LIFE-POWER by Earnest A. Raymond

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 4, 1900

LIFE-POWER

By Earnest A. Raymond

EARNEST A. RAYMOND.

(Battle Creek, Mich.)

Before us lie some seeds, and bulbs, and tubers, with all their treasured possibility of future life. In harmony with the laws of nature, we place them under the conditions most favorable for the great awakening, and with interest await the result.

Soon the tender shoots appear, so delicate and fragile as to be endangered by the slightest touch, yet each starts out with confidence on its little journey of life.

How widely they differ in general appearance! Yet, as we watch their progress, all appear as if bound for the same goal line, by parallel routes. Each is making straight for the light, its whole being in harmony with its supply-current of life energy parallel to the light beams.

We place some of the plants under different conditions, so the light from the sun can not reach them directly, but at widely varying angles. What do we see? No longer do they look directly to the original source of life-energy and strength. They cease to grow in harmony with and parallel to the rays of their only sun of righteousness. Toward the point of the light’s last deflection or reflection the poor plants look, and in the forlorn hope of sustaining strength, extend their feeble, emaciated forms in the sadly diminished warmth. In vain they stretch out imploring arms in mute appeal, but no help comes, and they die a lingering death.

To some the light must struggle around this obstacle, to others around that, and none develop symmetrically, nor bring forth fruit to perfection.

Again: thinking to save some, we place them where only opportunity is afforded for the attainment of life’s perfection. Quickly they sense the genial warmth; the life current, with its heaven-directed impulse, forces its way along their intricate avenues of nourishment to the remotest cell and fiber; the plant, obedient to the impulse of the force working so mightily within, entirely submitted to its control, growing by its working, once more mounts up in harmony with the laws of its being and the life of God; for the life of God is the life of nature.

Nature’s laws are perfect righteousness for every one of nature’s family; for God saw that all he had made was very good, and affixed his seal of perfection at their completion. The laws of our being are the laws of God; and the laws of man’s being, his unperverted nature, are the laws of God for him, and the only laws. Else, different laws being necessary, man, when seen of God to be perfect, was imperfect!

Only by reason of transgression and sin and failure to recognize the laws of God written in nature’s book, came the law of the ten commands, written in characters, expressed in words, graven on tables of stone. Directed and warned by this chart and compass, we keep our bark of life in the open current, and are borne at last to the long-desired haven of perfect rest. Constantly, bringing nearer and nearer to the final goal of perfection, will the power of God, if we but trust and allow, write the law of righteousness in our minds, retrace it in our entire being, and demonstrate it in our lives. Nature’s perfection at last shall settle beyond controversy that righteousness is by faith.

Righteousness, then, is perfect accord with the Creator’s original plan. All the powers of body and mind used as they were intended, the life of God unrestrained, undeflected, unhindered in any way, bring the human plant to the perfect development of every part.

“There is no power but of God.” “In [or by] him we live, and move, and have our being.” “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Then in all places, at all times, under all circumstances, it is the energy, the life, of God that is manifested; and energy constantly flowing must have a current, and every current must have a direction. Then the life current, as it comes to each one of us from God, must have the direction of righteousness, for God could impart no other, constantly tending to bring our lives into harmony with his own, parallel with the life-current divine.

Then the only thing for us to do is to let God’s life-energy work in us unhindered. Why not trust him to do it as it should be done? Moreover, “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Such is righteousness; such is faith; and such is righteousness by faith. Law makes plain the WHAT; gospel demonstrates the how. Only as the unregenerate mind impedes the current with its weight and bulk of inertia are the waters of life turned from their original course, and, flowing by strange and devious courses, are transformed into the dark waters of death.

My brother, my sister, is it not exceedingly simple, this problem of righteousness by faith? Let it be demonstrated in our lives. What say you?