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"AS A LITTLE CHILD"Basic Principles
Fundamental
to this entire matter is this point: It is not enough to believe in
"righteousness by faith" or think you have it. It is not sufficient
to consider yourself a Christian or be confident that you are obeying
the commandments. It is the humble, trusting, obedient clinging to God
that counts! To
say it another way: It is not your status, qualities, or anything you have
attained to, which will count in the long haul of life. The basic
question is this: Are you maintaining a humble, trustful, obedient hold on
God? All four points are vital; none should be missing if you want a
strong Christian experience. 1. Continual humility before God. If you lack this, it matters not how
much you know of theology, standards, or all the rest. You are going to
drift away repeatedly, and perhaps ultimately. Humility before God is
the only proper basis for a relationship with Him. When you are not humble
in relation to Him, your mind is not working right. This point cannot be
stressed enough. "Real
humility fulfills God's purposes by depending upon His
strength." Christ's Object Lessons, 363. 2. Trusting all to God. Unless you totally believe in Him and His
Word—not doubting, you will be caught repeatedly by the devil. 3. Obeying God's Inspired Writings. Without obedience by faith in
Christ's enabling grace, you are a hollow shell. Like a rotten tree out in
the forest, soon you will fall over. 4. Constantly clinging to God. Unless you have to be with God all the
time, you will be sitting smugly in the devil's camp much of the
time—and not even know it. The
conclusion of the whole matter is this—and this may be the most
important paragraph in this book: The only way you can maintain all four
points, all the time—is by sincerely taking a position, all the time,
as a dependent, little child of God. None
is missing or the experience quickly falls apart. These are the very
traits needed to live a godly life! The author has found no other
conceptual approach to God which so firmly includes all the needed
traits. The child—Father relationship does it. While in this union, you
are a fortress held by God in a revolted world. Only your choice can
remove you from it. And therein lies the ever-present danger.
Through
the Portals
Someone
will say, "There is so much here, how can I get started?"
Although some of the details of the daily walk have been noted, it is
designed to guide you into a stronger union with God. Much of it will help
you later as you have questions, and return to reread it. But
let us briefly summarize a few points, so you can begin the experience
right now. Do you want to be with God more than anything else? If so,
then you are ready. (If not, get on your knees and pray for repentance
until you are ready.) Here
are five points which are fundamental to a daily experience: 1. Value His presence. 2. Be cheerful and thankful you are with Him. 3. Study the Scriptures (the Bible and/or Spirit of Prophecy) each
morning and evening. 4. Talk to your sweet Father. Cheerfulness leads you to praise, and
praise induces cheerfulness. Share your problems with Him, and cry for
help and guidance. 5. Help others with your words and your actions. Here is a basic list of
points, which you will want to aim at each day: 1. Personal worship: Time alone to read in the Inspired Books (only the
Bible and/or Spirit of Prophecy; nothing else counts). 2. Obey what you know to be right. You have Jesus to help you. Ignore
those people who say you are a legalist. You are pleasing your kind
Father, and that is all that counts. Without obedience, there can be no
genuine walk with God. "Presumption by faith" will enable you to
walk with a spirit, but it is not God's Spirit. In Christ's strength,
control yourself. Trust your life to Him, when in Danger of slipping and
keep moving forward. 3. Do the duties that present themselves. God sent them: the homely
duties of daily life which get the work done, which help others. God's
little child is not lazy. 4. In Christ's strength, do not yield to the temptation held out before
you. It may just be one more bite of food. Hold tight to the divine Hand,
and choose the right. The Lord will help you resist. In Him you can have
the victory. and every victory is a step to yet another victory after
that. 5. Do not imagine that the experience described in this book gives you
something to be proud of, as though you were better than others. As soon
as you accept that bait from the devil, you have separated from God—and
the devil has you again! The greatest man is the one least aware of his
qualities; rather, he is the most humble and self-effacing. "I
looked at Christ, and the dove of peace landed on my shoulder. I looked at
the dove, and it flew away." Being a little child in Christ is
somewhat like Peter walking on the water. It only succeeds as long as we
keep our eyes on Jesus. 6. Take time to talk to your Father. You are His little child, and you
need this time with Him. Share your joys. your needs. and your problems.
