God has revealed many things to me which He has bidden
me give to His people by pen and voice. Through this message of the Holy
Spirit, God's people are given sacred instruction concerning their duty to
God and to their fellowmen.
A strange thing has come into our churches. Men who are
placed in positions of responsibility that they may be wise helpers to
their fellow workers have come to suppose that they were set as kings and
rulers in the churches, to say to one brother, Do this; to another, Do
that; and to another, Be sure to labor in such and such a way. There have
been places where the workers have been told that if they did not follow
the instruction of these men of responsibility, their pay from the
conference would be withheld.
It is right for the workers to counsel together as
brethren; but that man who endeavors to lead his fellow workers to seek
his individual counsel and advice regarding the details of their work, and
to learn their duty from him, is in a dangerous position and needs to
learn what responsibilities are really comprehended in his office. God has
appointed no man to be conscience for his fellowman. It is not wise to lay
so much responsibility upon an officer that he will feel that he is forced
to become a dictator.
A Constant Peril
For years there has been a growing tendency for men
placed in positions of responsibility to lord it over God's heritage, thus
removing from church members their keen sense of the need of divine
instruction and an appreciation of the privilege to counsel with God
regarding their duty. This order of things must be changed. There must be
a reform. Men who have not a rich measure of that wisdom which cometh from
above should not be called to serve in positions where their influence
means so much to church members.
In my earlier experiences in the message, I was called
to meet this evil. During my labors in Europe and Australia, and more
recently at the San Jose camp meeting in 1905, I had to bear my testimony
of warning against it, because souls were being led to look to man for
wisdom, instead of looking to God, who is our wisdom, our sanctification,
and our righteousness. And now the same message has again been given me,
more definite and decisive, because there has been a deeper offense to the
Spirit of God.
An Exalted Privilege
God is the Teacher of His people. All who humble their
hearts before Him will be taught of God. "If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and
it shall be given him." The Lord wants every church member to pray
earnestly for wisdom, that he may know what the Lord would have him do. It
is the privilege of every believer to obtain an individual experience,
learning to carry his cares and perplexities to God. It is written, "Draw
nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you."
Through His servant Isaiah, God is calling His church
to appreciate her exalted privilege in having the wisdom of the Infinite
at her command: "0 Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the
high mountain; 0 Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice
with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His
arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work
before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:
He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them
in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His
hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the
earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in
a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His
counselor hath taught Him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed
Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and
showed to Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop
of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He
taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient
to bum, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All
nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than
nothing, and vanity."
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, the
everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth
not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He
giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men
shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
In the forty-first to the forty-fifth chapters of
Isaiah, God very fully reveals His purpose for His people, and these
chapters should be prayerfully studied. God does not here instruct His
people to turn away from His wisdom and look to finite man for wisdom.
"Remember these, 0 Jacob and Israel," He declares, "for thou art My
servant:... 0 Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted
out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins:
return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, Oye heavens; for the Lord
hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into
singing, ye mountains, 0 forest, and every tree therein: for the Lord hath
redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel."
"Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take
counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told
it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside
Me.... Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am
God, and there is none else. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out
of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me every
knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the
Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to Him shall men come; and
all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all
the seed of Israel be justified, and, shall glory."
Every Yoke to be Broken
I write thus fully, because I have been shown that
ministers and people are tempted more and more to trust in finite man for
wisdom, and to make flesh their arm. To conference presidents, and men in
responsible places, I bear this message: break the bands and fetters that
have been placed upon God's people. To you the word Is spoken, "Break
every yoke." Unless you cease the work of making man amenable to man,
unless you become humble in heart, and yourselves learn the way of the
Lord as little children, the Lord will divorce you from His work. We are
to treat one another as brethren, as fellow laborers, as men and women who
are, with us, seeking for light and understanding of the way of the Lord,
and who are jealous for His glory.
God declares, "I will be glorified in My people;" but
the self-confident management of men has resulted in putting God aside,
and accepting the devisings of men. If you allow this to continue, your
faith will soon become extinct. God is in every place, beholding the
conduct of the people who profess to represent the principles of His word.
He asks that a change be made. He wants His people to be molded and
fashioned, not after man's ideas, but after the similitude of God. I
entreat of you to search the Scriptures as you have never yet searched
them that you may know the way and will of God. Oh, that every soul might
be impressed with this message, and put away the wrong!
Paul's Experience
We would do well to study carefully the first and
second chapters of I Corinthians. "We preach Christ crucified," the
apostle declared, "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; but unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is
wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base
things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no
flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord." The human being who undertakes to become wisdom for
another will find himself coming short.
"I was with you," Paul continues, "in weakness, and in
fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of
power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not
the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to
naught: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of
the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory."
Taught by the Spirit
In the next words the apostle brings to view the true
source of wisdom for the believer: "God hath revealed them unto us by His
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is
in him? even, so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit 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."
These words mean very much to the soul that is trying
to run the race set before him in the gospel. "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. But he
that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who path known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we
have the mind of Christ."
Read also the third chapter of this book, and study and
pray over these words. As a people our faith and practice need to be
energized by the Holy Spirit. No ruling power that would compel man to
obey the dictates of the finite mind should be exercised. "Cease ye from
man, whose breath is in his nostrils," the Lord commands. By turning the
minds of men to lean on human wisdom, we place a veil between God and man,
so that there is not a seeing of Him who is invisible.
In our individual experience we are to be taught of
God. When we seek Him with a sincere heart, we will confess to Him our
defects of character and He has promised to receive all who come to Him in
humble dependence. The one who yields to the claims of God will have the
abiding presence of Christ, and this companionship will be to him a very
precious thing. Taking hold of divine wisdom, he will escape the
corruptions that are in the world through lust. Day by day he will learn
more fully how to carry his infirmities to the One who has promised to be
a very present help in every time of need.
This message is spoken to our churches in every place.
In the false experience that has been coming in, a decided influence is at
work to exalt human agencies, and to lead some to depend on human
judgment, and to follow the control of human minds. This influence is
diverting the mind from God. God forbid that any such experience should
deepen and grow in our ranks as Seventh-day Adventists. Our petitions are
to reach higher than erring man—to God. God does not confine Himself to
one place or person. He looks down from heaven upon the children of men;
He sees their perplexities, and is acquainted with the circumstances of
every experience of life. He understands His own work upon the human
heart, and needs not that any man should direct the workings of His
Spirit.
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if
we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that
He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
desired of Him." God has appointed the angels that do His will to respond
to the prayers of the meek of the earth, and to guide His ministers with
counsel and judgment. Heavenly agencies are constantly seeking to impart
grace and strength and counsel to God's faithful children, that they may
act their part in the work of communicating light to the world. The
wonderful sacrifice of Christ has made it possible for every man to do a
special work. When the worker receives wisdom from the only true source,
he will become a pure channel of light and blessing; for he will receive
his capability for service in rich currents of grace and light from the
throne of God. (Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 10, pp. 12-20 (1909);
see also Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 477-484.)