Ellen White Describes Her Mission

don · 02-02-09 7:50 am

Ellen White Describes Her Mission This letter interests me more than most. I came across it while looking for the context to a Sabbath School quarterly quote (in green below). This letter can serve as an outline of Ellen White's sense of mission:<blockquote>1. A Messenger 2. A Writer and Author 3. Medical Missionary Worker 4. Temperance Speaker 5. One Who Challenges the Church to Practice the Truth 6. An Advocate for the Oppressed Within the Church 7. A Mother to Orphans </blockquote><blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:Letter To Elder O. A. Olsen, January 30, 1905 We had a very pleasant journey from College View to Battle Creek. We were given a very hearty welcome by the friends in Battle Creek. . . . (1MR 140.1) Messenger During my short stay in Battle Creek, I spoke five times, three times in the Tabernacle, once to the students in the Medical College, and once to the patients and helpers, in the Sanitarium. I had a message to bear, and the Spirit of the Lord seemed to impress those present. I know that God gave me strength to speak. On Sabbath there were about three thousand people present in the Tabernacle, and on Sunday about two thousand. (1MR 140.2) The meeting on Sunday afternoon was attended by many of the citizens of Battle Creek. They paid the best of attention. At this meeting I had opportunity to state decidedly that my views have not changed. The blessing of the Lord rested upon many of those who heard the words spoken. (1MR 140.3) I understood that some were anxious to know if Mrs. White held the same views as she did years ago when they had heard her speak in the Sanitarium grove, in the Tabernacle, and at the camp meetings held in the suburbs of Battle Creek. I assured them that the message she bears today is the same that she has borne during the sixty years of her public ministry. She has the same service to do for the Master that was laid upon her in her girlhood. She receives lessons from the same Instructor. The directions given her are, "Make known to others what I have revealed to you. Write out the messages that I give you, that the people may have them." This is what she has endeavored to do.(1MR 140.4) Writer and Author I have written many books, and they have been given a wide circulation. Of myself I could not have brought out the truths in these books, but the Lord has given me the help of His Holy Spirit. These books, giving the instruction that the Lord has given me during the past sixty years, contain light from heaven, and will bear the test of investigation. (1MR 140.5) The question is sometimes raised, "What if Mrs. White should die?" I answer: "The books that she has written will not die. They area living witness to what saith the Scriptures". . . . (1MR 141.1) Does Not Claim to be a Prophetess During the discourse I said that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Some were surprised at this statement, and as much is being said in regard to it, I will make an explanation. Others have called me a prophetess, but I have never assumed that title. I have not felt that it was my duty to thus designate myself. Those who boldly assume that they are prophets in this our day are often a reproach to the cause of Christ. (1MR 141.2) My work includes much more than this name signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord with messages for His people. . . . (1MR 141.3) Medical Missionary Worker The Lord gave me great light on health reform. In connection with my husband, I was to be a medical missionary worker. I was to set an example to the church by taking the sick to my home and caring for them. This I have done, myself giving the women and children most vigorous treatment. Temperance Speaker I was also to speak on the subject of Christian temperance, as the Lord's appointed messenger. I engaged heartily in this work, and spoke to large assemblies on temperance in its broadest and truest sense. (1MR 141.4) Urge Sanctification; The Practicing of the Truth I was instructed that I must ever urge upon these who profess to believe the truth, the necessity of practicing this truth. This means sanctification, and sanctification means the culture and training of every capability for the Lord's service. (1MR 141.5) Advocate Justice for the Oppressed in SDA Institutions I was charged not to neglect or pass by those who were being wronged. The Lord presented such cases before me, and disagreeable though the duty may be, I am to reprove the oppressor, and plead for justice. I am to present the necessity of maintaining justice and equity in all our institutions. Letter 55, 1905, pp. 1-5. (To Elder O.A. Olsen, January 30, 1905.) (For variant reading, see Ms 140, 1905,pp. 1-3.) (1MR 141.6) Care for Orphans After my marriage I was instructed that I must show a special interest in motherless and fatherless children, taking some under my own charge, for a time, and then finding homes for them. Thus I would be giving others an example of what they could do. (1MR 139.2) I have felt it my duty to bring before our people that for which those in every church should feel a responsibility. I have taken children from three to five years of age, and have educated them, and trained them for responsible positions. I have taken into my home from time to time boys from ten to sixteen years of age, giving them motherly care and a training for service. These boys have now grown to manhood, and some of them occupy positions of trust in our institutions. One was for many years head pressman in the Review and Herald publishing house. Another stood for years as foreman of the type department in the Review and Herald. . . . (1MR 139.3) In Australia I carried on this same work, taking into my home orphan children, who were in danger of being exposed to temptations that might cause the loss of their souls. (1MR 139.4) While we were in Australia we worked as medical missionaries in every sense of the word. At times I made my home in Cooranbong an asylum for the sick and afflicted. My secretary, who had received a training in the Battle Creek Sanitarium, stood by my side, and did the work of a missionary nurse. No charge was made for her services, and we won the confidence of the people by the interest that we manifested in the sick and suffering. Letter 55, 1905, pp. 6, 7. (To Elder O. A.Olsen, January 30, 1905.) (1MR 139.5) MR No. 37 - Statements for Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts [Release requested by Elder L. H. Christian for use in his book, The Fruitage of the Prophetic gift.] (1MR 139.1)<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote> .