Tell Him about others who need help. 7. Keep as cheerful as you can. There are two ways to look at everything,
so keep choosing the high road. Softly sing a little, as you have
opportunity. 8. Guard your words and your tones. When pressed, be quiet, speak softly.
and more slowly. 9. Do what you can to help others. There may be few around you who are
close to the Father. They need your encouragement and help. Point them
to Jesus. Do what you can to lighten their load. Be kind and helpful. 10. Count your blessings. Every so often, think of a way that God is good
to you or others—and cheerfully thank Him for it. The evidences are
all around you. Think of the wonderful future He has in store for you.
You can rejoice that, as long as you remain with Him, you are on the
right path. It is true that you cannot see even as far as the end of one
day's journey, but He will guide you where you are to go—all the way to
the heavenly shores. 11. Be regular in your habits and live healthfully. Get your rest and only
eat good food. 12. Never be presumptuous. Just because you have hold of His hand does not
mean you are armor-plated. Do not presume on His care for you and expect
He will protect you when you are living dangerously. This was the second
temptation which Satan presented to Christ (Matthew 4:6). When
in Danger of Slipping
Although
the experience is easy to enter into. it is not hard to lose. —And you
want to avoid an on-off-on-off pattern. It is not a habit you want to
develop! The
key point is this: Are you happy to be with Him? If you are, everything
else will fall into place. If you love God more than your concern about
the problems of life or the temptations Satan holds out to you, you will
not have a difficult time maintaining the experience. If
you have to be with God, then as long as that is your determination, the
relationship will continue, in spite of the trials and troubles you
encounter around you. Learn
to recognize the distant early warning signals—when you are moving
toward separating from your Father, even a little bit. We will mention
several below. Here
is what it is like when you are close with your Father: If
you have made the decision that you want to be with God more than to walk
away. you will experience a peaceful calm—even in the midst of
temptation. Your
concerns about many things will subside. In your heart, you have the
assurance that God will take care of the problems. Many of your natural
fears will diminish. You will tend to matters which need tending to, but
you will be far less likely to be disturbed by them. This
peace will not lessen your incentive to push forward in every day duties
and ministry to others. In
the midst of all that happens, you may have the assurance of a strong Hand
guiding the ship of your life. For this, you are so very thankful. The
resultant peace of heart is health to mind and body. What
are the distant early warning signals indicating that you are close to
moving away from Him'? As
you get a hankering for something outside of His presence, the contented
peace tends to evaporate. The process can be slow. The issue at hand may
only seem to be a little thing, but there is the sense that, to do it, you
will be leaving Father for a few moments or a short time at the most. Because
your conscience is still sensitive. you will probably be aware that you
should hold back and not take this step. (However, if you suddenly rush
impulsively. distracted. or time or people—pressured into doing it. it
can happen without your recognizing it.) Keep
your conscience tender! Do what you know to be right. How
can you avoid slipping away? Do
you want to be with God more than you want anything else? This is the acid
test. At the continental divide, all streams move toward one ocean or the
other. The divide in your experience, at any given time, is how much you
want to be with your Father. Is there anything you yearn for more than
God? Is there something you would rather do than sitting at His feet? It
might be a diversion, something you want to eat. It might even be
something you want to do for Him! The devil will use anything to get you
moving away from your Refuge. Do
not trust your unaided ability. Keep humble before God. Each time
something new comes along. or it is time to start something. etc., ask Him
in the attitude of a submissive child. "What do you want me to do
next?" "Should I do this?" Etc. By doing this, you will be
guarded from many pitfalls and sidetracks. Be patient. if you do not
appear to receive an immediate reply. When
in doubt, move slowly. Pray harder and do not be quick to act. Move slowly
until you have more certainty. Stop and pray. Watch
for the stealthy approach of the tempter. He will come with interesting
things to divert you. The tinsel toys he offers will seem emotionally
inviting. even exciting. more than it rationally ought to be for what it
is. This in itself is frequently a clue that something is not right. Run
to your Father, even when you think you may not be far from Him. Do not
take chances. Plead with Him for help to protect you from yourself and
the mechanism of the devil. Settle
it in your mind: You are happier being with God than doing something
else or being somewhere else. Is
there anything you yearn for more than the Lord? Is anything more
interesting? Beware. beware. Satan can dangle it before your eyes and lead
you away. Are
you beginning to yearn for something more exciting than your peaceful walk
with God? When you find that you are being tempted in this way, you need
more time reading His Word and praying over it. Talk to Him more,
strengthen yourself in Him. Read again the remarkable quotations in the
later chapters of this book. READ
IN THE BIBLE AND SPIRIT OF PROPHECY! If you do not keep doing this, you
WILL slip away! When
tempted by the devil, cry to Jesus for help. He can vanish the temptation
from your mind. Softly, and in fullest sincerity, sing, Jesus Loves Me or
some other sweet song—and the Holy Spirit takes over.
