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Elevate the Standard
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“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
A knowledge of the state of the backslider from God seems to
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be hidden from him. Has the candlestick been removed out of its
place? I call upon all who are resting unconcerned in their present
state of spiritual deadness, to arouse and arise from the dead, and
Christ will give them light. Many rest as content as though the cloud
by day and the pillar of fire by night were sheltering and guiding
them. Many profess to know God, and yet deny Him in their works.
They reckon themselves among God’s peculiar, chosen people, who
have a special, solemn message entrusted to their keeping to sanctify
their lives and to give to the world, and yet the power of the truth
is scarcely felt or manifested in our midst in zealous work for God.
How great is our darkness, and we know it not! The light has not
diminished, but we walk not in its rays.
A Fearful Delusion
What greater delusion can deceive the human mind than that in
which individuals flatter themselves that they have the truth, that they
are on the only sure foundation, and that God accepts their works
because they are actively engaged in some work in the cause of
God, when they are sinning against Him by walking contrary to the
expressed will of God? They work mechanically, like machinery; but
preparation of heart, the sanctification of the character, is wanting.
Sacred and holy things are brought down to the level of common
things, and a commonness, a cheapness, is working itself into our
churches. The service is degenerating into little else than form.
The standard must be elevated. The work must have a higher
mold. There must be a coming out from the customs and practices
of the world and being separate. There must be a coming up upon a
higher platform by both ministers and people. There must be much
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more of Jesus and His meekness, His lowliness, His humility, His
self-denial, His purity, His true goodness and nobility of character,
brought into the experience and characters of all who claim to be
acting any part in the sacred work of God.