bob · 02-02-09 12:58 pm

I suppose that if you are a devote you would consider all this as being Oh so wonderful. To me it is a how great I am. More later.

don · 02-02-09 8:56 pm

To me it is a how great I am. I view her letter in a mixed way. It is, to me, quite a refreshing description of how she saw herself. The letter also depicts the personality cult that had developed around her, focused on her, that was inevitable, IMO. She seems to have been caught up in the adulation. Ever watch an interview with someone who knows they are admired by their fans? The church must fight the tendency to enshrine her with such veneration. .

elaine · 02-02-09 10:11 pm

The church must fight the tendency to enshrine her with such veneration. I'm afraid there was no fight at all for most of Adventism's history, in fact it was just the opposite: She was the last word on any subject that was up for discussion or decisions. The fight was not lost; there never was one. Even the official publications continue to quote her; the Review always has at least one article by this long-dead person, and preachers still quote her and she is still the subject of study in all SDA schools.

don · 02-02-09 11:08 pm

Even the official publications continue to quote her; the Review always has at least one article by this long-dead person, and preachers still quote her and she is still the subject of study in all SDA schools. I don't see any problem with presenting her essays in our publications. Our preacher's from the pulpit need to preach the Word. We do value her ministry and there are appropriate times to thoroughly study what she has written. (I have developed <a href="http://essaysbyellenwhite.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/1901-letter-re-alonzo-barry/" target="_blank">a blog</a> featuring her writings.) She deserves a respected place in the Adventist world. IMO, the revelation of her short-comings has been a blessing to the church. It forces the church to moderate its tendency to venerate her. .

elaine · 02-02-09 11:47 pm

The church is certainly doing their utmost to make sure that her influence and writings are not ever forgotten. Is there an inference that preaching the "Word" is not just the Bible but also EGW?

maggie · 02-03-09 12:08 am

Let's just remember that the "revelation" of her shortcomings was fought tooth and nail by Ellen White herself and by virtually all her official mouthpieces for quite some time, to the extent of outright denial. People got fired. Families broke up. Worse. Honestly, it creeps me out how lovely this is all made to sound. It was chaotic, dishonest, abusive, heartbreaking and tragic. Most of all, it was unnecessary. Let it be what it was. For God's sake. (Message edited by maggie on February 02, 2009)