Finding
it Again
Overt
sin will quickly take you from God; neglect may do it more slowly. What do
you do when it appears that you have lost this sweet, closer experience?
How can you regain it? You
can return. Do not treat the closer relationship as a hundred-yard dash,
something you either hold to or have forever lost, if you lose Father, do
not think you cannot return. As long as you want to return, you always
can. Return
fast, if you become negligent, do not pause to consider possibilities,
relative gains or losses if you should return to Him. Be a little child!
RUN BACK TO FATHER FAST! It is as simple as that. Push, push the
friendship. Keep at it. When you try to be with God, all you can do is
win. When you start to forget Him, hurry back; He is waiting for you with
open arms. Your Father loves you! Satan will tempt you that He does not
love you; but that is a deception. God loves you with deepest love. Read this and rejoice. I came upon this threesome a number of years ago: Coming
to God: "The very first step in approaching God is to know and
believe the love that He has to us (1 John 4:16); for it is through the
drawing of His love that we are led to come to Him." Thoughts from
the Mount of Blessing, 104-105. Remaining
safely with God: "Live in contact with the living Christ, and He
will hold you firmly by a hand that will never let go.. Know and believe
the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress
impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing. 119. Sharing
what you have: "The one thing essential for us in order that we
may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe
the love that He has to us." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing,
115. Worlds
of misery and mountains of difficulties would be removed, if everyone
made God the center of their lives! His love is absolutely glorious; yet
Satan's constant temptation is to underrate Him, doubt His love, and push
away from Him. Love
to be near God, and all your problems will be solved. But what if you slip
away from Him? What if you have a steeper fall? What should you do? Here
is how the pattern of falling away frequently occurs. There appear to be
five steps downward: 1. Sweet and confiding. You sense Him close and rejoice to serve Him as
His little child. In spite of the problems, your outlook is cheerful. 2. Diverted. You have made the unconscious decision that having Him with
you is not so important. He isn't so important now! This decision is
crucial! If you find yourself starting to wander, run back to Father—or
you will keep heading downward! 3. Self-centered. By this time, you are moving forward alone; but, if
you sense His absence, you are strangely unconcerned. 4. Stale. Everything seems to be crumbling. What happened? You are
bewildered by increasing situations you cannot seem to handle. 5. Dead. You have lost Him, and may be in serious trouble by this time.
You are like the prodigal in the far country. You
got into trouble because you were no longer His little child. You had
changed your thinking—and thought you were able to push things through
alone. Instead of trusting everything to Him, you began trusting
yourself. You became your own little child! You make a poor ruler of your
life. "Woe to thee, 0 land, when thy king is a child"
(Ecclesiastes 10:16). Whether
you woke up on level 2, 3, 4, or 5 (above),—what should you do now? Wherever
you are, quickly, run back to Him and be His little child again! That
lowly place before God is where you belong. It is the only safe place you
can be. Do not hesitate! The longer you wait, the worse things will
become. How
do you run back? Be
like Peter: Fall at Christ's feet with a long, clinging embrace. Peter
dared not separate from Him. In view of what He is, what you are, and your
great need—you have good reason to do the same. "Peter.
