The recent Autumn Council passed many recommendations for an advance move among our people and workers. One recommendation appeals directly to each worker as a call to a new consecration, and it must be personally received and put into practice, or it will fall dead and result in failure. The recommendation with its introduction reads as follows:
"Whereas, Upon the gospel ministry is laid the solemn responsibility, through example and precept, of helping prepare the remnant people to meet God by fostering true holiness of life in the midst of the increasing moral and spiritual wickedness of these last days, thus summoning us to an experience of vital godliness and living fellowship with Christ; therefore,
"Resolved, That we, the delegates to the 1932 Autumn Council, do hereby issue—
A Solemn Call and Invitation
To all ministers and other workers, urging upon all a sincere humbling of heart before God, a forsaking of all worldly encroachments upon life, and earnestly inviting all to pray continually for that vital godliness of life that alone can meet the challenge of the times and prepare us as workers for the coming of our Lord. And, further, we urge all, through a revival of importunate prayer, Bible study, and searching of Spirit of prophecy counsels, unitedly to seek such an empowering of the life as will enable us quickly to finish the work committed to us, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which God has promised the remnant church for these last days."
The necessity for this humbling of heart, prayer, and searching of the word, appeals to the worker when the magnitude of this movement is considered in addition to his own individual salvation. What could be more awful than that we, who have preached to others, should ourselves be castaways because of our lack of piety? Paul held this liability before himself continually, declaring: "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to other. s, I myself should be a castaway."
Christ exhorted to the same import when He said:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." Matt. 7: 21-23.
Then He added that forceful illustration:
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." Matt. 7:24-27.
It is the privilege as well as the duty of each one of us as workers to seek for a deeper personal piety. It is no excuse for our failures to say that we are as good as others. Our pattern is the perfect life of Christ. He was perfect, and it is He whom we serve and whose life we are to imitate. What others do will neither save us nor keep us out of the kingdom. Our souls are our own. We must answer to the Lord for our conduct. Personal piety and fidelity to God are called for at this time.
The call made in the resolution quoted above is specific. Let us observe particularly the steps which, if followed, will result in a spiritual revival that will, in turn, bring with it spiritual power and progress in this work:
3. "A Sincere humbling of heart before God" is for our own salvation. In times of national or personal crisis the great Bible characters sought God in humility. Daniel, high in royal favor, prayed as few men pray, confessing his own sins and the sins of his people. Who ever poured out his heart in penitence more than did David after his great sin? Countless millions have uttered the words that David used in that humble confession. How many times we think of Jacob in the depths of trouble tarrying behind his family to engage in prayer and confession from even till morning. Nehemiah cried to God for mercy in his memorable prayer:
"Let Thine ear now be attentive, and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and
have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which Thou commandedst Thy servant Moses." Neh. 1:6, 7.
Today we need to humble our hearts as workers before God and to confess our own sins and the sins of our people.
"A forsaking of all worldly encroachments upon life." The church of Christ has never been at home in this world since sin entered it. Once under the domain of Satan, this world ceased to be the home of God's people. Yet we find Enoch, a man apart, walking with God in an age filled with wickedness and every form of sin known to man. Abraham forsook all, leaving his father's land, and journeyed into a land in which he was a pilgrim and a stranger till the day of his death. His life and the lives of his descendants were passed amid a world of strife and trouble. Banditry and its associated crimes were common; the poor were despoiled of their belongings by the strong; violence and fear were everywhere. Yet Abraham and his children followed on to know the Lord. So it has been through the ages, and so it will be till the history of this earth in its present state is closed. Down till the very end, sin will abound; ungodliness will increase more and more; yet there will be a remnant people who will walk with God. The world is not to draw us into its entanglements; more and more we are to be separated from it. In the very end of time the cry will be sounded: "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:4. The word declares:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." 1 John 2:15-17.
Paul spoke with positive exhortation when he said: "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2. Surely if the people of God are to be translated when Christ returns, and are to have on the wedding garment, they must get ready now.
"Inviting all to pray continually for that vital godliness of life that alone can meet the challenge of the times and prepare us as workers for the coming of our Lord." There is great need of continual prayer among the workers. We all confess the need, but somehow we are slow to set our own house in order by much prayer. Is it any wonder that Christ inquired, "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Were we as workers to be judged by our much praying, how few of us would be counted worthy to be saved! Some will say that we are not to be judged by our works, for salvation comes through faith alone. Read the teaching of Christ and see how many times He exhorts His followers to pray. Read Paul's writings, and notice how often he exhorts to prayer. How can we hope to finish the work of God on earth without being much in prayer? Christ Himself was a man of prayer. Often He withdrew for prayer. He tarried all night in prayer. Early in the morning, a great while before day, He arose and went aside for prayer. If we would hope to attain unto His life, we must pray earnestly for the power of God to deliver us from sin and to keep us unspotted from the world.
4. "We urge all, through a revival of importunate prayer, Bible study, and searching of Spirit of prophecy counsels, unitedly to seek such an empowering of the life as will enable us quickly to finish the work committed to us, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which God has promised the remnant church for these last days."
In these words all our workers are urged to invite the church of Christ to seek a deeper spiritual revival. What we need the church needs, and vice versa. We are saved by the same means—the life and death of Christ. The word of God is all important; we must study it daily for our own souls' sake. It is our food, our guide to the city of God, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Without study of the word we are like sick people who refuse to be fed. The food offered may be ever so good, it may be suitable and nourishing, but if the sick refuse to eat, they must die. That is a law of life—we must either eat or perish. So is it with the Christian and the word of .God. The minister does not live who can do good work and meet the mind of God who fails to study His revealed word. Works are not a substitute for the reading of the Bible and prayer. Works are necessary and essential; but in order to labor effectively for souls we must study the word indited by the Holy Spirit for this people. It is not enough for us as workmen to be like other men; we are to follow on till we have attained perfection in the Holy Ghost.
Holiness of life is not fanaticism, nor does it border on radicalism. It is the plain teaching of the word that the church of Christ, and especially the preacher, is to be clean and holy. "Holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, forever." Ps. 93:5.
These times demand a fuller and more complete consecration than ever before. Our Heaven-appointed work and our deep concern is to finish the preaching of the gospel to all the world in this generation. It is a herculean task, and it can be accomplished only by and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Every worker is responsible for his own condition and for his own soul. We must arouse ourselves to seek the Lord as never before.
I. H. E.
