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Our Conversation

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 30, 1866

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 28, No. 22.

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Our Conversation.

By D. H. LAMSON

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” 1 Peter i, 15. This exhortation of the apostle has had, no doubt, an application to the people of God from the time it was first written until the present, yet it seems to have a more special reference to that people “upon whom the ends of the world are come;” for the apostle speaking with distinctness upon this point, says, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.” 2 Peter iii 11.
Our vain conversation we obtained by tradition from our fathers, and it is the legitimate design of the blood of Christ to redeem us from that; and this also will be the result if an application is really made to our hearts. How many have this evidence? How many has the blood of Christ redeemed from this vain conversation? If it has not redeemed you dear reader, then has that blood in your case been shed in vain.
Our conversation has more to do with our salvation than, I fear, many of us imagine; for, says the Saviour, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” And the apostle James, inquiring who is a wise man, says, “Let him show out of a good conversation his words with meekness of wisdom.” This little word “good” covers a great deal of ground; I may say, all of it; for if it can be applied to all that we say, we shall indeed be found without guile in our mouth, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing in the day of God. Our Saviour is in Heaven. From thence we expect him. Then let our conversation be there, and we dwell by faith in his presence. There is none holy as the Lord. There is none beside him, neither any rock like our God. The Seraphim cried, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” That day is soon to dawn. The Lord has said, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” May we get nearer to the standard and let reform be our motto in eating, in drinking, in talking, and all that we do, be done to the glory of God and though “the wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation, yet their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bones shall be broken.” And the Lord has said, “To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.”
Our cant and slang phrases are not convenient. They are hurtful. They war against the soul. And if persisted in, the angels of God will turn their backs upon us and leave us in utter darkness. “My soul be on thy guard.” Our hearts are naturally impure, and our thoughts would necessarily be so, and as a consequence our language. But with our hearts purified by obeying the truth, our thoughts become subject to the will of God, and our former conversation is put away. Be assured the Lord will yet turn to his people a pure language, that they may serve him with one consent; and in all the ranks of those who shall be redeemed there will not be found one discordant note. Said the Saviour, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.” They shall see his face, and dwell in his presence forever. Shall I be there? Will you, dear reader, be there? I hope tobe. Is this also your hope? If so, then remember that “every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.” Amen.
D. H. LAMSON.
Olivet, Mich.