A Plain Declaration by H. B. Sevey

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 10, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 22.

"A Plain Declaration."

By H. B. Sevey

"For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." Heb. 11: 14.

In this chapter, we have set before us the faith of many of the worthies who believed God, and whose "works" were "made perfect" through their faith; for "without faith it is impossible to please him." Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a reliance on a promise made, with an unshaken confidence of its truthfulness. Thus, "Noah being warned of God of things which had never been seen, prepared an ark" for a coming flood; believing it would come in due time, by which he condemned the world; making a plain declaration of his faith by his works. If, at the same time, he had engaged in worldly pursuits which did not correspond with his faith, would he have condemned the world? Would he have "declared plainly" that he believed God?

By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; "for he looked for a city [not a church] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," and thus they "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." "Now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city."

After summing up a large company of the faithful ones, who, through faith, did many wonderful works, Paul said, "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." We, whom the apostle includes with the faithful ones, are looking for and expecting the thing promised by God to the fathers, and are we making a plain declaration by our works? Do our works harmonize with our professed faith? We are saying to the world by our profession that we believe Jesus is at hand, and that we are expecting "a heavenly country;" if so, shall we not be pilgrims and strangers on the earth, so free from any earthly ties that the world will be constrained to say, They believe what they say, for their works correspond with their faith? Dear brethren and sisters in Christ, who are saying Jesus is soon coming, do not our works give the evidence of our belief? Are we declaring plainly by our works that we expect Jesus, or are we laying our plans for a long time here on earth? Remember that our lives are a plain declaration of our faith.—H. B. Sevey, in Bible Banner.