ must work in him to will and to do of his own good pleasure. If man
could save himself by his own works, he might have something in himself in
which to rejoice. But it is only through the grace of Christ [His Holy Spirit]
that we can receive power to perform a righteous act.” {GCB, March 5, 1895 par.
32}
Genuine faith appropriates the
righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer
with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity
and humanity are combined.
He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law, is
attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his
works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of
his good pleasure. If a man could save himself by his own works, he might have
something in himself in which to rejoice. The effort that man makes in his own
strength to obtain salvation, is represented by the
offering of Cain. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with
selfishness and sin; but that which is wrought through faith is acceptable to
God. When we seek to gain heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes
progress. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we may go
on from strength, from victory to victory; for through Christ the grace of God
has worked out our complete salvation.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Living
faith enables its possessor to lay hold on the merits of Christ, enables him to
derive great comfort and satisfaction from the plan of salvation. The true Christian will have an earnest desire to bring
others to Christ. When Philip was assured that he had found the Messiah, he
went to Nathanael, and said unto him, "We have found him, of whom Moses in
the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph."
What are we doing for Christ? Are we telling of his
goodness and his excellency, and seeking to win souls
for the Master? If Jesus is precious to your soul, you will feel it your duty
to make him known to others. Jesus has said to his people, "Ye are the
light of the world." "Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The
gospel of Christ is not a dry theory; it is good tidings of great joy that
reveal to us a personal Saviour, and we are to tell men and women and youth
what they must do in order to be saved.
The End