As we begin our Bible study I think it
would be well to spend this hour, at any rate, in considering
what we came for, and how we are to come to get any good. I suppose
that every one came expecting to hear things we never thought
of before; and not only expecting to hear things we never thought
of before, but expecting to learn things we never thought of
before. It is very easy to hear things we never thought of before,
but we do not always learn what we hear. But I suppose we have
come expecting to learn things we never thought of before. It
is simply saying we have come expecting the Lord to give us new
revelations of Himself, of His word, and of His way altogether.
I have come for this.
This text is good advice for us all: "Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child, he shall not enter therein" (Mark 10:15).
Thus we have come to learn of the kingdom of God, to receive
things of the kingdom of God, things new and old, old things
in a new way, and new things in a new way. Whosoever shall not
receive it as a little child, shall not enter therein; cannot
have it. Hence, we are all to come here and to sit down at the
feet of Christ, looking to Him as our teacher, expecting to receive
what He has to tell us, coming as a little child. Because, not
only is this text here which speaks thus about those who would
receive the kingdom of God, but in Matthew it is put in such
a way as to cover all the time after we receive the kingdom of
God from the first. "At the same time came the disciples
unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the
midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-3).
Now if any one should say that the other
text refers to any who are receiving the kingdom of God for the
first time and admit the truth that they can receive it only
as a little child, confessing that they know nothing of it themselves
and cannot bring themselves to a knowledge of it, this verse
shows that it goes beyond that, and that the idea goes with it
even after we have received the kingdom of God; for in order
to be converted we are to be as a little child, receive the kingdom
of God as a little child, allowing that we know nothing of ourselves,
no wisdom of our own. It is not our own wisdom that can make
it plain to us, can open the way by which we can understand it
all right as it is. We must leave all our wisdom out in order
to gain it and by being converted become as a little child. "Except
ye be converted and become as a little child, ye shall not enter
the kingdom of God." What kind of children are mentioned?
Little children. Little children have not much pride of opinion
of their own. Grown up ones are not so ready to learn. Then this
is spoken as giving us a model and example as to how we are to
come to the word of God to learn. There is another verse that
tells us the same thing and perhaps in a more forcible manner.
"And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth
nothing yet as he ought to know it" (1 Corinthians 8:2).
How many people does that cover? "Any man," all of
us that have come here. Any one then who has come here, will
it refer to us as personally as that? Every one. Any one of us
then who have come here, that thinks he knows anything, how much
does that cover? Thinks he knows how much? Thinks he knows what?
"Anything." Does that cover all things then? Yes sir.
Then the text covers all people and all things that may be known.
Then if any one of us thinks he knows anything, what does he
know? How much does he know? He knows nothing yet as he ought
to.
Well, then, we will all assent that that
is true, shall we? Just set that down for yourself. If you came
here thinking you knew something, you must decide you do not
know that as you ought to know it. Then shall we come to this
study in that way? Shall we all come to this study tomorrow,
next day, each time we come here, and just settle it in our minds
that we do not know anything as we ought to know it? I do not
care if it is the oldest minister in our ranks; he must come
and say, "I do not know anything yet as I ought to know
it; teach thou me." And we will learn. Every one that comes
to this house that way will learn something every lesson he hears.
And this includes that same oldest minister in the ranks. He
will learn more than any of the rest of us, if he sits down like
that. But how long a time does that text cover? How long will
it remain there? Will we go beyond that time during this institute,
think you? No sir. Very good then, we have that settled, for
the whole institute, if we thought we knew anything.
There are some things we thought we knew
pretty well. If there is one thing we thought we knew, just put
it down, we don't know anything. We are always learning the most
out of those texts that we already know best. Don't forget that.
We are always learning the most out of the texts with which we
are already the most familiar. Then don't you see that any one
who takes any text or thought, and studies upon it for a long
time and thinks he has got all the thought out of it that is
in it, he just shuts himself off there? When he says, "Now
I know it," he shuts himself off from learning what is really
in that text.
Brother Porter here in the lesson of the
previous hour spoke to us of God's purpose in making known to
us these things. What kind of purpose was that spoken of? An
"eternal purpose." And the Scripture is God's expression
to us of His thoughts in that eternal purpose. The Scripture
is the expression of God's thoughts on that purpose, in carrying
out and setting forth and making known that purpose. Well then,
what kind of purpose is it? Eternal. How deep then are His thoughts?