don · 02-03-09 6:46 am

Is there an inference that preaching the "Word" is not just the Bible but also EGW? It would be better to offer evidence for such a charge. Just the same, IMO, the Adventist Church needs to remember the purpose of the Scriptural canon. One of the main reasons that the canon was developed was to have a list of writings authorized for reading in worship services. I have never witnessed EGW's writings being used for such a reading. This is the role of the canon. As the readers on this forum know, I respect Ellen White's writings but they are not part of the Scriptures. The preacher must preach from the Scriptures, not from Ellen White's writings. I serve as a teacher "float" for the Sabbath School at my church. Last Sabbath, I had the privilege of teaching a class for a teacher who was absent. This quarter is about the Gift of Prophecy, of course. As a class, we examined some of the points we discuss here. A concern of mine is that we know the sources of our understandings. Eg. Genesis 11 tells of the Tower of Babel. Why did they build the tower? The first answer is: "to try to avoid another flood." Intuitively, this seems to be true. But, this point cannot be derived from the Scripture. Where does it come from? <blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!>quote:The dwellers on the plain of Shinar disbelieved God's covenant that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth. Many of them denied the existence of God and attributed the Flood to the operation of natural causes. Others believed in a Supreme Being, and that it was He who had destroyed the antediluvian world; and their hearts, like that of Cain, rose up in rebellion against Him. One object before them in the erection of the tower was to secure their own safety in case of another deluge. By carrying the structure to a much greater height than was reached by the waters of the Flood, they thought to place themselves beyond all possibility of danger. And as they would be able to ascend to the region of the clouds, they hoped to ascertain the cause of the Flood. The whole undertaking was designed to exalt still further the pride of its projectors and to turn the minds of future generations away from God and lead them into idolatry. Patriarchs and Prophets (1890), page 119, paragraph 1<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>I do not challenge the truth of what Ellen White says, but I do believe we need to know how what she says compares with what the Bible says. If we don't know this, we will not be properly prepared to discuss the Bible with those of other faiths. .

maggie · 02-03-09 10:36 am

Adventism is slippery. So much of it is tacit, admitted only to insiders, or not even at all. Deniability is the name of the game. If anything, the "revelations of EGW's shortcomings" have served to hone and perfect all this secretiveness. Far from being a blessing to the church, it has made the church even less authentic and more dangerous to people's mental health than before because of the sophistication of the defenses developed. Ellen White's "shortcomings" were not academic. She took a lot of people down with her when she thought that her writings were the latest revelations from God, even when they contradicted each other. A lot of people never recovered. There are hundreds of thousands of former Adventists. God only knows what they carry in their hearts. It certainly seems Adventists aren't interested in doing anything but simplistically explaining away those hundreds of thousands of people and their experiences. Ellen White's shortcomings were not academic and the historical, human repercussions of them can't be solved on paper. This is an intergenerational species of idolatry that continues to harm living breathing people and this idolatry is, as always, merely being passed along to the next generation to deal with, like the hot potato it has always been. Not fair. IMO.

heipauli · 02-03-09 11:08 am

100 FIM equalled 1572,2 euros in 2008. That 100 FIM (Finnish marks) was the 1st prize in Finnish SDA Bible contest competition in adult series, won, how it happened, by me. The 2nd was one of my cousins. She is still an SDA. I am not. I am not, because I knew my Bible and my EGW better than she. Below is a picture, which came with the money. So it is dangerous to know one's Bible too well. <img src="http://www.atomorrow.net/discus/messages/10/392.jpg" alt="palkinto">

heipauli · 02-03-09 11:11 am

Correction: below is a picture of the card, which came with the money.

heipauli · 02-03-09 11:18 am

Correction #2 The sum was 157,22 euros. I woke up just recently and obviously left some of my faculties lying in the bed ;-( But the 100 FIM is real. Everyone is free to check the conversion calculation to year 2008 euros.

elaine · 02-03-09 6:09 pm

Pauli. that's the problem in a nutshell: People who know their Bible FIRST will not confuse EGW and the Bible, as most Adventists do. They develop a collective memory of what they have been told, or read from both the Bible and EGW and no longer can differentiate. An example by Don above: While EGW says the reason the people built the tower of Babel was to escape in case of a future flood, the Bible says absolutely nothing about a future flood: Gen. 11:2: "Now as they moved eastward they found a plain in the land of Shinar where they settled. They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire'....Let us build ourselves a town and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves, so that we may not be scattered about the whole earth.'" Not a single mention of the flood there, only that their language became confused. That is one of many instances where EGW added to, contradicted, or did not write what agreed with the Bible. If you want a complete list, there are many web sites that list plenty of them.

elaine · 02-03-09 6:23 pm

A site that is very informative on EGW: www.whitestate.org/issues/contradictions.html Another is: www.truthorfables.com/EGW_contradicts.... (Message edited by Elaine on February 03, 2009)

roca · 02-03-09 9:26 pm

I would wager that the idea of the tower of Babel as a way out in case of flood did not originate with Ellen White. It like the Lucifer myth and that Noah preached for 120 years or that Adam and Eve were instructed in the meaning of sacrifices when God made them coats is just one of those many traditions that spring up in the Christian church. They just pick up more authority in Adventism because Ellen used those traditions in her stories. There is to my knowledge very little that Ellen White originated on her own. Perhaps some of her details about the fall of Satan and maybe the idea of some wicked suffering for days and weeks for Satan to die in the end.

