Progress in the Truth

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 1, 1883

Progress in the Truth.

PROGRESS belongs to the human mind. The converted man is illuminated, but he does not at once discover or apprehend all truth. The treasure hid in the field is only revealed to the man who searches for it. There is "strong meat" for men, and we are warned not to be children in understanding. However ably men may summarize truth, it is utterly impossible for any creed to give so correct an exhibition of it that it shall not make more of one truth than another, both of equal importance, and to avoid altogether neglecting others. Yet as all Scripture is profitable for our instruction, we ought never to rest from the most anxious reach into the meaning of the divine volume.

To be thoroughly furnished with Christian knowledge, we must remember the mutual relation of truths, and realize their conjoined influence in promoting the highest and best form of Christian character. It is possible to magnify a truth till its influence on one's self shall be as pernicious as a positive error. Such was the case with the men whose course constrained Paul to ask: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" It has been well remarked that some people have been so afraid of justification by good works, that they took care to have no good works. The controversies of every age tend to the obscuration of some truths by the prominence given to what may be the "present truth."

Progress in divine knowledge greatly tends to the enjoyment and strength of the spiritual life. The consolations of the divine word are most attainable by the man who has striven most to understand its meaning, and for service to our fellow-men, we can only gain the character that leads men to glorify God as in the highest sense we learn the "truth as in Jesus."

Let it not, however, be thought that progress in the truth is evidenced by changeableness of doctrinal views. There are people who gain notoriety by espousing opinions which are new to them, and discarding sentiments they have heretofore held. We are exhorted to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ, and go on unto perfection; but we are not in doing this to leave or dishonor Christ. We may leave the first elements of Christian truth as we leave the alphabet behind when we make progress in literature; but we shall with true progress, become only the more firmly grounded and settled in the faith.—Baptist Weekly.