How far-reaching is that purpose? Eternal. How deep then are
the thoughts expressed in the scriptures? Eternal. In how many
expressions in the Scriptures and in how many scriptures is the
thought of eternal depth? In how many passages? Every one. Then
it does take all the Scriptures that are written for the Lord
to express to us what he wants to tell us, of His eternal purpose?
Yes, sir. Then how deep is the thought in each passage of Scripture
and the words that are used to tell it? Eternal. Then just as
soon as any man catches one of these thoughts and thinks, I know
it now and have got it, how far short is he? How far short is
he from having the thought that is really there, from having
the thought that is in that passage? (Voices: As far as his mind
is from God's mind.) When he says, I have the truth; I have the
thought, he has shut up his own mind from the wisdom of the knowledge
of God, putting himself and his own mind in the place of God
and His thoughts. The man that does that cannot learn any more.
Don't you see, that at that instant he shuts himself out forever
from learning? And the man who does that, of course can learn
nothing beyond himself, and of course will never have the knowledge
of God.
The expressions of thought conveyed in
the statements of the Scriptures are as eternal depths. Then
what limit can we set to ourselves in the study of these? No
limit at all. Then does not that present the splendid picture
and the grand prospect that the eternal and the whole mind of
God is wide open before us for us to study upon? Well, then,
let us not forget that that is the field of study upon which
we are to enter.
We have been in it a good while, and let
us be careful that we do not think we know something. Let us
be sure that we have not been inveigled into the idea of thinking
that we know something as we are to know it. Let us just settle
it now by the word of God that we do not know that thing at all.
There is knowledge in each line of thought for us to catch. And
until all the depths and eternities are past we will never get
to the place where we will have the right to think we know that
thing and are done with it. Shall we? Well then, I am glad to
know that we have such a subject as that to study upon, and such
a length of time as that (eternity) in which to study it. Well,
then, let us be glad to start with. That text is going to remain
with us as long as we are in the world at least, and it won't
go then; it will go in this shape of course; the Bible, the word
of God as put up in this shape, will go. No doubt these Bibles
will be burned up just as any other book of paper and leather.
But the word of God will not be burned up. That text in this
shape (in print) will last as long as the world does, but after
that it will still exist in this shape (the body). Then that
text will still remain with us all the time, even eternally.
"And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth
nothing yet as he ought to know." No, no man knows it. Are
not you glad, brethren, are not you glad?
But we must not linger too long upon any
one of these texts, for there are several texts we want to bring
up tonight. Taking the thought we had a moment ago, we have come
here expecting to learn many things that are new and many new
things about what we have learned formerly. We have not come
though, to learn anything but the truth. That is what we want.
The only thing there is any power in, the only thing there is
any good in, the only thing there is any sanctifying force in,
is the truth, the truth as it is in Jesus of course, because
there is no truth in any other way. Then coming with that purpose,
to know only the truth, that is all we are to study, that is
all we are to ask about. It is none of your business or mine
whether a thing be old or new or who says it in this institute
or whether it is for us to study or for any one else, is it?
The thing for us to ask is, Is it true? If it be true, then take
the Lord's word as He has given it to us, no difference by whom
He says it, no difference in what way it comes, no difference
if it comes in exactly the opposite way in which way we expected
it to come--and the probabilities are that it will, "for
your ways are not my ways, saith the Lord." Then when we
have a way fixed up, we may expect it to come another way.
The Lord will not allow any one to dictate
to Him or to lay out plans for Him. We may take the Lord in that
text, "O God, verily thou art a God that hidest thyself."
But we can see Him. He will hide Himself; we cannot fix the ways
in which He is going to do things always, but the best of it
is we will let Him have His own way to do things, and we will
be in a position to do it all the time. Then we will be perfectly
safe. Then we will never need to have any anxieties, need never
have any thing to do with the management of it ourselves. He
is all wise; everything goes straight with Him, and we simply
keep ourselves ready to see Him do it at any time. And we have
nothing to do but to enjoy ourselves in seeing Him do things.
I have been greatly blessed in the study of the Bible and in
watching the Lord do things. And when it is the darkest, the
most mysterious, then it is the best study, because it takes
us clear out of ourselves to see Him do it. If we could see just
how it was coming out always it would not seem interesting. When
it is the darkest, we can watch the more intently and with more
interest, to see the Lord straighten it out.