. clung to the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from
Him." Desire of Ages. 246. "In
Jesus he saw One who held all nature under His control. The presence of
divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his
own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the
sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed
him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net. Peter
fell at the Saviour's feet. . "Humanity,
with its weakness and sin was brought in contrast with the perfection of
divinity, and he felt altogether deficient and unholy. Thus it has
been with all who have been granted a view of God's greatness and majesty." Desire of Ages. 246.. If
you are where you can get down on your knees, do it. Cry to your Father
over what happened. Make things right with Him. You may have sinned in
the interim. Ask forgiveness; make peace with Him. In
a crisis, you can re-enter the deeper walk even when other people are
around. Send up a silent cry to Him, and once again accept your rightful
position as His little child. Settle
it in your mind that being with Him is more important than all else
besides—including rushing through your work load. If you are going too
fast, slow down. Think
through what happened; learn from the past. How did you begin drifting
away? When did it begin? What should you have done? It is likely that
Satan will try to use those same patterns on you again. Make
needed changes in your lifestyle, so you can better guard and close the
door to Satan's entrance. Lack of rest, wrong food or too much of it, an
angry temper, whatever needs to be changed, set to work. By yourself, you
can do no good thing; but, crying to God for help, you can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth you. Your
basic error was not in valuing the presence of God. He was not important
enough "to keep around." He was not worth staying with. In
returning, this is your decision; this is the single focus of your mind:
You are His little child, and must be near Him. That concept is the center
of the ongoing experience. Try
to avoid an on-again-off-again relationship. There is great strength in
maintaining a steady walk with God. It will not be dramatic; do not expect
high emotion. Excitement always fails; elevated emotions always drop. What
you want is a peaceful, calm, sweet walk with your God. It will vary from
pleading, encouraging, to joyful; but it will lack the wild excitement
which Satan deceptively offers. That which the world offers is a mask over
empty, dreary misery beneath. Base
your relationship, not on feeling, but on two facts: God
wants you and you want Him. With that settled, the rest is taken care of.
The Lord may allow problems to enter your life because of your
unhealthful practices, lack of rest, or the actions of others,—but if
you want Him, are submissive to His will, and reading and obeying His
Written Word. He will carefully guide you to a bright future. Satan
uses every possible pretext to pester people, discourage them, and
separate them from God. He will tell you that, since you have left God,
your situation is hopeless. Do not dally with such thoughts. Instead, run
back to God and cling to Him! .
Satan will also tempt you to think that it is too late to return. This is
not true. As long as you want to return to God you can! The sin against
the Holy Spirit occurs when you have resisted God so long that, in
hardness of heart, you no longer want anything religious. Do not wait to
run back. "The
heart that does not respond to divine agencies becomes hardened until it
is no longer susceptible to the influence of the Holy Spirit."
Christ's Object Lessons, 218. "When
the appeals of the Holy Spirit come to the heart, our only safety lies in
responding to them without delay." Christ's Object Lessons, 281. "The
most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in
persistently slighting Heaven's invitation to repent." Desire of
Ages, 324. Who
are the most likely to maintain a close, ongoing walk with God? In
the lives of many of God's people, something is present in their lives
which helps keep them near their Father. This is generally either the
fact that they are earnestly working for the good of others or they have
special problems they are suffering with.
They may be spending time trying to help others in the home or outside of
it. They may be involved in earnest prayer for a loved one at home or at a
distance—someone with physical problems or who needs Christ, is
finding Him, or is trying to stay with Him.
They may have a problem, which they must continually seek God about, in
order to keep on top of it. This could be a physical disability, family
situation, or employment difficulty. It
is the people who have real concerns, who tend to go more often to God and
rely on Him for help. Is the Deeper walk a Necessity?Must
we have such an extremely close walk with God in order to be saved? In
order to avoid being judgmental, the author assumes that this closer
clinging, trusting child relationship is not necessary to final salvation. 1. There are indications that there are different degrees of closeness
to God among those who will be saved: On
one hand, we have the statement, in Great Controversy, 665, which
indicates there will have been different levels of closeness that God's
people chose on earth. Nearest the throne are those who, after coming to
Christ, followed Him with a deep, intense devotion. Outside of that
closest circle are those who faithfully obeyed His commandments.
