Believest Thou This?

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 6, 1875

Believest Thou This?

Too many persons confine the word "unbelief" to the rejection of those truths which refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, and no doubt the term is occasionally so used, but I would employ it now in a larger sense,—it is applicable to those who reject any portion of God's holy Word. Selecting portions of Scripture for belief, and rejecting portions as unnecessary, is the beginning of a great deal of evil. It is so in the case of the commandments. Persons will object to the violation of the sixth; they will have a horror of the breaking of the seventh; they will denounce any one who violates the eighth; but the breaking of the third is considered a mere trifle; the disregard of the fourth may even be encouraged; and in regard to the second, charity prevents its transgression being considered idolatry. So it is with many other portions of God's holy word. I cannot help thinking that we may profit by the warning given by Jehoshaphat, "Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the Lord your God, and ye shall be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." Believe his prophets; believe those who have warned you of the suddenness of the Lord's advent, and of the unexpected time of his appearing; believe these things, and let your belief be of that practical character which will show itself in your lives. Remember, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." This is the description given us of the last times; do you believe it? Do you practically believe it? If so, you will be able to say, "We, according to God's promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;" and the very path in which you should go will be made clear to you. If we believe practically that there is but one way of salvation, and that by the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,—if we believe practically that man must be born again before he can enter into the kingdom of heaven, and if we look around us and compare the state of mankind with what God says about being born again, there must be, and there ever will be, on our part, untiring zeal and earnestness in endeavoring to win souls to Christ.—Hon. and Rev. Montagu Villiers, D. D.