A GOOD REPORT by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 18, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 11.

A GOOD REPORT.

By H. A. St. John

“THE elders obtained a good report.” Heb. 11:2. This inspired statement means much. If the Lord says of a student in the school of Christ that he has obtained a good report, it is complimentary in the highest degree. Thus the Lord said of the elders of Israel, and He does not leave us to wonder or imagine how they obtained such a report, but explicitly informs us that they obtained it through faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but with it we may please Him, even to the degree of obtaining a good report when our life-work in probation is ended. All such will hear the “well done,” at last, and enter into the joy of their Lord.

In speaking of the world in relation to this matter of faith, we sometimes divide them into four classes, viz.: Believers, half-believers, make-believers, and unbelievers. Unbelievers are entirely destitute of true faith in God or His Word, the faith faculty being in a state of paralysis. The make-believers are only hypocritical pretenders, destitute of real, living faith, and hence must properly be numbered as one class of unbelievers. The half-believers are numerous. They have some faith, but it is sadly mixed, and hence adulterated with doubts and fears. The half-believer has many ups and downs.

He tries to keep his conduct on the side of faith, while, at the same time, doubts harass his mind. He is double-minded, and hence unstable in all his ways. His service to God being so half-hearted, it brings him but little return of blessing or comfort. The Lord mercifully regards him as one of his children for a time, but if he does not come up to the standard of a full, whole-hearted believer, the time will come when the Lord will spew the lukewarm professor out of His mouth.

Very many of the remnant Laodicean church are in this fearful and dangerous condition. They are only half-believers, hence their love is fractional, and they are lukewarm. Unlike Abraham, they are constantly staggering at the promises of God. Faith and love, the gold tried in the fire, are within their reach, but they stagger on with their ups and downs, and sometime many of them, we fear, will go down to rise no more.

Believers are full of faith and love. Believers believe all that God says, they believe with all the heart, and believe all the time. Being rich in faith, their service to God every day and all the time is rendered in spirit and in truth, and brings them rich returns of peace, comfort, joy, and illumination. And while all things work together for their good, they are working together with God for the good of all people, and when their work is done, they will have a good report, and enter into the eternal joys of their Lord. Faith and love are inseparably united in the heart filled with the Spirit, but in the world to come, when faith is lost in fruition, love is enlarged by fruition. Lord, increase our faith, until the things hoped for, but not seen, shall be both possessed and seen. Let us all be resolved that we will have a good report through faith, when our great Teacher comes to promote us to the school above.

H. A. ST. JOHN.