Presented as Old Truth in New Framework
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wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (
Revelation
3:17
). Here is represented a people who pride themselves in their
possession of spiritual knowledge and advantages. But they have not
responded to the unmerited blessings that God has bestowed upon
them. They have been full of rebellion, ingratitude, and forgetfulness
of God; and still He has dealt with them as a loving, forgiving father
deals with an ungrateful, wayward son. They have resisted His grace,
abused His privileges, slighted His opportunities, and have been satis-
fied to sink down in contentment, in lamentable ingratitude, hollow
formalism, and hypocritical insincerity. With Pharisaic pride they have
vaunted themselves till it has been said of them, “Thou sayest, I am
rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”
Has not the Lord Jesus sent message after message of rebuke, of
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warning, of entreaty to these self-satisfied ones? Have not His counsels
been despised and rejected? Have not His delegated messengers been
treated with scorn, and their words been received as idle tales? Christ
sees that which man does not see. He sees the sins which, if not
repented of, will exhaust the patience of a long-suffering God. Christ
cannot take up the names of those who are satisfied in their own self-
sufficiency. He cannot importune in behalf of a people who feel no
need of His help, who claim to know and possess everything.
The great Redeemer represents Himself as a heavenly merchant-
man, laden with riches, calling from house to house, presenting His
priceless goods, and saying, “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”
(
Revelation 3:18-20
).
Let us consider our condition before God; let us heed the counsel
of the True Witness. Let none of us be filled with prejudice, as were the
Jews, that light may not come into our hearts. Let it not be necessary
for Christ to say of us as He did of them, “Ye will not come to me, that
ye might have life” (
John 5:40
).
In every meeting since the General Conference, souls have eagerly
accepted the precious message of the righteousness of Christ. We