Intelligent Faith by Ellen G. White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · May 4, 1876

Intelligent Faith.

By Ellen G. White

The Jews were self-deceived. They rejected the teachings of Christ; because he exposed the secrets of their hearts and reproved their sins. They would not come to the light, fearing their deeds would be reproved. They chose darkness rather than light. “This is the condemnation,” said Christ, “that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” The Jews pursued their course of rejecting Christ until, in their self-deceived, deluded state, they thought in crucifying him they were doing God service. This was the result of their refusing light. Very many are in danger of a similar deception.

God does not compel any man to believe. He sets light before men, and Satan presents his darkness. While the deceiver is constantly crying, Light is here; Truth is here, Jesus is saying, I am the truth; I have the words of eternal life. If any man follow me he shall not walk in darkness. God gives to us all evidence sufficient to balance our faith on the side of truth. If we surrender to God we will choose the light and reject the darkness. If we desire to maintain the independence of the natural heart and refuse the correction of God, we will, as did the Jews, stubbornly carry out our purposes and our ideas in the face of the plainest evidence, and will be in danger of as great deception as came upon them, and may go to as great lengths in our blind infatuation as they did, and yet flatter ourselves that we are doing work for God.

Satan has great power to entangle souls by confusing the minds of those who do not cherish the light and privileges which Providence sends them. Minds which are submitted to Satan’s control are led continually from the light of truth into error and darkness. If you give Satan the least advantage, he will claim more, and will watch the outposts to make the most of any circumstance to advantage his cause and ruin your soul.

Christ warned his disciples, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Here is a test. This all can apply if they will. None need to go in uncertainty and doubt. Satan is at hand to suggest a variety of doubts, but if we will open our eyes in faith we will find sufficient evidence for belief. But God will never remove from any man all causes for doubts. Those who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and questioning unbelief can have the unenviable privilege. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe. He who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding, will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith. It should not be considered a virtue to be on the side of the doubting rather than on the side of the believing. Jesus never praised unbelief; never commended doubts. He gave to his nation evidences of his Messiah-ship in the miracles he wrought, but there were those who considered it a virtue to doubt, and who would reason these evidences away, and find something in every good work to question and censure.

The centurion who desired Christ to come and heal his servant felt unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof, but his faith was so strong in the power of Christ that he entreated him to just say the word and the work would be done. “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of Heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

Here Jesus exalted faith in contrast with doubt. He showed that the children of Israel would stumble because of their unbelief, which would lead to the rejection of great light, and would result in their condemnation and overthrow.

Thomas declared he would not believe unless he put his finger into the prints of the nails, and thrust his hand into the side of his Lord. Christ gave him the evidence he desired, and then reproved his unbelief. “Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.”

In this age of darkness and error, men who profess to be followers of Christ seem to think they are at liberty to receive or reject the servants of the Lord at pleasure, and that they will not be called to account for thus doing. Unbelief and darkness lead them to this. Their sensibilities are blunted by their unbelief. They violate their consciences and become untrue to their own convictions, and weaken themselves in moral power. They think others are as defective in character as themselves.

When Christ sent out the twelve he commanded them, “And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide until ye go thence. And when ye come into a house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment, than for that city.” They were warned to beware of men, for they should be delivered up to the councils and scourged in the synagogues. Men’s hearts are no softer to-day than when Christ was upon the earth. They will do all that is in their power to aid the great adversary in making it as hard as possible for the servants of Christ, just as the people did with Christ when he was upon the earth. They will scourge with the tongue of slander and falsehood. They will criticise, and turn against the servant of God the very efforts he is leading them to make.

They will, with their evil surmisings, see fraud and dishonesty where all is right, and where perfect integrity exists. They lay selfish motives to the charge of God’s servants when he himself is leading them, and when they would give even their own lives if God required, and if by so doing they could advance his cause.

God’s Word is our standard, but how few follow it. Our religion will be of but little worth to our fellow-men if it is only theoretical and not practical. The influence of the world and of selfishness is carried about by many who profess to be following the Bible. They are alike a cloud chilling the atmosphere in which others move.

“If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” The greatest triumph given to us by the religion of Christ is control over ourselves. Our natural propensities must be controlled or we can never overcome as Christ overcame.

E. G. W.