Reformation Faith For The Final Crisis.
CHAPTER 5
Lessons from the Life of a True Reformer
Part 2
We have already learnt that John the Baptist as a forerunner of Christ’s first advent is a type of God’s final generation of living saints who will be forerunners of Christ’s second advent. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah with a straight message about making straight paths for Christ’s feet. His manner of dress and his abstemious diet mentioned in the sacred account indicate that health and dress reform will play a part in the preaching of the final Elijah message. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. Let us read the account in Matthew 11:7-15. One of the important lessons Jesus mentioned that characterized the life of John upon reflection to the disciples and the multitude was that John was not “A reed shaken with the wind.” John was plain and straightforward, fearlessly declaring the words God gave to him. He was not a man who could be BOUGHT OR SOLD.
“The greatest Want of the world is the want of men — men who will not be bought or sold men who in their inmost souls are true and honest men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature — the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man.” Education 57.
Surely the time has come for all of us to learn about the sins of Laodicea — its worldliness, lukewarmness, compromises, pride, etc — and to join those who will cry out against this nauseating mixture of flesh and spirit. Ministers and members must be willing to risk criticism in order to preach the Laodicean message. And if we are to give this straight testimony, we must be willing too to receive it. There are a thousand more pleasant subjects, but the hour is too late to substitute smooth things. Neither do sleeping saints need any soothing message. This is the hour for an awakening.
If we think John the Baptist was too strong and direct in his preaching, we may rise up against the kind of messages God is leading men to proclaim today. Was John too direct, straightforward or specific when he called the king into question for being unlawfully married if so, we must be more so.
“In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a STILL MORE POINTED TESTIMONY THAN WAS BORNE BY JOHN THE BAPTIST. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.” Testimonies Vol. p. 321.
We may as well expect the same outrage to be expressed by those who are settled in their comfortable, conservative, self-righteous mold of Laodicea.
“Anciently, when Elijah was sent with a message from God to the people, they did not heed the warning. They thought him unnecessarily severe. They even thought that he must have lost his senses because he denounced them, the favored people of God, as sinners and their crimes as so aggravated that the judgments of God would awaken against them. Satan and his host have ever been arrayed against those who bear the message of warning and who reprove sins. The unconsecrated will also be united with the adversary of souls to make the work of God’s faithful servants as hard as possible.” Testimonies Vol. 3 p.261.
In these days of separation and testing, the spirit of fear must not mold the ministry of responsible pastors and leaders. It is no kindness to comfort those who are asleep in Zion. We may be inclined like Eli, to be very gentle and loving, but don’t ever forget how that lack of firmness led to Eli’s rejection. Much good can be said about the man, but he was too fearful of taking a strong, uncompromising, public stand against sin.
“Eli was gentle, loving and kind,and had a true interest in the service of God and the prosperity of His cause. He was a man who had power in prayer. He never rose up in rebellion against the words of God. But he was wanting; he did not have firmness of character to reprove sin and execute justice against the sinner so God could depend upon him to keep Israel pure. He did not add to his faith the courage and power to say No at the right time and in the right place. Sin is sin; righteousness is righteousness. The trumpet note of warning must be sounded. We are living in a fearfully wicked age. The worship of God will become corrupted unless there are wide-wake men at every post of duty.” Testimonies Vol. 4 p. 517.
Will God hold many sweet, gentle pastors and leaders responsible for sins they find no heart to expose and rebuke?
“If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty, and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty.” Testimonies Vol. 3 p. 265, 266.
“If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search out the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon the body, they become responsible for these sins.” Testimonies Vol. 3p. 269.
“Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who through indolence or lack of interest snake no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God, are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by exercise of parental or pastoral authority, as if the acts had been our own.” P.P. 578.
The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. What we need today is a people revived with flew spiritual power, a church reformed and turned away from the world. People who are not afraid to proclaim the whole counsel of God, crying out against sin in the church regardless of who may be involved.
In comparing the Elijah ministry of John the Baptist with the attitude of being afraid to let our positions be known for fear of offending, the servant of the Lord wrote:
Many of those who profess to believe the truth would say, if they expressed their real sentiments, what need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, why need John the Baptist have said to the Pharisees, ‘O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’ why need he have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother’s wife? He lost his life by speaking so plainly.” Gospel Workers p. 149.
In the approaching crisis when the warning swells to a loud cry, the promise is given:
“In the hour of greatest peril the God of Elijah will raise up human instrumentalities to bear a message that will not be silenced... the voice of stern rebuke will be heard. Boldly will men of God’s appointment denounce the union of the church with the world.” P.K. 187.