elaine · 02-03-09 10:24 pm

Even one of the most used text: "All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy (2 Tim. 3:16), when written was referring to the Septuagint (the NT was not yet written or canonized) which is what Jesus and apostles quoted. The Septuagint contained some of the apocryphal books: Tobit, Judith, the 1st and 2nd Book of Maccabees, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch. None of these are now in the OT that Christians use. These books were not only quote in Scripture, but by EGW as well. (Doesn't she refer to fighting over Moses' body which is from the Book of Enoch?)

don · 02-04-09 9:20 am

when written was referring to the Septuagint (the NT was not yet written or canonized) which is what Jesus and apostles quoted Jesus and the apostles certainly used what we refer to as the Old Testament. It is not proven that He used the Septuagint. Some of the evidence suggests otherwise. I have only begun my own study of this. Here are some thoughts for further discussion:<blockquote>1) The Scriptures of the Jesus' day was a collection of scrolls, not one scroll. The Sadducees only recognized the first five books of the Bible. I understand that for some time the Septuagint was just a translation of those first five books. The rest, including the Deuterocanon (The Apocrypha) were added later. What was the status of the Deuterocanon at the time of Christ? 2) <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205;&version=47;" target="_blank">Matthew 5:17-18</a> refers to an "<a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2503&t=KJV" target="_blank">iota</a>." The iota was the smallest Hebrew letter. Greek does not use an iota. 3) The Dead Sea Scrolls contain evidence that Hebrew was used in the time of Christ, not just Greek. 4) The Masoretes followed strict rules of copying. After making a new copy, I understand that they destroyed the old copies. The absence of Hebrew manuscripts does not prove that Hebrews as not used in earlier times than the oldest Masoretic text, dated around 900 A.D., I think. 5) Jesus referred to the deaths of Abel to Zecharias. The Hebrew sequence of Scripture easily explains why He used these two as beginning and ending of the history of Hebrew martyrs. The Septuagint contains stories of martyrs who died after Zecharias, doesn't it? </blockquote>I think a thread that examines this would be useful. Regarding Ellen White, in her early youthful ministry, she went so far as to say, of the Apocrypha, that the "wise should understand it." .

elaine · 02-04-09 3:25 pm

Were Tobit, Judith, Macabees, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch inspired? They were all included in the Septuagint which was the one used by alo the NT writers. The large majority of OT references in the NT are taken from the Greek Septuagint, which includes the deuterocanonical books. Many were added later, including an addition to Esther, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Prophets. Most of the "Writings," together with Judge and 2-4 Kings, were probably translated in the 1st century B.C., while Ecclesiastes and Daniel dte onloy from the 2nd century of the Christian era. In some books the translators took the liberty of making considerable additions to the original, e.g. those to Daniel, and these additions became a part of the Septuagint. The Septuagint was widely accepted and used by Greek-speaking Jews in the the first century, even in the region of Roman Judea, ahd therefore naturally became the text most widely used by early Christians, who were predominantly Greek speaking. In the NT, Hebrews 11:35 refers to an event that was only explicity recorded in 2 Macabees 7. Other NT authors also quote period literature which was familiar to the audience but that was neither included in the OT or the deutrocanonical books. For instance, Paul cites Greek writers and philosophers, and the author of Hebrews references oral tradition which spoke of OT prophet who was sawn in half in Heb. 11:37, two verses after the 2 Macabees reference. The KJV OT is translated from the Masoretic Hebrew, not the original Hebrew. By the time the KJV came around, the original Hebrew had been lost. What the Masorites did, between the 8th and 10th centuries, was that they took the liberty within themselves to add vowel signs to the original Hebrew alphabet. The Hebrew alphabet is different from all other alphabets (it has only 22 letters and no vowels). For example, the English alphabet must take letters and put them into groups and call them words, but in Hebrew, the letters themselves are words. If there aren't any vowels in the Hebrew alphabet, they were added, essentially creating words, which is why the NT quotations of the OT vary so much, because the writers of the NT quoted from the Septuagint, not the Masoretic Hebrew text. When Jesus said "Search the Scriptures...., he was not talking about the KJV for the only "Scripture" in existence at this was the Septuagint and the Hebrew OT books. Another example: in 2 Tim. 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind ." You can search the KJV for what a "sound mind" is, but you will never find it. You will find it in the Septuagint, however: Prov. 9:10 (KJV): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Prov. 9:10 (LXX): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the council of saints is understanding: for to know the law is the character of a sound mind." The KJV leaves out half of this verse. Another total contradiction found in the two: Prov. 18:19 (KJV): "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle." Pfov. 18:19 (LXX): A brother helped by a brother is a strong and high city; and is as strong as a well-founded palace." These are diametrically opposed. There are numerous contradictory verses in the KJV. It is not even translated from the original Hebrew, but largely from the Masoretic Hebrew, which came about between the 8th and 10th century }after Christ! But the Septuagint WAS translated from the original Hebrew 285 years before Christ! How important is it that we have the best Bible translation?

