AN IMPORTANT POINT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 29.

AN IMPORTANT POINT.

A READER of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, believing that there are godly people among its readers, asks their prayers for the only son of an invalid mother. The young man has “good habits, honest and gentlemanly, but seems to have lost ‘all faith that there are any Christians except his ‘mother, and that she would be good anyhow; he ‘has seen so much fraud and deceit amongst church-‘members.” And we are asked to request “the prayers of all parents in behalf of her son’s conversion, earnestly and with faith for one month, at every ‘devotion in prayer, and if he is changed, for their ‘comfort will let them know thru your paper.” This is signed “An Anxious Mother.”

As this is a typical case of many, many other requests which come to Christians in public life, it may be of help to those making these requests to study a few things.

1. Are those asking this boon of God clear with Him? Are they “reconciled to God”? God is ever open to help the needy as far as He can. Do they stand where He can? Are they in harmony with His will? Have they confessed and put away every known sin? Are they walking in all the light which is shining upon their pathway? Why ask these questions? Well, the letter which we have quoted from above begins by saying:—

“I have read several copies of your paper. I can not understand why one day in seven to keep holy is not all right, called either the first or the seventh. But of this I do not bother my mind. I try to keep my one day in the fear of God.”

2. Now, here is a point of duty which doubtless has “bothered the mind” of our correspondent, else why mention it? We do not refer to it because it pertains to the Sabbath day. The same principle is involved as regards every other command of God. The question is not as to what we understand, but, What does God say? The child who implicitly trusts and obeys his parent, does it many times when he does not understand; but he knows and has demonstrated many times when he did understand, that “father knows best,” and the only wise, grateful, true thing to do is to obey. God has not said “one ‘day in seven;” He has not left the Sabbath to the caprice or whim of divers and discordant human minds, however well-intentioned; He has given a specific day, hedged about with His own holy rest, blessing, sanctification, and law; and in infinite love He commands, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” We can not make by our keeping any day holy. We can not keep holy a day which God has not made holy. We can keep holy only that which He has made holy. Now, if this duty has come to this “anxious mother,” let her settle that with God. The only way that she can have a mind at rest is to have it at peace with God, in perfect harmony with His holy will, His law. Ps. 40:8. We may solace ourselves by a perverted conscience, by a perverted custom, by a counterfeit scheme; but it is but the soporific of sin, never the true rest of soul; and in the great judgment day when we stand face to face with God’s holy law, and Christ’s perfect example, both of which we have knowingly slighted, our hope shall forever perish. And we say again, This principle applies to every moral duty.

3. God never works by halves. If He lays the burden of a soul’s salvation upon one or two or three, He will co-operate with that one or two or three. United prayer is good; but we would rather have the prayers of two or three godly persons who knew our need, who could talk over the case, who were burdened for our soul with the burden given of God, who therefore could pray unitedly, than the prayers of all the readers of the Signs who prayed out of mere sympathy, but upon whom no special burden from the Lord came.

Do not misunderstand us. Let all who pray, pray for the son with the mother, as God leads. We are sure He will hear her prayer, if she is rightly related to God. “If any man will do His will, he shall know.” John 7:17. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22. He may not answer in just the way the mother wishes; He will not convert the son against his will; but God will answer in the very best way He can consistently with our good and His glory.

4. Human “fraud and deceit” in the ranks of God’s people, there have nearly always been. As long as a genuine is of great worth, Satan will have his counterfeits. But Christ Jesus came to save men from these very evils; and He accomplished His work for all who will look to Him, even tho He was put to death by the hypocrites, the fraudulent. Let all these things of wickedness lead us to look all the more earnestly to the genuine, the all-sufficient, in Christ Jesus our Lord.