THAT GREAT DAY by G. W. Kilgore

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 7, 1876

THAT GREAT DAY.

By G. W. Kilgore

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” Ps. 50:3–5.

When this prophecy is fulfilled, the sinners in Zion will be afraid; fearfulness will surprise the hypocrites. Those who once were in covenant with God, but afterward gave up the truth because there were so many sacrifices to make, will bitterly lament. Their agony will be great. But the worst of all conditions, it seems, will be that of those who slackly lived out the truth till the last—those who professed to be looking for Christ, and at the same time were swallowed up in worldly interests. They have caused unbelievers to feel safe; because they told, by their actions, that people need not be particular about these “special truths.” They have said, “The Lord is not coming in our day;” and, “Those who believe that God’s law must be obeyed, in order to secure eternal life, are no better than anybody else.”

These things some say by their actions, which speak louder than words. For the man that really believes a storm is coming prepares for it. He watches the signs in the sky. He talks to others about it. If his family are not all in a safe place, he is uneasy about them, and tries to help them secure shelter. But he who goes about his work as usual, and makes no exertion to prepare for this storm, shows that he doubts that there is a storm coming. If he has grain in the field lying down, and does not try to put it up, but keeps right on cutting down more; or if he has stacks open, and does not try to cover them, but keeps laying foundations for other ones, all would say, This man does not believe there is any storm approaching. And if he should declare that he believes the storm is not far distant, for the signs appear to say so, and that he knows the barometer shows the air is in a condition for rain, all would say he was a very slack farmer. Just so it must be with those in the service of Christ to-day. All who really believe Jesus is soon coming are preparing to meet him. But what can people think of those who profess to believe this, and at the same time are so careless about it that they are scarcely ever heard talking about it to others who do not believe it? Or what is to be thought of those who do talk about it, but act so near like the world that none would know they thought about it, if it were not for their words? They are certainly like the slack farmer.

It is very reasonable to suppose that when the tempestuous fires of God’s wrath shall come, those who knew of its coming and did not prepare, nor warn their neighbors of its approach, will hear somebody say to them, “Why did you not tell me of this? Why did you not give me the evidence of your belief? I did not think you had any evidence, you did not act as though you had.” Oh! who can conceive the thoughts of such ones at that time? What deep regret! No wonder Christ says, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Think of it, lost forever! Others also laying their eternal ruin to their slack and careless life. While the shining hosts of the faithful ones hail the coming Lord as their God, knowing that he will save them, these unfaithful ones will wail because of him.

Had they been diligent in serving the Lord, they could claim a part in that glorious salvation, and others could not point to a misspent life as an excuse for themselves. But now all hopes of salvation are ended. Probation is over and mercy is no more. A life of ease has been enjoyed in sowing to the flesh; but now the reaping time has come, and lo! nothing but corruption is to be found. The “tempestuous fire” is all that is to be expected while life lasts. Lost! Who can realize the true meaning of the term? Eternal ages will roll on, but he who is lost will never have his name recorded among the living. Lost, not because their names were not recorded on the church book, not because they did not go to meeting and speak occasionally, not because they did not aid the cause with their means once in a while,—no, no, but because their chief desire was to gain riches of this life, and because their influence upon those around them was bad.

Now, dear reader, are you one of the slack ones? If you are, think of the scripture before quoted: “Our God shall come and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” Who will be saved in that day? Read what the same scripture says: “Gather my saints together unto me.” But who are they? Read on: “Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” I want to keep this in mind all the time. Do our business affairs hinder us from serving God as we ought to serve him? What will we do with such affairs when “our God shall come”? We could far better sacrifice the advantage of such business and do something else, than to slight the cause of God. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

Why, my dear friend, whoever you are, that love the things of this world more than you do the service of God, look at your prospect: This world’s goods will be worth no more than a pile of chaff when “our God shall come.” The tempestuous fire will burn up your property, and you along with it unless you turn your attention to the things of God. Turn to God now. Do not wait for a more convenient time. Waken up to your profession. The Lord is coming. Examine your heart. “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” “Well, but,” says one, “I can’t help loving my ways that I am accustomed to.” Hear what the Bible says: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Crucify self. Surrender to God. Then you can keep the commandments from the heart. The reason our hearts are not perfectly in obedience to Christ is because we have never fully surrendered to him. When one nation surrenders to another, it obeys the laws of the other nation. It never does before. Just so with us. When we surrender to God, we will obey his laws. We never can before.

Many say, “We cannot keep the commandments.” To say this is to acknowledge we have a carnal mind; for it is the carnal mind only that cannot keep the law of God. Yet some of those who profess to know the Lord will say they cannot keep his commandments. Hear what John calls such men: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” “Well, how can I get so I will love the things of God,” say you? Read the Bible. Pray to God. Let the cause of God cost you some of your means. We must be awake to the times in which we live if we are saved. “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” Make haste and get ready.

G. W. KILGORE.

Hampton, Iowa, Nov. 16, 1876.