True gospel based on the Law

“    I saw that the Spirit of the Lord has been dying away from the church. The servants of the Lord have trusted too much to the strength of argument, and have not had that firm reliance upon God which they should have. I saw that the mere argument of the truth will not move souls to take a stand with the remnant; for the truth is unpopular. The servants of God must have the truth in the soul. Said the angel: ‘They must get it warm from glory, carry it in their bosoms, and pour it out in the warmth and earnestness of the soul to those that hear.’ A few that are conscientious are ready to decide from the weight of evidence; but it is impossible to move many with a mere theory of the truth. There must be a power to attend the truth, a living testimony to move them.  {1T 113.2} 

     I saw that the enemy is busy to destroy souls. Exaltation has come into the ranks; there must be more humility. There is too much of an independence of spirit indulged in among the messengers. This must be laid aside, and there must be a drawing together of the servants of God. There has been too much of a spirit to ask, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Said the angel: ‘Yea, thou art thy brother’s keeper. Thou shouldest have a watchful care for thy brother, be interested for his welfare, and cherish a kind, loving spirit toward him. Press together, press together.’ God designed that man should be openhearted and honest, without affectation, meek, humble, with simplicity. This is the principle of heaven; God ordered it so. But poor, frail man has sought out something different--to follow his own way, and carefully attend to his own self-interest.  {1T 113.3} 

     I asked the angel why simplicity had been shut out from the church, and pride and exaltation had come in. I saw that this is the reason why we have almost been delivered into the hand of the enemy. Said the angel: ‘Look ye, and ye shall see that this feeling prevails: Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Again said the angel: ‘Thou art thy brother’s keeper. Thy profession, thy faith, requires thee to deny thyself and sacrifice to God, or thou wilt be unworthy of eternal life; for it was purchased for thee dearly, even by the agony, the sufferings, and blood of the beloved Son of God.’” Testimonies for the church, vol. 1, p. 113,114.

This very first testimony is a powerful warning to us, the last generation. It must take first priority in all of our teaching and warning the world of approaching chaos and darkness.

The next two statements keep coming back to my conscience to show me my lack. “By contemplating and worshiping their own conceptions, the heathen had lost a knowledge of God, and had become more and more corrupt.”  {DA 35.2}. “Before faith came, we were kept under the law….” (Gal. 3:23).

In order to protect His children from the encroaching heathen darkness, Jesus kept them under His Law, so that they would get caught up in their own conceptions. Only the high and holy Law of God is inspired by Him who is the truth. Only His pure words devoid of sin and self-pleasing, but reproving and rebuking in love, can keep the Advent movement from straying off into the astral planes of corrupted human conceptions.

And then, “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law” (Gal 4:4). “A body hast Thou prepared Me.” (Heb. 10:5). Jesus brought again His justifying grace to those whose pride was grounded down by the Law. And to ensure that consciences were still open to the Law when the Messiah would appear, God sent his forerunner John the Baptist to restore the forceful language of the Law in condemning sin. Without this the Messiah couldn’t come with His Father’s embassage of peace. “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Luke 16:16). “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” (Gal. 3:23).

In the end Christ’s apostles could safely bring the gospel’s science of salvation to the world without any fear of fanaticism, without “exaltation coming into the ranks”, “an independence of spirit indulged in”, or “a spirit to ask, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’”, “that we should remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10). “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:24).

And therefore the testimonies were our schoolmaster to bring the Adventists unto Christ that we might be kept safe from fanaticism, and in the end be convicted, humbled, repentant, justified, sanctified, and sealed by the Spirit. They would “get it [the truth and grace gospel] warm from glory, carry it in their bosoms, and pour it out in the warmth and earnestness of the soul to those that hear.” And, as little children, we could “Press together”, “Press together”.