(Obviously, those in the inner circle did also.) In the third circle are
the great majority of the saved. Why are there three levels of how close
people are to God in heaven? Could it be that they sought different levels
of closeness on earth? Do
not err here. We are clearly told that everyone who reaches heaven will
be perfectly happy there. All will have fullest access to God's presence. Also
keep in mind the experience of the disciple John. He pressed into
"still closer intimacy with Jesus," had "the most receptive
spirit," and with "more of the child's confiding trust he opened
his heart to Jesus." Because of this, John could clarify God's
"spiritual teaching" to others a little better than others. This
would indicate that his writings hold some especially deep truths (Desire
of Ages, 292). Eleven
examples of men and women who pressed into a closer relationship than commonly
experienced by God's people will be found in a later chapter in this book
(Others Who Have Gone Before). 2. There are statements which indicate that we must, individually, come
up to the highest standard or be left out. Many
such statements will be found in the Spirit of Prophecy. And then there is
that basic statement by Jesus Himself: “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 18:2-3. However,
there is also verse 4: "Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4. Yet
a certain caution needs to be used in regard to "greatest,"
"less great," and "least" in the "kingdom of
God:" Outright commandment breakers will not be in heaven, yet they are
termed "least in the kingdom of God" (Matthew 5:19). In
summary then, it would appear that everyone must become a child of God
in order to be saved. But there will be degrees of closeness among the
different children. Some will fervently seek the closest walk; others,
although faithful, will permit the cares of life to keep them more distant
from the ravishing love and closer care which God would share with them in
this life. Such an intensely close experience was not one of their
priorities, although being a faithful Christian was. Thus
it would appear that there may be many of God's people who will be saved
who, only in time of personal crisis, sought the deepest walk with God.
(For such reasons, they may be more likely to experience a multitude of
little and big crises; they need problems in their lives to keep bringing
them closer to their kind Father, lest they drift away entirely. They do
not seem to maintain a moderate proximity otherwise.) So the author assumes that none will be lost who slips away from an extra-deep relationship with his kind Father. Everyone who is saved will have been a trusting, obedient disciple of Christ on earth; yet there are degrees of closeness. Some choose a closer experience than others. Additional SymbolsWe
earlier mentioned the vine, the chick, and the sheep, There are also other
figures to represent the closeness which God wants to have toward each
of us. He would like it to begin at the time of initial conversion and
continue uninterrupted thereafter. The
secret cleft. There
is a cleft in the rock close to God. It is a sweet experience to be there.
But it is only for those who urgently wish to press in for a special
nearness. As with all the other blessings of God, it is not difficult to
have. Our kind Father always does the most difficult part. Yet there
remains a "difficult part" for us: We must choose—and keep
choosing—to remain close to Him. God
wants to place you in the cleft of the rock, and draw you close to Him in
blessing. "There
is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. And it shall come to
pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the
rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by." Exodus
33:21-22. "There
is a place by Him." Thank God! And, in drawing close to the Ancient
of Days, what is that Rock which we stand upon? Why
do we want to live apart from Him? That Rock is Christ. Doing so only
makes it easier for Satan to tempt and overcome us! "Living
apart from Christ he is subject to Satan's temptations, and he makes
mistakes in his work for the Master." Christ's Object Lessons,
356. It
is a special place where God wants us to remain. For it is by Him. (Later
in this chapter, we shall learn it is in Him.) When we are in the cleft,
we are in the secret place—alone with Him—and protected by His
shadow. "He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. . He shall cover thee with His feathers, and
under His wings shalt thou trust." Psalm 91:1,4. The
lowly yoke.
In
Matthew 11, Christ opened to His disciples an extremely important truth
which we should be aware of. He said that we need to be yoked up to Him in
order for us to most efficiently be used in working with Him. "Come
unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart,
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden
is light." Matthew 11:28-30. What
relationship could be closer than two oxen with their heads fastened
closely together, as they pull on the load? This metaphor also emphasizes
the importance of close cooperation with Him. Unless we do our part, He
cannot help us and work through us as effectively. We
have already learned that, in order to be closely linked with Christ we
must become as little children. But, in this symbol, Christ reveals
the astonishing truth that He, also, is childlike in personality! This
is a deep truth, which we do not have space to explore here. But let us
note that, in asking us to become as little children, God is only asking
us to become like Himself. (There is a clear statement in the Spirit of
Prophecy that the Ancient of Days is meek and lowly!) And
that helps explain the situation: We can only draw close to God as we
become like Him. So we must become meek and lowly—for He is meek and
lowly. "The
meekness and lowliness of Christ is the Christian's power" 4
Testimonies, 559. Yet but "few are willing to follow the Saviour's
example of meekness and humility" (5 Testimonies, 176).