heipauli · 02-04-09 3:53 pm

Bravo, Elaine! you explained very well the situation I've tried to hammer to SDA skulls. Even most SDA pastors here in Finland do not know the facts you presented, or at least pretend not to know. The same applies to many Lutheran priests, I have noticed to my surprise. What do they actually teach in theological seminaries and faculties? Beats me!

elaine · 02-04-09 4:05 pm

Pauli, the studies I have pursued have not been in theology, but in history, particularly Christian History (in which I received a M.A.). Curiosity drives me: Why? When? How? Where? What are the origins of what we believe, and often take for granted because someone, supposedly better educated, (M.Div) has all the answers. What exactly do Adventist seminaries teach? Surely, someone here on this forum could tell us. But, assuredly, they must be well-versed in SDA doctrines; EGW, Homiletics (how to prepare a sermon and how to preach). How much UNBIASED history of religions do they get? Who knows?

roca · 02-04-09 9:25 pm

How important is it to have the best Bible translation? No too important really unless one refuses to look at the other translations. If you look at the many you will likely see different ways of understanding and even different ways of understanding can lead one to God. Look at the proverbs Elaine gave us: Prov. 18:19 (KJV): "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle." Pfov. 18:19 (LXX): A brother helped by a brother is a strong and high city; and is as strong as a well-founded palace." Which one is better? Hardly matters they are both useful messages about the human condition. Even a statement like all is vanity can be useful even if it is not true because love is not vanity even if there was nothing after this life love is worthwhile.

don · 02-05-09 2:21 am

But the Septuagint WAS translated from the original Hebrew 285 years before Christ! I wonder how original the Hebrew was even back then. Recall that people made light of the Masoretic Text of 900 A.D. until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The amazing similarities between the <a href="http://www.atomorrow.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=8&post=56060#POST56060" target="_blank">Isaiah of the DSS</a> and the MT raised the MT's reputation as a reliable text, didn't it? Doesn't the date 285 create some "liberal" dilemmas re: Daniel? Antiochus Epiphanes (sp?) did his work in the 160's, didn't he? Yet, the liberal points to predictions in Daniel and says it was fulfilled, after the fact, by Antiochus. I have no thorough training on the LXX but isn't it better to say that the LXX developed over several centuries? That being said, the role of the LXX as an influence on the NT Writers is a worthy study. Though the Septuagint compares quite favorably, not all the quotes line up with it. On atomorrow.com's <a href="http://www.atomorrow.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=8&post=74695#POST74695" target="_blank">Post #74695</a>, Neal provided this link. It gives a very thorough analysis comparing the LXX and the Masoretic Text with the New Testament quotes: <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/7224/Rick/Septuagint/spexecsum.htm" target="_blank">The Septuagint in the New Testament</a> How do the Dead Sea Scrolls compare with the Septuagint and the Masoretic text? Here is another link by the same person: <a href="http://www.geocities.com/r_grant_jones/Rick/Septuagint/spappendix.htm" target="_blank">Dead Sea Scrolls-Septuagint Alignments Against the Masoretic Text</a> Further Notes R. Grant Jones is the author of the two links provided. Rodney J. Decker of the Baptist Bible Seminary quotes Jones on his <a href="http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/lxx.htm" target="_blank">LXX Resources</a> site: "I am not an expert in either Greek or Hebrew. A physicist by education, I have no formal training in religion, theology or scripture studies." . (Message edited by Don on February 05, 2009)

