Believing God’s Prophets by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 3, 1914

Believing God’s Prophets

By F. M. W.

THROUGH all the ages of the past the prosperity of the church of God has been in direct proportion to the faith exercised in the instruction which he has given through his special messengers. Jehoshaphat, the king, admonished Israel in his day: “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” When Israel heeded this advice, the blessing of God attended the nation; but when they forgot the Lord and grew careless with reference to the instruction sent them, they were left to their own ways, and were given over to their enemies.

In an earnest, prayerful study of the Bible and of the special instruction given to this people, and an application of this instruction to our own lives, lies our only safety in these days of peril. Men to-day are discounting the Scriptures of Truth. They fail to make that appeal to the great Christian church which they made in the days of our fathers. The spirit of higher criticism has come in. The minds of many are confused, and they are ready to set at naught the sacred record.

We need to guard against the entrance of this spirit into our hearts. There is danger that the great truths of salvation shall not make that appeal to us that their importance demands; that the Holy Book of God will be lowered to the level of common literature. The Holy Scriptures should be our first and daily study. In them are revealed the way of life, and the means by which we may escape the thralldom of sin, and enjoy the liberty and bliss of heaven throughout eternity.

The gift of the spirit of prophecy has been associated with this movement from its early beginnings. Repeatedly has the Lord been pleased to give through his messenger special instruction to this church. Many dangers have been pointed out; warnings have been sounded against the sophistries and subtleties of false doctrine; Christian duty has been made plain; the Scriptures of Truth have been exalted and magnified, and the church has been continually urged to greater diligence in their study. Surely, like Israel of old, we need to give diligent heed to these admonitions.

Next to the Book of God we know of no other literature so ennobling in its character, so spiritualizing in its influence, and so helpful to a living Christian experience as the Testimonies which have come to the church through the spirit of prophecy. We earnestly urge our readers to take up during the coming winter months a systematic reading of the ‘Testimonies for the Church.’ The little volume ‘Early Writings’ will be found particularly helpful to every reader.

It is comparatively easy in these days of changing emphasis to depart from the old landmarks; to let reason supplant faith, and philosophy Christian experience. It does not take much persuasion for the mind of unbelief to accept the conclusions of Thomas Paine or Robert G. Ingersoll with reference to things in the Scriptures which are not understood. It is one thing to study the Bible and the Testimonies to detect error and to find inconsistency, and quite another thing to study this instruction prayerfully and humbly, with a desire to know the will of the Lord, and with our hearts open to the influence of his Holy Spirit. It is this latter spirit which we should bring to the study of these writings.

We have come to a time in the history of the world when we can cherish faith and talk faith, and so build up our faith and the faith of our brethren, or we can talk doubt and unbelief till doubt begins to affect and mold our whole Christian experience. We need, in our study of the Word and of the special instruction which has been sent to this people, to seek to build up the things that remain. In these days of doubt and distrust, of unbelief and disintegration, let us seek that calm and steadfast faith in God and in his revelations which will keep us firm and steady and unmoved. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” F. M. W.