So then we are to learn the truth only--no
difference who speaks it. The Lord will speak it, of course,
no difference by whom it is spoken or the way it comes. If we
knew it before, thank God somebody else knows it now. If we did
not know it before, then thank the Lord we now know it. The only
thing to ask is, Is it true? You all know those verses in 2 Thessalonians
2:9, 10: "Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth." Any one who loves
the truth and will receive the love of the truth, Satan will
never have any chance to work in with all signs and lying wonders
and all deceivableness of unrighteousness. No sir. Because Jesus
has said it (John 8:32): "Ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free." Then every one who receives
the love of the truth, this will make them free. Then the one
in whom Satan is to work all signs and lying wonders, is he free?
No, he is a fearful slave. As long as we have it settled in our
minds that the only thing we shall ever seek or expect is the
truth, and love it because it is the truth, and take it because
it is the truth, then we need not be uneasy about whether Satan
is going to deceive us or not.
Notice the last half of the verse. The
effect of the truth is to make us free. The first half is the
best promise in the Bible, if we could measure promises. But
we cannot do that because one is just as important as another.
All are the thoughts of God, and His thoughts are eternal. But
this is an excellent promise, "Ye shall know the truth."
That, it seems to me, is a most wonderful promise. "Ye shall
know the truth." Think you know it? Wonder if you know it?
Wonder whether such and such a thing is true? No sir. "Ye
shall know the truth." That is the promise of Jesus Christ
to you and to me, that when we trust in Him and follow Him, we
shall know the truth. And as certain as we yield to Him and follow
Him, He will take care that we know the truth, and we trust Him
for it.
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which
believed on Him, 'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free.'" How are we to know the truth? Continue in His
word, be His disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth. Then
His word is the word of truth. "Ye shall know the truth."
We want to stick to that promise. It seems to me that if that
promise were the only one in the Bible it would be all we would
need. "Ye shall know the truth." Because Christ has
promised that, this is for you and for me, when we follow Him
and when we yield to Him. And because this is so, it seems to
me that we ought to be the gladdest people on the earth, for
that promise given, "Ye shall know the truth."
There will be plenty of opportunities,
assuredly--there have been some already, no doubt, in just the
first lessons which have been given--some opportunities already
for persons in the classes to say, Well, now, is that so? Probably
some opportunity has already been offered for some to say, "Well
now, I do not know about that." There will be countless
instances doubtless, before the six weeks are past, that the
Lord has given us to study His word and ways, numberless times
in which we will be called upon to say, Well now is that so?
What is the promise? "Ye shall know the truth." Now
the Lord does not want us to take things because some one says
them. God does not want us to say when anyone says a thing, Well,
that is so, because he says it. That is not the thing. We are
to know it is true, because God says it. And I say that there
is the promise, "Ye shall know." There will be the
opportunity for the query to arise, Is that so? How about that.
There is the query, but there is the promise with it. Do not
forget it. Jesus has said to you every time that query arises,
"Ye shall know the truth." Then, when that query arises
from some thought in the lesson, what is the answer to you and
me? What are we then to consider? What is the place for us to
occupy just then? Here is some brother who will be speaking some
day, and he will make a statement perhaps, reading a passage
or two or three passages, and catch a thought there that is new
to me, make an expression here that is new to me, and the query
comes, Well now is that so? What is the answer to me? "Ye
shall know the truth." Then what am I to do just then with
that new thought, with that query? Am I now just to hold that
query, that new thought, that which is to me a new thought? Am
I not to hold that right before Christ, and ask Him the truth?
Or wouldn't I better go to some of the brethren and ask, "What
do you think about that? Brother A. says so and so. What do you
think about that? That is new to me, and I kind of half doubt
it." "Well, I doubt it too," says the other brother.
Well then, of course it cannot be so; that settles it. It is
not so. It is none of your business what I think about it.
I remember once in a camp meeting a brother
read some scriptures right straight through--it was about all
he did do; it was a Bible reading--but the thoughts he brought
out in the Bible reading were new to a large number in the audience.
About half a dozen came in a flock to me and asked, "Well,
now, Brother Jones, what do you think about that?" I said,
"It is none of your business what I think about it; what
do you think about it yourself?" "Well, we do not know
what to think about it," they replied. Then I said, "Find
out." Suppose I had said I do not believe it. Then they
would have gone off and said, "I do not believe that, because
Brother Jones said he did not." Suppose I had said it was
so. They would have said, "That is so. Brother Jones says
that is so." So I propose to tell you nothing about what
I think. It is none of your business. You know for yourselves
what is the truth. That is the position I propose to occupy in
this institute. I expect to find some things coming out here
that are new. I have never found a meeting yet where we have
studied the Bible that the Lord did not give us something that
was new, beautiful, grand, and glorious. But the place I propose
to occupy is right upon that promise, "Ye shall know the
truth."