"Lowliness of heart is the strength that gives victory to the
followers of Christ; it is the token of their connection with the courts
above. . "Those who reveal the meek and lowly spirit of Christ are
tenderly regarded by God. They may be looked upon with scorn by the world,
but they are of great value in His sight. Not only the wise, the great,
the beneficent, will gain a passport to the heavenly courts; not only the
busy worker, full of zeal and restless activity. No; the poor in spirit,
who crave the presence of an abiding Christ, the humble in heart, whose
highest ambition is to do God's will,—these will gain an abundant
entrance. " Desire of Ages, 301-302. Consider
the deep truth in the next two passages: "The
value of man is estimated in heaven according to the capacity of the heart
to know God." Christ's Object Lessons, 354-355. But
how can we enlarge this capacity? "Looking
unto Jesus. . we develop a character which is the counterpart of the
divine character. Growing into His likeness, we enlarge our capacity for
knowing God."—Christ's Object Lessons, 355. What
is the best way to become like God, to grow into His likeness?—by
becoming His little child! Is it worth it? It surely is! Kept securely as
jewels. Our kind Father likens us to precious stones and jewels, upon
which He gives special care. "They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels. And I will spare them, as a
man spareth his own son that serveth him." Malachi 3: 17. In
the above passage, we are likened both to jewels and to a dearly beloved
son. Is it not wonderful to know that we are so special to God? Do we
value closeness to Him as much? Give
all for the pearl.
But
it is a two-way contract. In order for God to count us as His jewels, we
must prize Him so highly that we are willing to sell everything in order
to have Him. We become His active treasure, as we make Him our treasure.
And remember, "where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also" (Matthew 6:21). "Esteeming
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he
had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Hebrews 11 :26. "Provide
yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth
not." Luke 12:33. "The
kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a
man hath found, he . . for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath,
and buyeth that field." Matthew 13:44. "The
kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls;
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46. "Christ
Himself is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the glory of
the Father, the fulness of the Godhead. . All that can satisfy the needs
and longings of the human soul, for this world and for the world to come,
is found in Christ. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in
comparison all things else may be accounted loss." Christ's Object
Lessons, 115. What must we do in order to have the pearl of great price? "There
are some who are seeking, always seeking, for the goodly pearl. But they
do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die
to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the
precious pearl." l Selected Messages, 399-400. "In
the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought
it at the price of all that he had. . We are to give ourselves to Christ,
to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we
are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's, to be
consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him,
Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain
the pearl of great price." Christ's Object Lessons, 116. "The
price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to
God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for
you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience. He asks you to give
up your sins." Christ's Object Lessons, 117. Sitting
at Christ's feet.
We
are told that we should combine the qualities of Mary and Martha. Yet it
was the devotional spirit of Mary, which is especially needed. Time spent
with Jesus through the day is the foundation of everything worthwhile. We
need to sit at His feet and learn of Him. "All
who work for God should have the Martha and the Mary attributes
blended—a willingness to minister and a sincere love of the
truth." 6 Testimonies, 118. "Mary
was storing her mind with the precious words falling from the Saviour's
lips, words that were more precious to her than earth's most costly
jewels. The 'one thing' that Martha needed was a calm, devotional spirit,
a deeper anxiety for knowledge concerning the future, immortal life, and
the graces necessary for spiritual advancement. She needed less anxiety
for the things which pass away, and more for those things which endure
forever. Jesus would teach His children to seize every opportunity of gaining
that knowledge which will make them wise unto salvation. . There is a wide
field for the Marthas, with their zeal in active religious work, but let
them first sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus. Let diligence, promptness,
and energy be sanctified by the grace of Christ; then the life will be an
unconquerable power for good." Desire of Ages, 525. "Many
who profess to be Christians are such only in name. They are not
converted, They keep self prominent. They do not sit at the feet of Jesus,
as Mary did, to learn of Him. They are not ready for Christ's
Coming." 1 Selected Messages, 80. "The
churches seem content to take only the first steps in conversion. They are
more ready to engage. . in outward religious service than in the inner
work of the heart. Meditation and prayer are neglected for bustle and
show. Religion must begin with emptying and purifying the heart, and
must be nurtured by daily prayer." 4 Testimonies, 535. Our
hiding place.
Another
symbol used in the Bible to represent our close connection to God is found
in three passages: "Thou
art my hiding place. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt
compass me about with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:7.
"Thou art my hiding place and my shield." Psalm 119:114. In
the third passage, we find several symbols of the protection we might
have as we draw close to our heavenly Father: "Behold
a King shall reign in righteousness, . . and a Man shall be as an hiding
place from the wind, and a Covert from the tempest, as Rivers of water in
a dry place, and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary land." Isaiah 32:12. It
is obvious that we cannot have the offered protection—unless,
individually, you and I crowd in close to our God. Opening
the door.
