The Statutes of the LORD
What do the Bible and
Sister White say about “new light”?
He that answereth a matter before he heareth
it, it is folly and shame unto him.
Proverbs 18:13
I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. John 16:12
In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God
to the people of that generation. The old truths are all essential; new
truth is not independent of the old, but an unfolding of it. It is only as the
old truths are understood that we can comprehend the new.
There
is no excuse for any one in taking the position that there is no more truth to
be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error.
The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age
will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true
doctrine will lose anything by close investigation. We are living in perilous
times, and it does not become us to accept everything claimed to be truth
without examining it thoroughly; neither can we afford to reject anything that
bears the fruits of the Spirit of God; but we should be teachable, meek and
lowly of heart. There are those who oppose everything that is not in accordance
with their own ideas, and by so doing they endanger
their eternal interest as verily as did the Jewish nation in their rejection of
Christ. The Lord designs that our opinions shall be put
to the test, that we may see the necessity of closely examining the living
oracles to see whether or not we are in the faith. Many who claim to
believe the truth have settled down at their ease, saying, "I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing." But Jesus says to these
self-complacent ones, Thou "knowest not that
thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Let us
individually inquire, Do these words describe my case?
If so, the True Witness counsels us, saying, "Buy of me gold tried in the
fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eye-salve, that thou mayest see." RH
When
a message is presented to God's people, they should not rise up in opposition
to it; they should go to the Bible, comparing it with the law and the
testimony, and if it does not bear this test, it is not true. God wants our
minds to expand. TM 11
We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more
truth, to be given us. We are in danger of becoming careless, by our
indifference losing the sanctifying power of truth, and composing ourselves
with the thought, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing." While we must hold
fast to the truths which we have already received, we must not look with
suspicion upon any new light that God may send. GW 310 (written in 1915)
There
are glorious truths to come before the people of God. Privileges and
duties which they do not even suspect to be in the Bible will be laid open
before the followers of Christ. As they follow on in the path of humble
obedience, doing God's will, they will know more and more of the oracles of
God, and be established in right doctrines.
TKH 114
New
light will ever be revealed on the word of God to him who is in living
connection with the Sun of Righteousness. Let no one come to the conclusion
that there is no more truth to be revealed. The diligent, prayerful seeker for
truth will find precious rays of light yet to shine forth from the word of God.
Many gems are yet scattered that are to be gathered together to become the
property of the remnant people of God.
CSSW 34
There are grand truths, long hidden under the rubbish of error,
that are to be revealed to the people.
RH
As
we take up the study of God's word, we should do so with humble hearts. All
selfishness, all love of originality, should be laid aside. Long-cherished opinions
must not be regarded as infallible. It was the unwillingness of the Jews to
give up their long-established traditions that proved their ruin. They
were determined not to see any flaw in their own opinions or in their
expositions of the Scriptures; but however long men may have entertained
certain views, if they are not clearly sustained by the written word, they
should be discarded. Those who sincerely desire truth will not be reluctant
to lay open their positions for investigation and criticism, and will not be
annoyed if their opinions and ideas are crossed. This was the spirit
cherished among us forty years ago. CW
36
Do
not read the word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from
prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read, conviction
comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the
word, do not try to make the word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit
the word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to
control your understanding. Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous
things out of the law. MYP 260
Although
we have in trust the grandest and most important truth ever presented to the
world, we are only babes, as far as understanding truth in all its bearings is
concerned. CW 29
"Search
the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life." Every position
of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the
highest of the world's great men will be brought in contact with truth, and
therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by
the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be.
Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth
can be picked to pieces by historians or the world's greatest men, it will be
done. Evangelism 69
Was anyone, including
the Pioneers or Sister White, the repository of all truth that should be known
or is to be known?
If
professed Christians would but carefully and prayerfully compare their views
with the Scriptures, laying aside all pride of opinion and desire for the
supremacy, a flood of light would be shed upon the churches now wandering in
the darkness of error. As fast as his people can bear it, the Lord reveals to
them their errors in doctrine and their defects of character. From age to age
he has raised up men and qualified them to do a
special work needed in their time. But to none of these did he commit all
the light which was to be given to the world. Wisdom does not die with
them. It was not the will of God that the work of reform should cease with the
going out of Luther's life; it was not his will that at the death of the Wesleys the Christian faith should become stereotyped. The
work of reform is progressive. Go forward, is the command of our great
Leader,—forward unto victory.
We shall not be accepted and
honored of God in doing the same work that our fathers did. We do not
occupy the position which they occupied in the unfolding of truth. In order to
be accepted and honored as they were, we must improve the light which shines
upon us, as they improved that which shone upon them; we must do as they
would have done, had they lived in our day. Luther and the Wesleys were reformers in their time. It is our duty to
continue the work of reform. If we neglect to heed the light, it will become
darkness; and the degree of darkness will be proportionate to the light
rejected.
The
prophet of God declares that in the last days knowledge shall be increased. There are
new truths to be revealed to the humble seeker. The teachings of God's word are
to be freed from the errors and superstition with which they have been
encumbered. Doctrines that are not sanctioned by the Scriptures have been
widely taught, and many have honestly accepted them; but when the truth is
revealed, it becomes the duty of every one to accept it. Those who allow
worldly interests, desire for popularity, or pride of opinion, to separate them
from the truth, must render an account to God for their neglect."