But I find people, and doubtless you have
too, who seem to get upon the idea that the only sure way to
know the truth is to raise all the objections they can and have
them answered. But when I have raised and presented all the objections
I know against a point and they are all answered, then am I sure
what is truth? Am I sure of it? No, because there are objections
I never thought of. Don't you see? On that line can I ever be
sure that it is the truth until every objection that is possible
is brought against it by every mind in the universe--can I be
sure of it until then? When these are all answered would that
make me sure it was so? If it would, how can I live long enough
to hear all the objections answered? Can we get at the truth
in that way? Is there any possibility of getting at the truth
by raising objections and having them answered? No sir. What
is the use of starting on a road of which you will never reach
the end--a wrong road of course? Better not start on it at all.
Another word. Can there be any objections against the truth?
Think of that closely. Well, when something is presented, are
you and I to say, "I see an objection against that?"
Is that the position we are to take? No. We are to ask whether
it is the truth, and if it is, there is no objection. There can
be no objection against it. Our objection is a fraud. Don't you
see? The thing we are to ask is, Is it the truth?
And then another way the people have of
getting at the truth is to hear both sides of it. You have heard
that thing yourself. "That is one side," they say,
"but now I want to hear the other side before I decide."
What is one side of the truth? Well, here is one side of the
truth, and there is the other side of the truth. Then where is
the truth? You get on either side of the truth and it is error.
I have heard one side, and I want to hear another side of it!
Then how can I tell what is the truth, anyhow? But suppose I
have heard actual truth (and that is the need of it), and I am
not satisfied until I hear the other side. What is the other
side? Taking this one side to be the truth, what is the other
side? Error. Then we can decide best what is truth by hearing
a lot of lies, can we? "Well," says one, "I have
heard your side of it, and it looks to me as though it were true,
but I want to hear the other side!" The truth is the word
of God. Then he proposes by waiting to hear the other side, to
know whether it is true or not by comparing it with a lot of
lies and thus make a lot of lies a test of the truth.
We do not want to hear the other side.
All we want is the truth. Here is one side of the truth, and
there is the other side of the truth. He hears both sides according
to his own plan; then how does he arrive at the truth? In his
own way. He has heard this and that. Where is the truth? He must
find it out some way. Does he not compare one side with the other
and weigh one against the other and strike the balance and judge
where the truth is? Well, when he has done that, can he know
he has the truth? Is he sure that is the truth? Is my mind, my
judgment, my ability to weigh arguments and decide upon the truth--is
that the infallible test of truth? Is a man's judgment, his faculties,
the test of truth at all? When we want to test the truth so as
to know it is the truth, the test must be an infallible one.
Is not that so? It must be one that will never fail. To discern
the truth and declare it, it must be one that will never miss
under any circumstances amid ten thousand arguments and errors.
The one by which we must test the truth must be such a one as
will strike the truth among ten million diverse opinions, and
strike it without fail in succession--every thought that may
be raised among men. Is not that so? Man's mind we know is not
the test of truth. It is only his own idea and the truth that
he settles upon. "But your thoughts are not my thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord."
Now brethren, in the time in which we
are, there are two reasons why that thing could not be worked,
even if it were correct. One is, that the truth of God is developing
so rapidly that we have not time to hunt out all the objections
and listen to the arguments on both sides, because we would be
everlastingly behind while we were listening to a lot of arguments
and objections. But we do not want to stand in that place when
probation closes. The time is too short for that, and we would
be left out when we get there. But there is the promise, "Ye
shall know the truth."
Turn again to John 14:16, 17: "I
will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter
that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth."
Spirit of what? Truth. Oh! Thank the Lord for the promise, "I
will pray the Father." What is Christ doing tonight for
us, who are here in this institute? Praying the Father. He will
send us the Comforter? The Spirit of truth. What is the position
to occupy before we come to the class each day? Taking part in
that prayer, that we may have the Spirit of truth, isn't it?
So then Jesus is praying, and by the way,
as Jesus is doing it are not we in good company when we do it?
Let us spend a good deal of time at it then during this institute.
Let us spend a good deal of time in His company during this institute.
What do you say? (Audience: "Amen") I will pray the
Father and He will give you--He does not say I will pray the
Father that He may do it, as though it was to be decided after
He had prayed, but I will pray the Father and He shall give you.
