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Changed by Beholding

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 7, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 27.

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Changed by Beholding

By H. E. STILLIAMS

H. E. STILLIAMS
“THEN they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” Mal. 3:16.
Observe that the book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord. Now what is the fear of the Lord? “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28. So it is for those who seek wisdom and understanding to know good and forget evil, and who think upon the name of the Lord, that the book of remembrance is written.
When Moses prayed for a revelation of the glory of God, he was permitted to see the goodness, and to hear the name, of the Lord. “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Ex. 34: 5, 6. Those who fear the Lord think upon the attributes of his character—“merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” By beholding we become changed; and by meditation upon certain things, our acts, our lives themselves, become like that upon which we meditate.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” When the life and acts of a person show that he is becoming more gentle, patient, kind, more thoughtful of others, more meek and long-suffering when wronged by word or deed, is it any wonder that angels hasten to record in the books of heaven the doings of that person? Again, is it any cause for wonder that, when the members of a church think on these things, there should come a change over the influence of that church, that it should be more attractive, and that its power should be as of “an army with banners”?
Imagine going to a church where every member was striving to help some one else; where love for others was the rule, and love for self the exception; where self with all that pertains thereto was forgotten in doing kind acts for others. Would you go again to such a church? Would you care to hear what its people believed and taught? When you watched their daily lives, and found them always in accord with that teaching, but ever growing in grace, would you care to become one of them?
Hear what the Lord says to those who seek by a study of his character to attain to a like character: “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” Rev. 22: 4. “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3: 2. “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Mal. 3: 17.
Redlands, Cal.