If we are afraid to call sin by its right name now, what will we do when the death sentence stares us in the face? Sometimes reformatory messages are criticized as harsh and unloving. Calling people away from worldly practices and indulgences is very likely to be label as “works-oriented” or “salvation by works” simply because they cut across cherished idols which carnal minded hearts desire to maintain. In the Old Testament while true prophets appear to utter only doom for the future while the false prophets predict merely peace and prosperity, they were essentially stressing the holy prerequisites of true repentance if the nation was to avert the Lord’s retributive justice.
Pharisees and Sadducees came to John to be baptized by him but did not want to fulfill the necessary conditions which should precede baptism. They wanted baptism on their own terms without any input to cut across their own desires, wishes, plans and intentions. Mat. 3:8. “Bring forth therefore fruits answerable to amendment of life.” (Marginal reference).
Does God have anything to say to those watchmen who are afraid to warn people against the practice of known sins?
“This goody-goody religion that makes light of sin and that is forever dwelling upon the love of God to the sinner, encourages the sinner to believe that God will save him while he continues in sin. This is the way that many are doing who profess to believe present truth... there must be a straining of every nerve and spirit and muscle to leave the world, its customs, its practices, and its fashions.” 3SM p.155.
Some of the strongest counsel and warning on the matter of lowering the standards have been written by the servant of the Lord. There was no fear of the charges that some would get offended because of the strong words used.
“Brother E suggests that it would please the people if I speak less about duty and more in regard to the love of Jesus. But I wish to speak as the Spirit of the Lord shall impress me. The Lord knows best what this people needs. I spoke in the forenoon from Isaiah 58. I did not round the corners at all.” 3SM. p.64.
“The church has received warning after warning. The duties and dangers of God’s people have been plainly revealed. But the worldly element has proved too strong for them. Customs, practices, and fashions which lead the soul away from God have been for years gaining ground, in defiance of the warnings and entreaties of the Holy Spirit, until at last their ways have become right in their own eyes, and the Spirit’s voice is scarcely heard. “Testimonies Vol. 5p. 103.
Of course love and tact must be used, but the message must be given. This is no time to keep silent on important issues. Sometimes it seems that the more educated people become, the more fearful they are to take stands for the right.
“Satan has devised a state of things whereby the proclamation of the third angel’s message shall be bound about. We must beware of his plans and methods. There must be no toning down of the truth, no muffling of the message for this time. The third angel’s message must be strengthened and confirmed. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the importance of presenting the truth in no measured terms, but with boldness and power… there has been too much beating about the bush in the proclamation of the third angel’s message. The message has not been given as clearly and distinctly as it should have been.” Evangelism p.230.
Finally, one of the lessons we can learn from the life of John the Baptist is that he was not an example for the people in his austerity and isolation.
“God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be prepared for a special mission. BUT THE AUSTERITY AND ISOLATION of his life were NOT AN EXAMPLE for the people... Jesus reproved self-indulgence in all its forms, yet HE WAS SOCIAL IN ALL HIS NATURE. He accepted the hospitality of all classes visiting the homes of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, and seeking to elevate their thoughts from questions of commonplace life to those things that are spiritual and eternal.” D.A. 155-151.
“JESUS BEGAN THE WORK OF REFORMATION BY COMING INTO CLOSE SYMPATHY WITH HUMANITY” D.A. 150.
“Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be given the call to His kingdom. He reached the hearts of the people by going among them as one who desired their good. He sought them in the public streets, in private houses, on the boats, in the synagogues, by the shores of the lake, and at the marriage feast. He met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in their secular affairs. He carried His instruction into the household, bringing families in their own homes under the influence of His divine presence. His strong personal sympathy helped to win hearts.” D.A. 151.
“The example of Christ in linking Himself with the interests of humanity should be followed by all who preached His word, and by all who have received the gospel of His grace. We are not to renounce social communion. WE SHOULD NOT SECLUDE OURSELVES FROM OTHERS. In order to reach all classes, we must meet them where they are. They will seldom seek us of their own accord... As disciples of Christ we shall not mingle with the world from a mere love of pleasure, to unite with them in folly. Such associations can result only in harm. We should never give sanction to sin by OUR WORDS or OUR DEEDS, OUR SILENCE or OUR PRESENCE. Wherever we go, we are to carry Jesus with us, and to reveal to others the preciousness of our Saviour.” D.A. 152.
True revival and reformation involves standing firm for truth and principle, speaking the plain straightforward truth in love fearlessly and by mingling socially with others, coming into close personal sympathy and contact with them seeking to win them and point them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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