p. 203 | Reform by Elridge G. Rust

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 29, 1866

Reform.

By Elridge G. Rust

We are living in an evil and adulterous generation, which is sadly given to surfeiting and drunkenness, and which hates all true reform. God is calling out a people from among this same generation who shall be unto him a peculiar people, a royal priesthood. This people, when called out by the last message of mercy, have all the evil habits and perverted tastes of a wicked nation to rid themselves of. God will have his remnant people cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. He has graciously seen fit to place the gift of prophecy among his people, which shall lead them into all truth, and through this instrumentality he is revealing to us his requirements. But God requires nothing at our hands except it be for our ultimate good. If our hearts are in the work of overcoming, we will receive this light upon reform with nothing short of thankfulness. But if we are not living up to the light which we already have, but are living in a cold, formal manner, we will seek to evade this plain, straight truth, and be led to inquire how much we are compelled to obey in order to keep our place in the church, and be considered in fellowship with the saints in light. But if the testimonies are from God, will not wisdom teach us that we cannot be in full fellowship unless we live up to all the light which is being shed upon our pathway by the holy Spirit? If it is, in fact, the Lord who is thus speaking to us in these last days, if he were pleased to have us inquire how much we are compelled to obey in order to be considered as a member of Christ's body, how different the spirit of such from that which actuated our great Pattern, who so cheerfully yielded his will to that of the Father.

Take courage, brethren, who have moved out in the work of reform. Grow not weary in well doing. You may expect to be considered fanatical, and frowned upon by the world, and shunned and avoided by those who profess the truth and do not live up to the light. But we receive the attendant blessing day by day for obedience to the laws of our being as well as the laws of God. Oh, that our brethren would all lay hold of the truth upon this point, and live it out. It might cost some self-denial, but the blessing in health and mind would overbalance all this. By so doing they would entirely do away with that anxiety to know whether obedience to this or that was a test of fellowship. By living up to the whole truth they would know that they were in full fellowship with God's people.

ELDRIDGE G. RUST.

Winfield, Montcalm Co., Mich.