The True Test by W. E. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 7, 1906

The True Test

By W. E. Haskell

W. E. HASKELL

In every trial of faith or of doctrine, the real issue is between the overwhelming or sufficient God-given evidence on the one hand and the conflicting appearance on the other. This appearance may seem exceedingly plausible, and there may be an apparent inconsistency between it and the fact, beyond our power to understand and explain. Our danger will be in giving heed to the appearance and ignoring and forgetting the real evidence. Our only safety, then, lies, with the Lord’s help, in keeping our minds staid upon the God-given evidence in spite of appearances.

Satan is a master—a magician—in the use of appearances, and in the very perfection of heaven itself he led a third of the angels to see a terrible wrong. He made Eve see in what God had forbidden that which was “good,” “pleasant,” and “to be desired to make one wise.” Apparently its virtue had raised a serpent to the wisdom of man, and would it not then raise Eve to the wisdom of God? Then Eve saw in the Lord an enemy, and in the serpent a friend interested in her rights and welfare. On every hand was the overwhelming evidence of God’s wonderful love, but this was ignored and forgotten.

So, also, when the Israelites in the wilderness “forgot God their savior which had done great things in Egypt,” they then saw in Moses only an arbitrary usurper, and in the testimony that they must die in the wilderness only a human testimony, not one from the Lord.

See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” page 379. Thus in the fiery trials which all must meet, Satan will seek to make it appear that God does not love us, has forgotten or cast us off.

In his severe trial even Job finally wavered, fell, and exclaimed, “Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.” Job 30: 21. But such appearances, however pressing and urgent, should never blind us to the many evidences of God’s love, above all to the overwhelming evidence in the gift of his only Son; and if we hold fast to the evidence, “we know that all things work together for good,” in spite of any and every appearance to the contrary.

Thus Abraham in the supreme test of his faith “strengthened his soul by dwelling upon the evidences of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness.”—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” page 151. In regard to every point of doctrine, our strength and safety will be in this same course—holding fast to the evidence, and giving no place to the contrary appearances. But in Satan’s warfare against the spirit of prophecy in the remnant church we should expect that he will array appearances so plausible and difficulties so perplexing that we may not always be able to understand and explain them. In the meantime what should we do?

In requiring us to try and prove the prophets whether they are false or true the Lord gives his own tests by which we are to do this. These must be complete and sufficient in themselves. To make or require other tests of our own is to set aside God’s tests as insufficient, and make our wisdom the judge. By this course Simon decided that Jesus could not be a prophet. Luke 7: 37-39. But when one meets every God-given requirement and specification, this becomes the complete and sufficient evidence of a true prophet, and here as elsewhere we should hold fast the evidence in spite of any and every perplexing difficulty that may arise. If they conflict with the evidence, we may know that objections, however plausible and logical, are only apparent, not real. Whether they quickly meet with a most simple and easy explanation, as they may, or remain unexplained, should matter not. Heed not the seeming unreal appearance, but hold fast to the God-given evidence. “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chron. 20: 20. Beware, not of false testimonies from true prophets, but, “Beware of false prophets.” Try, not the testimonies from his prophets by tests of your own devising, and then believe the true testimonies, but “try the spirits whether they are of God,” by the God-given tests, and then “believe his prophets,” much more after they have stood the true test for long years.

Brayton, Tenn.