42 Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists
step, you can fight the fight of faith. Remember that Jesus has borne
long with you, and he does not want you to be lost. He says, “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.”
By this he shows that he wants to take possession of your hearts.
Satan may tell you that you cannot be blessed; but Jesus says that
he will come in, if you will open the door of your hearts. Which will
you believe? Here is another precious promise that all may claim. It is
not addressed to those who are perfect, but to sinners; to those who
have wandered away from Christ. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be
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found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto
the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon.” Is there one here who dares not claim this
promise? Is there one who will say, “I am so sinful that this does not
mean me”? Put away such thoughts. Christ will accept you, polluted
by sin though you may be, if you will come to him with contrition of
soul. He invites all to come into the light of his presence. Then why
should you remain away? We want these doubting ones to go from
this meeting strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
The word of God says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh
to you.” It will require an effort on your part to walk with God. Jesus
said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand.”
The afflicted man might have said, “Lord, I have not used it for years;
heal it first, and then I will stretch it forth.” But instead of this, when
Jesus commanded him to stretch it forth, he exercised the power of his
will, and moved it just as if it were well. The very exercise of the will
power was evidence to Jesus that the man believed; and his hand was
healed in the act of stretching it forth. God would have you put away
your darkness, and show that there is a power in the Christian religion
that there is not in the world. He wants to make you all light in him;
he wants to fill your hearts with love, and peace, and hope. If, then,
you continue to cling to your darkness, you dishonor him; for you do
not correctly represent to the world a sin-pardoning Saviour. If you
are gloomy, desponding, hopeless, you are a poor representative of
the Christian religion. Christ died for all. The sacrifice was complete.
It is your privilege and duty to show to the world that you have an
entire, all-powerful Saviour. It was the Son of the infinite God who