Of course His prayer is heard, for He makes intercession for
us. He presents our prayers according to the will of God. And
so then He prayed and we pray that He may give us this Comforter,
and He does. When we ask we know we receive, for He says so.
If we ask anything according to His will, what then? He hears
us. And this is the confidence we have in Him tonight. This is
the confidence we have in Him that if we ask anything according
to His will He hears us. Then if we have that confidence in the
Lord, we can have a good time throughout this institute. Ask
anything according to His will and He hears us. Then it is His
will that we should have the Holy Spirit. Then we can go to Him
every day, and every hour of the day, asking Him for that Spirit
of truth and know that we shall receive it, know He hears us,
and if we know He hears us, we know we have the petitions we
desired of Him.
Now put these things together. We ask
anything according to His will, and He hears us. Every time we
ask, He hears. Then when He hears, then what? We know we may
have it? Shall have it? Have it. Then what are we to do? When
we have asked according to His will we know He hears us. And
we have what we ask for, then what are we to do? Let us thank
Him for it. Then before we come to the institute each morning
let us ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit according to His will,
then when we have asked, yield wholly to the Lord, and thank
Him that it is done, and come expecting Him to teach, and that
He will teach the teacher, and through Him teach us.
"That I may abide with you."
How long? Forever. Good. The Spirit of truth is able to take
the truth and make known the truth at any moment amid ten thousand
times ten thousand phases of error. How long? Forever. Isn't
that good? Is not that a good promise that He shall give to us
the Spirit of truth, and He will stay there forever? "Even
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
seeth him not neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you and shall be in you."
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you." What will He do? Guide you.
He will do it; that is positive. When He comes, He will do that.
Well, brethren, can't we trust Him, then? Let us put the three
things together, "Ye shall know the truth;" "I
will pray the Father," and He shall guide you." Then
can't we trust Him? Can't we surrender everything to Him right
off without a single hesitation about anything? "Ye shall
know the truth." "The Father shall give you the Spirit
of truth, and He will guide you." Then shall we not yield
everything to Him and trust Him and expect Him to guide us in
every study we have here?
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak;
and he will shew you things to come." Will He? He will show
us things to come. Good. Doesn't the Lord want us to see things
that are coming before they overtake us? Hasn't He told us that
the people who will now see what is coming upon us by what is
being transacted before us, will trust no longer to human inventions,
but will feel that the Holy Spirit must be recognized and received?
How will we see what is coming upon us? By what is being transacted
before us. Jesus will show us things to come. He does not want
us to be taken by surprise in any of these things. He wants us
to know what is coming beforehand, to be fully armed, and not
to be surprised and overtaken.
"He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." And what is
He? "I am the truth, and the Spirit of truth." He takes
what is His and shows it to us. Then when the Spirit of truth
takes only that which is the Lord's (and that is all He will
ever show to us) He does not stand out independently and do great
things of Himself, just as Jesus did not do that, but yielded
everything that the Father might move and work in Him. So the
Holy Spirit in His place does the same things as Jesus did exactly.
He does not show of Himself, but finds what God told to Jesus
and tells that to you and me. So He gives us the truth of God
as it is in Jesus. He is the God of truth? "All things that
the Father hath are mine. Therefore, said I, that he shall take
of mine and shall show it unto you." Then we have the scripture,
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him." There is the
eternal purpose, and the depths of it. That is where we are to
stand, asking, taking part in that prayer of Jesus every day,
that we may have the spirit of truth here in our studies and
all our work, guiding us into truth.
Note the following from Steps to Christ,
pp. 105, 129, 130.
Never should the Bible be studied without
prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment
of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given. When Nathaniel came
to Jesus, the Saviour exclaimed, 'Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile.' Nathaniel said, "Whence knowest thou
me?" Jesus answered, "Before that Philip called thee,
when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." And Jesus
will see us also in the secret places of prayer, if we will seek
him for light, that we may know what is truth. Angels from the
world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek
for divine guidance.
The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the
Saviour. It is his office to present Christ, the purity of his
righteousness, and the great salvation that we have through him.
Jesus says, 'He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto
you.' The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine
truth. How must God esteem the human race, since he gave his
Son to die for them and appoints his Spirit to be man's teacher
and continual guide.