We
are told that Jesus is standing at the door, knocking and awaiting entrance.
This represents more than initial conversion. He wants a closer
experience with us. “Jesus
invites us to accept His presence; we are to open the door of the heart,
and let Him in. But He will not share a divided heart. If it be given to
the service of mammon, if selfishness and pride fill its chambers, there
will be no room for the heavenly Guest; He will not take up His abode with
us until the heavenly temple has been emptied and cleansed." Our
High Calling, 55, “Jesus
will not force open the door, You must open it yourselves and show that
you desire His presence by giving Him a sincere welcome." 2
Testimonies, 217. "Many
have so much rubbish piled up at the door of their heart that they cannot
get the door open." l Testimonies, 143. "In
order to let Jesus into our hearts, we must stop sinning. The only
definition for sin that we have in the Bible is that it is the
transgression of the law." Signs, March 3, 1890. "The
Lord cannot purify the soul until the entire being is surrendered to the
working of the Holy Spirit." Review, February 27, 1900. "We
must be emptied of self in order to give room to Jesus, but how many have
their hearts so filled with idols that they have no room for the Redeemer
of the world. The world holds the hearts of men in captivity. They center
their thoughts and affections upon their business, their position, their
family. They hold to their opinions and ways, and cherish them as idols in
the soul." That I May Know Him, 165, "He
will not release one atom of His claim; He will not accept half worship
while half the heart is given to some idol. All the heart God requires;
all the mind. You are not allowed to have the mind diverted from God and
centered upon any other object." Testimonies to Ministers, 439. "Every
time you fail to open the door of your heart to Christ, you become more
and more unwilling to listen to the voice of Him that speaketh. You
diminish your chance of responding to the last appeal of
mercy." Christ's Object Lessons, 237. Abiding in Christ. Another
Scriptural theme is the need to continually abide in Christ. "Little
children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have
confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." l John
2:28. "But
they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening. .
And He went in to tarry with them." Luke 24:29, "Brethren,
let every man. . abide with God." 1 Corinthians 7:24. This
does not mean living in a house next to Christ's house; this means living
IN Him! "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide
in Me . . But
there are conditions to the fulfillment of this experience. 1 John 2:6 and
3:24 defines (rather, intensifies) the meaning of 1 John 3:6. By
moment-by-moment faith in the enabling grace of Christ, it can be done. "Whosoever
abideth in Him sinneth not." 1 John 3:6. "And
he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in Him." 1 John 3:24. "He
that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He
walked." 1 John 2:6. And how are we to abide IN Him? "Do
you ask, 'How am I to abide in Christ?' In the same way as you received
Him at first. 'As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk ye in Him.' ‘The just shall live by faith.' You gave yourself to
God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your
Saviour, . By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up
in Him—by giving and taking, You are to give all—your heart, your
will. your service—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements;
and you must take all—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in
your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting
helper—to give you power to obey." Steps to Christ, 69.70. "Satan
will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie—to
choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to
watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another
master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed
upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe.
Nothing can pluck us out of His hand." Steps to Christ, 72. "Consecrate
yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your
prayer be, 'Take me, 0 Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy
feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be
wrought in Thee.' This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself
to God for that day, Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or
given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be
giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded
more and more after the life of Christ." Steps to Christ, 70. "After
this union is formed, it can be preserved only by continual, earnest,
painstaking effort. Christ exercises His power to preserve and guard this
sacred tie; and the dependent, helpless sinner must act his part with
untiring energy, or Satan by his cruel, cunning power will separate him
from Christ. "Every
Christian must stand on guard continually, watching every avenue of the
soul where Satan might find access. He must pray for divine help and at
the same time resolutely resist every inclination to sin. By courage, by
faith, by persevering toil, he can conquer. But let him remember that to
gain the victory Christ must abide in him and he in Christ." 5
Testimonies, 47. We
are to abide IN Christ. Yet, in His Word, He has symbolized the intense
closeness of the relationship we are—right now—to bear toward Him—in
even stronger terms. Drinking
of Jesus.