elaine · 02-05-09 9:59 pm

The Septuagint did not contain all the present books of the Bible when it was first available in the late 3rd century. Many books were added later Also, the book of Daniel was written in three different languages and at different times: Daniel 1:1 - 2:3 written in Hebrew Daniel 2:4 - 7:28 Aramaic Daniel 8-12 Hebrew The numerous anachronistic references in Daniel preclude its early date. The fact that the book in the Hebrew Bible is placed among the Writings rather than the Prophets indicates a late date. If it had been in existence before ca. 200 B.C. it probably would have been included rather among the Prophets, as it now stands in the English Bible. Daniel and his three companions are menioned in 1 Macc. 2:59-60, means it was probably composed late in the 2nd century, apparently produced at the same time were found among the Dead Sea scrolls.

elaine · 06-22-09 9:56 pm

For those who were taught EGW was the Spirit of Prophecy and an "authoritative" voice comparable to the Bible, here are some of her comments. Do you believe what she wrote: Some gems from the SOP: "From what was shown me, there is a great work to be accomplished for you before you can be accepted in the sight of God" (Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 84). "You have a great work to do. ... It is impossible for you to be saved as you are" (Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 316). "As you are, you would mar all heaven. You are uncultivated, unrefined, and unsanctified. There is no place in heaven for such a character as you now possess. ... You are further today from the standard of Christian perfection ... than you were a few months after you had received the truth" (Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 465). "As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. BEGINNING WITH THOSE WHO FIRST LIVED UPON THE EARTH, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected." The Great Controversy [1888 edition], p. 483 Fear? Oh yes, pleanty of it. It was the stock and trade of EGW and it is still standard operating procedure to keep church members in line whenever they attempt to think for themselves. Oh, and don't bother questioning the SOP either. She already had that covered and instilled the proper fear of God for any who dared to do so. "Yet, now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You thereby insulted the Spirit of God." Testimonies 5, p. 64. "In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. I do not write one article in the paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision--the precious rays of light shining from the throne." Testimonies 5 p. 67. "If you lessen the confidence of God’s people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God as were Korah, Dathan, and Abriam." Testimonies 5 p. 66. "The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil. In arraying yourself against the servants of God you are doing a work either for God or for the devil." Testimonies 4 p. 230. But I suppose these quotes and hundreds of others are supposed to instill assurance and comfort, right?