God intends that even in this life the
truths of his word shall be ever unfolding to his people. There
is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We call
attention to an understanding of God's word only through the
illumination of that Spirit by which the word was given. 'The
things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God'; 'for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.' And
the Saviour's promise to his followers was, 'When he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. . . . for
he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'
God desires man to exercise his reasoning
powers; and the study of the Bible will strengthen and elevate
the mind as no other study can. Yet we are to beware of deifying
reason, which is subject to the weakness and infirmity of humanity.
If we would not have the Scriptures clouded to our understanding,
so that the plainest truths shall not be comprehended, we must
have the simplicity and faith of a little child, ready to learn
and beseeching the aid of the Holy Spirit. A sense of the power
and wisdom of God, and of our inability to comprehend his greatness,
should inspire us with humility, and we would enter his presence,
with holy awe. When we come to the Bible, reason must acknowledge
an authority superior to itself, and heart and intellect must
bow to the great I AM.
From this time forth as long as we live,
when we read His word just as it is, let us never set up an "if"
against it. Is there any "if" about it? Can there be
any "if"? There is no "if" in it at all.
It is just what it says. Thank God it is so, and let Him tell
us what it means, and how it is to.
I read again from Gospel Workers, p. 126:
God desires us to receive the truth upon its own merits--because
it is truth. The Bible must not be interpreted to suit the ideas
of men, however long they may have held these ideas to be true.
That means that I must not interpret the
Bible to suit this man (speaker pointing to himself). It means
you, too. "The spirit in which we come to the investigation
of the Scriptures, will determine the character of the assistant
at your side" (Idem, p. 127).
There is an important thing. We are coming
in here every day for the investigation of the Scriptures. Now
the word is, The spirit in which you come will determine the
character of the assistant at your side.
"Angels from the world of light will
be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance.
But if the Bible is opened with irreverence, with a feeling of
self-sufficiency, if the heart is filled with prejudice, Satan
is beside you, and he will set the plain statements of God's
word in a perverted light" (Idem).
Let us not have Satan for an assistant.
Then let us be certain we join with Jesus in that prayer before
we come--and remain in it while we stay. "We should study
the Bible for ourselves. No man should be relied upon to think
for us." That does not say we are not to be led by a man,
if God is leading the man, or by a woman either, if God is leading
the woman. You know too, that a certain man once would have done
well to have consented to be led by an ass. But he proposed to
be led by the Lord alone. He didn't propose to have anybody lead
him, but he got into mischief. Let us not choose who shall lead
us, except that God shall lead us.
A man was once talking against the Spirit
of prophecy and telling how easy Seventh-day Adventists were
deceived how deluded they were, that their teachers got up and
told them certain things, and they just swallowed them down whole.
I said to myself, that I wished he would try it, try to get things
down there in that way. It is a fact that Seventh-day Adventists
are hard to lead. I am glad of it in one way. I want every Seventh-
day Adventist to be so hard to lead that nobody in the universe
can lead him but Jesus Christ. Yes, sir. But oh, brethren, let
us get where it will not be nearly so hard for Him to lead us.
But I am glad they are so hard to lead that nobody can do it
but Him. Let us get into that place as soon as possible, and
then let us just be led as easy as a lamb by Him, by the Lamb
of God that He is.
We must not become set in our ideas and
think that no one should interfere with our opinions. When a
point of doctrine that you do not understand comes to your attention,
go to God on your knees, that you may understand what is true,
and not be found as were the Jews, fighting against God. . .
.It is impossible for any mind to comprehend all the richness
and greatness of even one promise of God. One catches the glory
of one point of view, and another the beauty and grace from another
point, and the soul is filled with the heavenly light.If we saw
all the glory, the spirit would faint. But we can bear far greater
revelations from God's abundant promises than we now enjoy. It
makes my heart sad to think how we lose sight of the fullness
of blessing designed for us. We content ourselves with momentary
flashes of spiritual illumination, when we might walk day after
day in the light of his presence. . . . He whose office it is
to bring all things to the remembrance of God's people and to
guide them into all truth, may be with us in the investigation
of his holy word (Idem, pp. 129-131).
Oh, what a promise that is, that we shall
know the truth! Then He gives us the Spirit of truth to guide
into the truth. And that Spirit is such a perfect guide, such
an infallible one that it will silence every other voice than
that which comes from Him who is truth and life. Well, then,
brethren, let us enter upon the study in this spirit and remain
in this spirit, and God will teach us. And as it was said in
the days of Job, and in the book, "Who teaches like him?"
[A. T. Jones Sermons Contents]