p. 155 | PAST FEELING by I. L. G.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 16, 1876

PAST FEELING.

By I. L. G.

What a terrible condition! The Spirit of God withdrawn, the angel of mercy forever taken its flight. All restraining influences removed. Forsaken of God and abandoned to an enemy. The understanding darkened, no longer discerning light from darkness, or discriminating between virtue and vice, choosing to live and die like creatures without reason, drinking in all uncleanness with greediness. Spending God-given strength and faculties in an excess of rioting, taking as the motto of their creed, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.”

Being past feeling implies that persons were once susceptible to the truth, that their understandings were enlightened, their judgments convinced, and that they once felt reproved of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. But resolution and moral power were lacking to carry out their convictions of duty. They thought they would wait for a more favorable opportunity. It was never best to be in a hurry. Many had started and ignominiously failed, and they feared the same of themselves.

Such conclusions give a balance of power to the enemy, who, taking advantage of this delay, throws in every barrier possible, intensifying their fears of a failure, until they regard serving the Lord an impossibility, and their cases hopeless. The neglected, golden opportunity has gone. The interests of the world have supplanted all desires for holiness. The effort to lull their consciences into quietness has proved a success. God ceases to be in their thoughts. They are past feeling.

Another class acted upon their convictions, and run well for a season; but offenses came. They left the principles of the doctrine of Christ, laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Says Paul, “It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Therefore are they alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts.

Many have listened to the close, heart-searching truths of the last days, and many believe. But this truth has strong rods like scepters, with which it bears rule to overcome all evil. It points out our defects of character, and if we are worshipping at an earthly shrine, bowing down to idols of our own setting up, it discloses the terrible sin of idolatry. If we are yielding to the epicurean chains of a perverted appetite, it teaches us that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, all should be done to the honor and glory of God. If we have formed wrong habits and false impressions in early life, it commands us to flee youthful sins and follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Two important commands,—one to flee from sin, the other to associate ourselves with those who are serving God according to their best light.

We are not to follow our own peculiar ideas of right, and thus steadily drift away from the moorings of truth, but, uniting our efforts with others, we are to gain instruction, and to impart, as well as receive, strength.

We may make a good beginning in God’s service, commence praying lives, and struggle on in feebleness, yet give no particular shape to our belief; and, honoring no religious faith with our preference or support, doubtless we should reach a point in our experience when professors and non-professors would be regarded alike, and our confidence in the saving power of grace destroyed.

Then why not obey God’s word at once, and secure its great, glorious, and ultimate end,—everlasting life? Or shall we ignore the truth because it shows our moral deformities? God forbid, and help us to cherish its light and its sweet influence upon our lives.

“Walk in the light, so shalt thou know That fellowship of love, His Spirit only can bestow, Who reigns in light above.”

I. L. G.