don · 06-23-09 1:09 am

"You have a great work to do. ... It is impossible for you to be saved as you are" (Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 316). Let's examine EGW's letter to Sister S.<blockquote> Dear Sister S: Some things have been shown me in reference to you. You have not a sense of your true state. You need a deep and thorough work of grace in your heart. You need to set your heart and your house in order. Your example in your family is not worthy of imitation. You come up to a low standard, but fail to reach the standard elevated by our divine Lord. You love to visit and talk, and you say many things unbecoming a Christian. Your statements are exaggerated and frequently come far from the truth. Your words and acts will judge you in the last day. By them you will be justified or by them condemned. Your education has not been of an ennobling character, therefore there is the greatest necessity of your now training and educating yourself to purity of thought and action. Train your thoughts so that it will be easy for them to dwell upon pure and holy things. Cultivate a love for spirituality and true godliness. (2T 314.3) Your conversation is often of a low order. You are deceiving your own soul, and this delusion will prove fatal unless you arouse to see yourself as you are and turn unto God with true humbleness of mind. You are inclined to be deceptive. Your son has not an experimental knowledge of God or of the sacred claims of truth. He is flattered by his parents that he is a Christian, but he is a most miserable representative of Sabbathkeeping Christians. God forbid that we acknowledge such as being Christlike. You do not discipline your boy. He is self-willed and bigoted. He has but very little sense of true courtesy or even common politeness. He is rough and uncultivated, unloving and unlovable. You represent to others that he is a Christian, and by so doing you disgrace the cause of Christ. This boy is in a fair way of becoming an educated hypocrite. He has no control over himself, yet you flatter him that he is a Christian. (2T 315.1) The work of reform must commence with you. You should become chaste in conversation, and a keeper at home, loving home duties, loving your husband and child. You should study to economize your time so as not to overtax your strength. The light burden of home duties which you have to perform you can bear without overtaxation if you exercise perseverance and proper diligence. But you have a work to do to control the tongue. It is a little member and boasteth great things, but it needs the bridle of grace and the bit of self-control to keep it from running at random. Your conversation is of a low order, and you indulge in much cheap talk. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (2T 315.2) May the Lord convict you of these things as you read these lines. I entreat of you to put on the meek dignity of a wife and mother. There is a responsibility resting upon the father. Your efforts sho0uld be united to control your son, who is fast traveling the road to perdition. You should earnestly seek for the inward adorning, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. With patience, grace, and sweet humility you can teach your poor, deceived boy the first principles of Christianity, and true politeness, or Christian courtesy. You are frequently hasty and boisterous. Oh, how important that you see the work to be done for you, before it shall be forever too late! Now Jesus invites you to come to Him, and to learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart. The promise He has given you is sure, that you will find rest in Him. You have a great work to do. Deceive not your own souls, but examine yourselves as in the light of eternity. It is impossible for you to be saved as you are. (2T 316.1) Sister S, your husband might be of some use in the church if your influence were what it ought to be. But your example and influence disqualify him to exert a sanctifying influence in the church. Home influences more than counteract his efforts for good. You are wholly unqualified to be the wife of an elder of the church. God calls upon you to reform. Your husband has a work to do to set his heart and house in order. When he is converted, then can he strengthen his brethren. (2T 316.2) As a family, you need to be sanctified through the truth. Dear sister, will you see the work to be done for you and take hold of it without delay, that your influence may be saving? Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (2T 317.1) There are enough profitable subjects upon which to meditate and converse. The conversation of the Christian should be in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour. Meditation upon heavenly things is profitable, and will ever be accompanied with the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Our calling is holy, our profession exalted. God is purifying unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. He is sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver. When the dross and tin are removed, then His image will be perfectly reflected in us. Then the prayer of Christ for His disciples will be answered in us: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." When the truth has a sanctifying influence upon our hearts and lives, we can render to God acceptable service and can glorify Him upon the earth, being partakers of the divine nature and having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2T 317.2) Oh, how many will be found unready when the Master shall come to reckon with His servants! Many have meager ideas of what constitutes a Christian. Self-righteousness will then be of no avail. Only those can stand the test who shall be found having on the righteousness of Christ, who are imbued with His spirit, and walk even as He walked, in purity of heart and life. The conversation must be holy, and then the words will be seasoned with grace. (2T 317.3) May the Lord help you as a family to get right, to be elevated in life, and in all your acts to honor your profession. (2T 318.1) </blockquote> Notes 1) EGW is concerned about the influence of this family for good. She challenges Sister S to raise the standard of conversation and manners for herself and her boy. 2) EGW presents a Christian life which includes definite expectations of behavior. She challenges Mom to discipline her self-willed, bigoted, impolite boy. She challenges Mom to raise the level of conversation. 3) It seems that Sister S's husband has church responsibilities. EGW challenges Sister S as his wife to help him in his work. She asserts that he can be more effective in leadership if her behavior was truly kindly and Christian. 4) I see this letter as an extension of what EGW always tried to accomplish from her youth onward. You may recall how she would work for the salvation of her young friends; seeking for their conversion and acceptance of Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. 5) I suspect that later on, after the revival of 1888 and the early 1890's, her counsel may have focused more on Jesus as the solution to the matters addressed, but the basic issues would not change, I don't think. 6) This counsel is no longer for Sister S. She is long gone. But, it serves as a reminder to us that Christianity, at least the kind espoused by EGW, brings with it expected ways of living; changes in lifestyle; an elevation of the tenor of the conversation. 7) It presents the family unit as having influence for good or for ill. EGW's Christianity challenges a person to reach for a higher standard of existence than the petty, deceptive, self-oriented way of life to one of elevated thoughts and ideas, true courtesy and carefulness of conversation; seeking to be uplifting and positive. 8) As in most things of life, one can describe EGW's counsel as reasonable and sensible or extreme and demanding. As long as one turns to Jesus for resolution, the EGW challenge in this letter is positive, IMO. .

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