Digging For Truth

                      D A N G E R    o f    r e j e c t i n g               (  3  RELATED  PHRASES )                     

  But there are strong powers that work from beneath to draw men away from Christ, and to hold them infatuated captives to Satan. Men confederate with Satanic powers in holding their fellow-men away from the gospel feast. False shepherds aid Satan in his work as they cry, “Peace and safety,” when sudden destruction is about to fall upon them. But Christ’s faithful watchmen should sound the invitation, not holding their peace day nor night. They should present the white robes, the wedding garment, which is the righteousness of Christ, woven in the loom of heaven. If the watchmen will have faith in Christ, the Lord will give power to their message. They will be enabled so to present his grace, his love, his tenderness, the danger of rejecting the message, that men will feel constrained to accept the gospel invitation. Christ 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.” Christ will impart to his messengers the same yearning love which he himself had in seeking for the lost sheep. He is unrepulsed by scorn, not turned aside by threatening; but continually seeks the lost one, saying, “How can I give thee up?” “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” { RH September 24, 1895, par. 4 }

  June 2, 1896 — Danger of Rejecting the Truth Through Clinging to Tradition
The people of all ages will be judged according to the light they have received. The church that has been favored with great light and with precious opportunities, as were Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, will be held accountable for the use they have made of the light. As Jesus preached throughout these cities, how he longed to see fruits of his labor! How he longed to see the church struggling to be delivered from the bondage of sin! Every effort put forth through faith in him, would make them stronger in him. Charged with his exalted mission, he stood before the world as the representative of the Father. He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;” and again, “I and my Father are one.” O that the inhabitants of these cities had followed his example and imitated his character! O that by partaking of his grace, by joining with him in his labors, they had cheered the heart of Christ! O that they had manifested faith in him, by taxing their powers to the utmost in diffusing the light shining upon them! O that they had come into companionship with him who is the Fountain of healing waters, that through them streams of salvation might have reached a lost world! { RH June 2, 1896, par. 1 }

               D A N G E R    o f    r e j e c t i n g    l i g h t                                    

  The Danger of Rejecting Light  --  God intends that, even in this life, truth shall be ever unfolding to His people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We can attain to an understanding of God’s word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the Word was given. “The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God;” “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” [1 Corinthians 2:11, 10.] And the Saviour’s promise to His followers was, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.... For He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” [John 16:13, 14.] ... { GW 297.1} 

  The Saviour’s denunciation of the fruitless fig tree is a warning to all who claim to be Christians, and yet remain in blind unbelief. Thus from age to age the Lord would teach the danger of rejecting light. Christ has worked for and invited all. He will enlighten all who will search the Scriptures candidly. Today he is knocking at the door of the heart. Shall he have to say of us, In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men? { YI July 31, 1902, par. 1 }

  After their rejection of the gospel the Jews continued to maintain their ancient rites, while they admitted that the presence of God was no longer among them. The prophecy of Daniel pointed unmistakably to the time of Messiah’s coming and directly foretold His death. So they discouraged its study, and finally the rabbis pronounced a curse on all who should attempt to compute the time. In blindness and impenitence the people of Israel during succeeding centuries have stood, indifferent to the gracious offers of salvation, unmindful of the blessings of the gospel, a solemn and fearful warning of the danger of rejecting light from heaven. { HF 234.4 }