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Testimonies for the Church Volume Three :
28. The Laodicean Church
The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling
denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present
time.
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These
things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning
of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My
mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and
have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His people by
ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a
peace-and-safety message. It is not merely theoretical, but
practical in every particular. The people of God are represented in
the message to the Laodiceans as in a position of carnal security.
They are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition
of spiritual attainments. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that
thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
What greater deception can come upon human minds than
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a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The
message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad
deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their
condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed
are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual
condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by
the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual
blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and
severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks,
and His testimony must be correct.
It is difficult for those who feel secure in their attainments, and
who believe themselves to be rich in spiritual knowledge, to receive
the message which declares that they are deceived and in need of
every spiritual grace. The unsanctified heart is "deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked." I was shown that many are
flattering themselves that they are good Christians, who have not a
ray of light from Jesus. They have not a living experience for
themselves in the divine life. They need a deep and thorough work of
self-abasement before God before they will feel their true need of
earnest, persevering effort to secure the precious graces of the
Spirit.
God leads His people on step by step. The Christian life is a
constant battle and a march. There is no rest from the warfare. It
is by constant, unceasing effort that we maintain the victory over
the temptations of Satan. As a people we are triumphing in the
clearness and strength of the truth. We are fully sustained in our
positions by an overwhelming amount of plain Scriptural testimony.
But we are very much wanting in Bible humility, patience, faith,
love, self-denial, watchfulness, and the spirit of sacrifice. We
need to cultivate Bible holiness. Sin prevails among the people of
God. The plain message of rebuke to the Laodiceans is not received.
Many cling to their doubts and their darling sins while they are in
so great a deception as to talk and feel that they are in need of
nothing. They
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think the testimony of the Spirit of God in reproof is uncalled for
or that it does not mean them. Such are in the greatest need of the
grace of God and spiritual discernment that they may discover their
deficiency in spiritual knowledge. They lack almost every
qualification necessary to perfect Christian character. They have
not a practical knowledge of Bible truth, which leads to lowliness
of life and a conformity of their will to the will of Christ. They
are not living in obedience to all God's requirements.
It is not enough to merely profess to believe the truth. All the
soldiers of the cross of Christ virtually obligate themselves to
enter the crusade against the adversary of souls, to condemn wrong
and sustain righteousness. But the message of the True Witness
reveals the fact that a terrible deception is upon our people, which
makes it necessary to come to them with warnings, to break their
spiritual slumber, and arouse them to decided action.
In my last vision I was shown that even this
decided message of the True Witness had not accomplished the design
of God. The people slumber on in their sins. They continue to
declare themselves rich and having need of nothing. Many inquire:
Why are all these reproofs given? Why do the
Testimonies continually
charge us with backsliding and with grievous sins? We love the
truth; we are prospering; we are in no need of these testimonies of
warning and reproof. But let these murmurers see their hearts and
compare their lives with the practical teachings of the Bible, let
them humble their souls before God, let the grace of God illuminate
the darkness, and the scales will fall from their eyes, and they
will realize their true spiritual poverty and wretchedness. They
will feel the necessity of buying gold, which is pure faith and
love; white raiment, which is a spotless character made pure in the
blood of their dear Redeemer; and eyesalve, which is the grace of
God and which will give clear discernment of spiritual things and
detect sin. These attainments are more precious than the gold of
Ophir.
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I have been shown that the greatest reason why the people of God are
now found in this state of spiritual blindness is that they will not
receive correction. Many have despised the reproofs and warnings
given them. The True Witness condemns the lukewarm condition of the
people of God, which gives Satan great power over them in this
waiting, watching time. The selfish, the proud, and the lovers of
sin are ever assailed with doubts. Satan has ability to suggest
doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God
sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them,
to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to
doubt
Eternal life is of infinite value and will cost us all that we have.
I was shown that we do not place a proper estimate upon eternal
things. Everything worth possessing, even in this world, must be
secured by effort, and sometimes by most painful sacrifice. And this
is merely to obtain a perishable treasure. Shall we be less willing
to endure conflict and toil, and to make earnest efforts and great
sacrifices, to obtain a treasure which is of infinite value, and a
life which will measure with that of the Infinite? Can heaven cost
us too much?
Faith and love are golden treasures, elements that are greatly
wanting among God's people. I have been shown that unbelief in the
testimonies of warning, encouragement, and reproof is shutting away
the light from God's people. Unbelief is closing their eyes so that
they are ignorant of their true condition. The True Witness thus
describes their blindness: "And knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
Faith in the soon coming of Christ is waning. "My Lord delayeth His
coming" is not only said in the heart, but expressed in words and
most decidedly in works. Stupidity in this watching time is sealing
the senses of God's people as to
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the signs of the times. The terrible iniquity which abounds calls
for the greatest diligence and for the living testimony, to keep sin
out of the church. Faith has been decreasing to a fearful degree,
and it is only by exercise that it can increase.
In the rise of the third angel's message those who engaged in the
work of God had something to venture; they had sacrifices to make.
They started this work in poverty and suffered the greatest
deprivations and reproach. They met determined opposition, which
drove them to God in their necessity and kept their faith alive. Our
present plan of systematic benevolence amply sustains our ministers,
and there is no want and no call for the exercise of faith as to a
support. Those who start out now to preach the truth have nothing to
venture. They have no risks to run, no special sacrifices to make.