4SP 186
God
has not given to any one man all the knowledge and wisdom. He entrusts to
different ones to different gifts needed for the accomplishment of the work to
be done in this world. RH
What
If Our Ministers Reject A Message?
How
shall we search the Scriptures in order to understand what they teach? We
should come to the investigation of God's word with a contrite heart, a
teachable and prayerful spirit. We are not to think, as did the Jews, that our
own ideas and opinions are infallible; nor with the papists, that
certain individuals are the sole guardians of truth and knowledge, that
men have no right to search the Scriptures for themselves, but must accept the
explanations given by the fathers of the church. We should not study the Bible
for the purpose of sustaining our preconceived opinions, but with the single
object of learning what God has said.
Some
have feared that if in even a single point they acknowledge themselves in error, other minds would be led to doubt the whole theory of
truth. Therefore they have felt that investigation should not be permitted,
that it would tend to dissension and disunion. But if such is to be the
result of investigation, the sooner it comes the
better. If there are those whose faith in God's word will not stand the
test of an investigation of the Scriptures, the sooner they are revealed the
better; for then the way will be opened to show them their error. We
cannot hold that a position once taken, an idea once advocated, is not, under
any circumstances, to be relinquished. There is but One who is infallible--He
who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Those
who allow prejudice to bar the mind against the reception of truth cannot
receive the divine enlightenment. Yet, when a view of Scripture is
presented, many do not ask, Is it true--in harmony
with God's word? but, By whom is it advocated? and unless it comes through the very channel that pleases
them, they do not accept it. So thoroughly satisfied are they with their own
ideas that they will not examine the Scripture evidence with a desire to learn,
but refuse to be interested, merely because of their prejudices.
The
Lord often works where we least expect Him; He surprises us by revealing His
power through instruments of His own choice, while He passes by the men to
whom we have looked as those through whom light should come. God desires us
to receive the truth upon its own merits--because it is truth.
The Bible must not be interpreted to suit the ideas of men, however
long they may have held these ideas to be true. We are not
to accept the opinion of commentators as the voice of God; they were erring
mortals like ourselves. God has given reasoning powers to us as well as to
them. We should make the Bible its own expositor.
All
should be careful about presenting new views of Scripture before they have
given these points thorough study, and are fully prepared to sustain them from
the Bible. Introduce nothing that will cause dissension, without clear evidence
that in it God is giving a special message for this time.
But
beware of rejecting that which is truth. The great danger with our people has
been that of depending upon men and making flesh their arm. Those who have not
been in the habit of searching the Bible for themselves, or weighing evidence,
have confidence in the leading men and accept the decisions they make; and thus
many will reject the very messages God sends to His people, if these leading brethren
do not accept them.
No
one should claim that he has all the light there is for God's people. The Lord
will not tolerate this. He has said, "I have set before thee an open door,
and no man can shut it." Even if all our leading men should refuse light
and truth, that door will still remain open. The Lord will raise up men who will give the people the message for this
time. TM 105-107
Much
has been lost because our ministers and people have concluded that we have had
all the truth essential for us as a people; but such a conclusion is
erroneous and in harmony with the deceptions of Satan; for truth will be
constantly unfolding. ST
I
stated that I was a stockholder and I could not let the resolution pass, that
there was to be special light for God's people as they neared the closing
scenes of this earth's history. Another angel was to come from heaven with a
message, and the whole earth was to be lightened with his glory. It would be
impossible for us to state just how this additional light would come. It might
come in a very unexpected manner, in a way that would
not agree with the ideas that many have conceived. It is not at all unlikely,
or contrary to the ways and works of God, to send light to His people in
unexpected ways. Would it be right that every avenue should be closed in our
school so that the students could not have the benefit of this light? --Letter
22, 1889. 13 MR 334
Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go
out in darkness. PK 188
The
Lord has a controversy with his professed people in these last days. In this
controversy men in responsible positions will take a course directly opposite
to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not only ignore and despise the
Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep it from others by burying it
beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In churches and in large
gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge upon the people the necessity
of keeping the first day of the week. There are calamities on sea and land: and
these calamities will increase, one disaster following close upon another; and
the little band of conscientious Sabbath-keepers will be pointed out as the
ones who are bringing the wrath of God upon the world by their disregard of
Sunday. RH
Nothing
frightens me more than to see the spirit of variance manifested by our
brethren. We are on dangerous ground
when we cannot meet together like Christians, and courteously examine controverted points. I feel like fleeing from the place lest
I receive the mold of those who cannot candidly investigate the doctrines of
the Bible. Those who cannot impartially examine the evidences of a position
that differs from theirs, are not fit to teach in any
department of God's cause. RH
Some
will ask why it is that these messengers who fed us
with the bread from heaven, should make a mistake? They will say, Why did we accept some things that we needed, and why did we
accept other things that we should have let alone? Why was not the danger-signal
lifted? There has been danger for years. Men who have been chosen of God to do
a special work have been imperiled because the people have looked to the men in
the place of looking to God. When Eld.