A Call to Greater Consecration
By T. W. THIRLWELL
While it is true that the world has reached a crisis, it is also true that the remnant people have reached a more serious, a more solemn crisis. Why?—Because the church as a whole is not so thoroughly consecrated to God as it should be. The church is not in the place where God can send upon it the fullness of the Holy Spirit. “Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself. When she resists the evil and chooses the good, when she seeks God with all humility, and reaches her high calling in Christ, standing on the platform of eternal truth, and by faith laying hold upon the attainments prepared for her, she will be healed. She will appear in her God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, showing that the truth has made her free indeed. Then her members will indeed be the chosen of God, his representatives.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VIII, page 250. This quotation certainly describes the condition of the church as being far from the place God would have it be, spiritually. Many are patterning after the world in foolish and frivolous conversation and in dress, and, in many instances, are indulging in the amusements of the world. There has not been throughout our ranks such a consecration as there should be. There are many who are truly consecrated to God, in body, soul, and spirit, yet there are many, on the other hand, who are not truly converted to God, and there are still others who have allowed their spirituality to die out. A spirit of worldliness has crept in. We cannot deny these things. The greatest perplexity is the fact that few realize the seriousness of their condition, and that these things are hindering the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its fullness. True, we see evidence that the Spirit of God is working to some degree, but are we to be content with a few drops when we can have the showers, full and free? There must be a spirit of true, complete reform. Men’s hearts must be stirred as never before. We have too long gone on in a half-hearted way, and have not sought for the Holy Spirit as earnestly as we should. O that every soul in our ranks would be pierced with the arrows of conviction, and that men would be led to repent of their condition in sackcloth and ashes! This reproach must be washed away with tears of true-hearted repentance. We cannot afford any longer to remain upon the enchanted ground of the enemy. We hear so much talk about the “latter rain;” and by the way some speak of it, one would think that the church had nothing to do but to receive it. There never was a greater mistake. There are many contenting themselves with the thought that all then in the church will be made pure and holy, and ready to meet Christ. Some who are thus contentedly waiting this time will find themselves sadly disappointed. Every one who wishes to enjoy the outpouring has a personal work of preparation to do for himself before he will experience this blessing. No doubt some are deceiving themselves upon this most serious and vital question, and resting comparatively easy, thinking that all will be well with them when the “latter rain” falls. Many, many are going to miss this blessing unless they most earnestly seek for it. Let every one note carefully the following quotation from “Early Writings,” page 71:— “I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful, and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord, and to live in his sight. O, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets, and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it, and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. . . . I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing,’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.” These solemn statements should take hold upon God’s people with force. We must begin the work of self-examination. We cannot expect the Holy Spirit to abide in our hearts unless they are free from sin. When we ask our friends to come to see us, we endeavor to have our homes clean and presentable. A great many are asking this holy, heavenly Visitor to come to abide with them, when the temple in which they expect him to dwell is not clean, is not free from sin and defilement. Until the soul temple is cleansed, can we expect him to come to abide? Certainly not. Then let us begin to cleanse this temple, get rid of every sin, put away all faultfinding, all criticism and evil speaking, all unholy thoughts. Then we can expect the presence of this holy Visitor to abide with us. Many, no doubt, are looking forward to the camp meeting season for a time of great revival and renewal of their Christian experience, a time when God will draw near to his people, a time of great refreshing. Undoubtedly these hopes for spiritual blessings will be realized, and at the consecration meetings evidence of the Spirit will be seen; but when and where should this work begin?—It should begin at home, weeks before the time of camp meeting.