It
is an astounding fact that we are to have so close a relationship to
Christ, that we are told to drink of His living substance. The life is not
in the nerves, but in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). We are to drink the
very life of our God! "If
any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." John 7:37. “As
the weary traveler seeks the spring in the desert and finding it,
quenches his burning thirst, so will the Christian thirst for and obtain
the pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain." Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing, 19. "We
must each come to the fountain and drink for ourselves. A thousand around
us may take of the stream of salvation, but we shall not be refreshed
unless we drink of the healing stream ourselves." That I May Know
Him, 172. . "It
is our privilege to have a living, abiding Saviour. He is the source of
spiritual power implanted within us, and His influence will flow forth
in words and actions, refreshing all within the sphere of our influence,
begetting in them desires and aspirations for strength and purity; for
holiness and peace, and for that joy which brings no sorrow with it. This
is the result of an indwelling Saviour." Testimonies to Ministers,
390. Eating
His Flesh. Not
only are we to drink of Christ, we are to eat of Him also. This is a
command. We are told that only those who do this will inherit eternal
life. "This
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof,
and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man
eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give
is my flesh." John 6:50-51. "Except
ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, ye have no life in
you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life, and
I will raise Him up at the last day."—John 6:53-54. What
is Christ telling us here? He is explaining that we are to have such
a close relationship to Him—that He is to be our very food. We are to
assimilate His very characteristics into our being! "For
My flesh is meat indeed. and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My
flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living
Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even
he shall live by Me." John 6:55-57. Who
is there who dares deny the great truth in this book? It is the will of
God that we have the very closest relationship with Him. And it is to be
an ongoing, continual communion of one heart and life to another! "To
eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a
personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are
complete in Him. It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by
drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What food
is to the body. Christ must be to the soul. Food cannot benefit us unless
we eat it, unless it becomes part of our being. So Christ is of no value
to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour. A theoretical
knowledge will do us no good. We must feed upon Him, receive Him into the
heart, so that His life becomes our life. His love, His grace, must be
assimilated." Desire of Ages, 389. "
'Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life.' It
is by receiving the life for us poured out on Calvary's cross, that we can
live the life of holiness. And this life we receive by receiving His Word,
by doing those things which He has commanded. Thus we become one with
Him." Desire of Ages. 660. “As
we need food to sustain our physical strength, so do we need Christ, the
bread from heaven, to sustain spiritual life and impart strength to work
the works of God. As the body is continually receiving the nourishment
that sustains life and vigor, so the soul must be constantly communing
with Christ, submitting to Him and depending wholly upon Him." Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing, 19. "In
the struggle for eternal Life, we cannot lean upon one another. The bread
of life must be eaten by each one. Individually we must partake of it,
that soul, body, and mind may be revived and strengthened by its
transforming power." Testimonies to Ministers, 385. "When
a soul receives Christ, he receives His righteousness. He lives the Life
of Christ. As he trains himself to behold Christ, to study His life and
practice His virtues, he eats the flesh and drinks the blood of the Son of
God. When this experience is his, he can declare, with the apostle Paul:
'I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the Life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.'
" Review, November 23, 1897. “All
who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His
character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions.
It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. They were
called to become self-sacrificing, meek and lowly in heart. They must
walk in the narrow path traveled by the Man of Calvary, if they would
share in the gift of Life and the glory of heaven." Desire of Ages,
391, "The
followers of Christ must be partakers of His experience, They must
assimilate the Word of God, They must be changed into its likeness by the
power of Christ and reflect the divine attributes. They must eat the flesh
and drink the blood of the Son of God, or there is no Life in them. The
spirit and work of Christ must become the spirit and work of His disciples." 5
Testimonies, 576, Bone
of His bone, and flesh of His flesh. God's plan is that, in figure, we are
to be actually part of Him! Can there be any closer symbol than this!
How much evidence do we need to show the closeness we are to have with God
in this life! "For
we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His
bones." Ephesians 5:30 (Genesis 2:23). "So
we, being many, are one body in Christ." Romans 12:5. "Know
ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?" l Corinthians
6: 15. "Ye are the body of Christ." l Corinthians 12:27. We
are to be "one flesh" with Him! "They
two shall be one flesh. . I speak concerning Christ and the
church." Ephesians 5:31-32. The
above passage is frequently referred to as speaking about how we are to be
close to the church. Please now; it is primarily talking about how God's
people are to be close to Him! |
