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To God’s Workmen
339
This means those who have not received instruction, but have
cherished their own wisdom, and have chosen to work themselves
according to their own ideas. The Lord gives these the test, that they
shall either take their position to follow His counsel, or refuse and
do according to their own ideas, and then the Lord will leave them to
the sure result. In all our ways, in all our service to God, He speaks
to us, “Give Me thine heart.” It is the submissive, teachable spirit
that God wants. That which gives to prayer its excellence is the fact
that it is breathed from a loving, obedient heart.
God requires certain things of His people; if they say, I will
not give up my heart to do this thing, the Lord lets them go on in
their supposed wise judgment without heavenly wisdom, until this
scripture [
Isaiah 28:13
] is fulfilled. You are not to say, I will follow
the Lord’s guidance up to a certain point that is in harmony with
my judgment, and then hold fast to your own ideas, refusing to be
molded after the Lord’s similitude. Let the question be asked, Is this
the will of the Lord? not, Is this the opinion or judgment of-----?
The Lord’s Standard
Everything must be viewed in the light of the example of Christ.
He is the truth. He is the true Light that lighteth every man who
cometh into the world. Listen to His words, copy His example in
self-denial and self-sacrifice, and look to the merits of Christ for the
glory in character which He possesses to be bestowed on you. Those
who follow Christ live not to please themselves. Human standards
[420]
are like feeble reeds. The Lord’s standard is perfection of character.
“For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be
wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His
strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act. Now there-
fore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have
heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined
upon the whole earth.” Read
Deuteronomy 7:6
. Read the whole
chapter, also chapters 1 and 8. These were presented to me as the
words of the Lord. These things are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.
We are to have only those connected with our institutions who
will hear the word of the Lord and appreciate and obey His voice.