Faith in Present Truth

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · May 25, 1905

Faith in Present Truth

ELDER S. N. HASKELL conducted the Bible study at the eleven o’clock hour, May 15. The following is a brief outline of the thoughts presented:—

As ambassadors for God we can never give to others that which we have not experienced. It is a law in both spiritual and temporal things, that a stream can never rise higher than its fountain. We may be applauded because of our eloquence, or because we are possessed of certain gifts, but in our endeavor to lift the soul to God, we can impart only what we have gained by an actual experience in the things of God.

Christ suffered for us on the cross, and we must share in his sufferings. In 2 Cor. 1:4 we learn that the only way we can comfort souls that are in trouble is by our having been comforted of God ourselves, having passed through similar experiences. Christ had all the sufferings and temptations that come to the human family, was tempted in all points as we are, and yet without sin, and thus it is that every one who comes to him can find in him a special Saviour. We are ambassadors for Christ, but what poor representatives we are many times,—finding fault, grumbling, criticizing, because things do not go right, when God designed that experience to fit us to labor in his cause and save souls.

With whom do we get in trouble?—Those who are in our way,—our enemies really. God designed to give me a precious experience that I might help some one else, but I take as an enemy the one who is injuring me, and so I find fault and murmur. But if, instead of complaining, I look upon that experience as a lesson to me, and labor in that line, and receive afflictions from that source, the Lord will put on me his righteousness, and he will make my mistakes all right. The reason why so many will be shaken out of the message before its close is because they have not drunk of that cup. They have not that experience, and at the last moment it can not be secured, so there will be hundreds, if not thousands, among us who will say, “My lamp is going out; give me of your oil.”

In 1 Sam. 26:23, 24, we find recorded an incident showing how David treated his enemy Saul when he was delivered into his hand, David thus showing a magnanimous spirit on his part in sparing the life of his worst enemy. And in the preceding portion of this chapter is shown the manner in which Saul was delivered into David’s hand; for “a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.” It would seem that David would have been justified in smiting Saul at this time; but the Lord had brought all this about in order to see what course David would take. And the record shows that Saul went and repented.

The Jews took Christ as their enemy; and while Christ did nothing but good in healing the sick, restoring the blind, and setting sin-bound souls free, so that the common people appreciated and loved his work, yet the Jews thought he was their enemy. The result was that their house was left unto them desolate.

When a man is converted, he will take in the message which God has given. That can be illustrated by the work of Noah. There were religious people then besides Noah. Suppose a man had made offerings and sacrifices to God, but had said, “I believe in getting converted to God, and having all the good things, and giving my money and everything else to the Lord; but I take no stock in that ark.” Do you think he could have been saved? You know he could not. What was present truth for that period was embraced in conversion. No one could get converted without it, and when he was converted, he would help build the ark, too.

For six thousand years the gospel of Christ had been unfolding, and this unfolding will continue until the end, when the greatest amount of light will be shining; so there is just before this people the most wonderful experience of any people in all the world. At the beginning angels did not know the future of the gospel; they knew the end, the result; but they did not know how that gospel would unfold. No one but God and Christ knew that. The angels desired to look into these things, and they looked for the Seed to come. When Christ was revealed, and there was this new phase of the gospel manifested, every angel in glory shouted, and since then no man on earth could be saved unless he echoed that shout, and no person could then be saved without having that experience.

So from that day to this every soul is saved only by believing in the birth of Christ, and in his death on the cross as the sacrifice for man. When he cried out, “It is finished,” there was again a shout that went from world to world, because the plan of salvation had been worked out. All the universe was affected by his death. I believe the salvation of the human family upon this planet was but a small part of what was effected by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; for we learn in Col. 1:20 that Christ’s death touched the entire universe of God.

John 12:31 indicates that the time came when the prince of this world was to be cast out of heaven, at whose gate he had stood to accuse Christ, and to charge that man could not keep the law of God. This he did to prove that he was right when he was in heaven. But the death of Christ settled the question that the law of God could be kept, and that there is power with Christ to reach down his arm and sustain every man in the way of salvation.

Was there any shouting in heaven when Christ died? In Rev. 12:10 we read that there was “heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” The angelic host, unfallen beings, saw the death of Christ, and they had heard the accusation that had been coming up for four thousand years that no man could keep the law of God. But when Christ took upon himself our nature, was tempted in all points as we are, and yet went through life as sinless as he was when in heaven before he came to this earth, it demonstrated before the universe that the law of God could be kept; and it demonstrated, too, that that law had not been abolished, else the death of Christ were in vain. So at the death of Christ there was a shout in heaven that went from world to world. Can anybody now be saved who does not believe in the death of Christ?—No one can be saved who does not believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is nonsense to talk about salvation, and not accept Him whose name is the only salvation that ever came to this earth.

And since his ascension to heaven, we read of his work there, as recorded in Rev. 11:14, 15, 19, where it is shown that, under the sounding of the seventh angel, the temple of God was opened in heaven, and Christ entered the most holy place, to return, after having finished his work as high priest, and to receive the kingdom. And again, when this unfolding

was manifested, and the great plan of salvation was about to be consummated, there were great voices in heaven. The work is done, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ. And when you believe that truth, you will have an experience in that thing. There will be a people on earth that will be made separate by that very doctrine. Let us believe in a living Christ, a real Saviour, and finally we will go to a real home.