The system of truth is made ready to their hand, and publications
are provided for them, vindicating the truths they advance.
Some young men start out with no real sense of the exalted character
of the work. They have no privations, hardships, or severe conflicts
to meet, which would call for the exercise of faith. They do not
cultivate practical self-denial and cherish a spirit of sacrifice.
Some are becoming proud and lifted up, and have no real burden of
the work upon them. The True Witness speaks to these ministers: "Be
zealous therefore, and repent." Some of them are so lifted up in
pride that they are really a hindrance and a curse to the precious
cause of God. They do not exert a saving influence upon others.
These men need to be thoroughly converted to God themselves and
sanctified by the truths they present to others.
Pointed Testimonies in the Church
Very many feel impatient and jealous because they are frequently
disturbed with warnings and reproofs which keep their sins before
them. Says the True Witness: "I know thy works." The motives, the
purposes, the unbelief, the suspicions and jealousies may be hid
from men, but not from Christ.
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The True Witness comes as a counselor: "I counsel thee to buy of Me
gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do
not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore,
and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with
My Father in His throne."
Those who are reproved by the Spirit of God should not rise up
against the humble instrument. It is God, and not an erring mortal,
who has spoken to save them from ruin. Those who despise the warning
will be left in blindness to become self-deceived. But those who
heed it, and zealously go about the work of separating their sins
from them in order to have the needed graces, will be opening the
door of their hearts that the dear Saviour may come in and dwell
with them. This class you will ever find in perfect harmony with the
testimony of the Spirit of God.
Ministers who are preaching present truth should not neglect the
solemn message to the Laodiceans. The testimony of the True Witness
is not a smooth message. The Lord does not say to them, You are
about right; you have borne chastisement and reproof that you never
deserved; you have been unnecessarily discouraged by severity; you
are not guilty of the wrongs and sins for which you have been
reproved.
The True Witness declares that when you suppose you are really in a
good condition of prosperity you are in need of everything. It is
not enough for ministers to present theoretical subjects; they
should also present those subjects which are practical. They need to
study the practical lessons that Christ gave His disciples and make
a close application of the same to their own souls and to the
people. Because Christ bears this rebuking testimony, shall we
suppose that He is destitute of
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tender love to His people? Oh, no! He who died to redeem man from
death, loves with a divine love, and those whom He loves He rebukes.
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." But many will not receive
the message that Heaven in mercy sends them. They cannot endure to
be told of their neglect of duty and of their wrongs, their
selfishness, their pride and love of the world.
I was shown that God has laid upon my husband and me a special work,
to bear a plain testimony to His people, and to cry aloud and spare
not, to show the people their transgressions and the house of Israel
their sins. But there is a class who will not receive the message of
reproof, and
The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by
many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their
obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every
shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that
demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God
is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon
the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers
of Christ who accept the light that God sends them must obey the
voice of God speaking to them when there are many other voices
crying out against it. It requires discernment to distinguish the
voice of God.
Those who will not act when the Lord calls upon them, but who wait
for more certain evidence and more favorable opportunities, will
walk in darkness, for the light will be withdrawn. The evidence
given one day, if rejected, may never be repeated.
Many are tempted in regard to our work and are calling it in
question. Some, in their tempted condition, charge the difficulties
and perplexities of the people of God to the testimonies of reproof
that we have given them. They think the trouble is with the ones who
bear the message of warning, who
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point out the sins of the people and correct their errors. Many are
deceived by the adversary of souls. They think that the labors of
Brother and Sister White would be acceptable if they were not
continually condemning wrong and reproving sin. I was shown that God
has laid this work upon us, and when we are hindered from meeting
with His people and from bearing our testimony and counteracting the
surmisings and jealousies of the unconsecrated, then Satan presses
in his temptations very strongly. Those who have been ever on the
questioning, doubting side feel at liberty to suggest their doubts
and to insinuate their unbelief. Some have sanctimonious and
apparently conscientious and very pious doubts, which they
cautiously drop, but which have tenfold more power to strengthen
those who are wrong, and to lessen our influence and weaken the
confidence of God's people in our work, than if they came out more
frankly. These poor souls, I saw, were deceived by Satan. They
flatter themselves that they are all right, that they are in favor
with God and are rich in spiritual discernment, when they are poor,
blind, and wretched. They are doing the work of Satan, but think
they have a zeal for God.
Some will not receive the testimony that God has given us to bear,
flattering themselves that we may be deceived and that they may be
right. They think that the people of God are not in need of plain
dealing and of reproof, but that God is with them. These tempted
ones, whose souls have ever been at war with the faithful reproving
of sin, would cry: Speak unto us smooth things. What disposition
will these make of the message of the True Witness to the
Laodiceans? There can be no deception here. This message must be
borne to a lukewarm church by God's servants. It must arouse His
people from their security and dangerous deception in regard to
their real standing before God. This testimony, if received, will
arouse to action and lead to self-abasement and confession of sins.
The True Witness says: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot." And again, "As many as I love, I rebuke
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and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Then comes the
promise: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with Me." "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with
My Father in His throne."
The people of God must see their wrongs and arouse to zealous
repentance and a putting away of those sins which have brought them
into such a deplorable condition of poverty, blindness,
wretchedness, and fearful deception. I was shown that the pointed
testimony must live in the church. This alone will answer to the
message to the Laodiceans. Wrongs must be reproved, sin must be
called sin, and iniquity must be met promptly and decidedly, and put
away from us as a people. |