The remnant whom the Lord shall call
General Introduction
Many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ are becoming conformed to this world and seek more earnestly the applause of those around them than the approbation of God. They are cold and formal, like the nominal churches from which they but a short time since separated. The words addressed to the Laodicean church describe their present condition perfectly. (See Revelation 3:14-20.) They are “neither cold nor hot,” but “lukewarm”. And unless they heed the counsel of the “faithful and true Witness,” and zealously repent and obtain “gold tried in the fire,” “white raiment,” and “eye-salve,” He will spew them out of His mouth.
The time has come when a large portion of those who once rejoiced and shouted aloud for joy in view of the immediate coming of the Lord are on the ground of the churches and the world who once derided them for believing that Jesus was coming, and circulated all manner of falsehoods to raise prejudice against them and destroy their influence. Now, if any one longs after the living God, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and God gives him to feel His power, and satisfies his longing soul by shedding abroad His love in his heart, and if he glorifies God by praising Him, he is, by these professed believers in the soon coming of the Lord, often considered deluded, and charged with being mesmerised or having some wicked spirit.
Many of these professed Christians dress, talk, and act like the world, and the only thing by which they may be known is their profession. Though they profess to be looking for Christ, their conversation is not in heaven, but on worldly things. “What manner of persons” ought those to be “in all holy conversation and godliness,” who profess to be “looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.” 2 Peter 3:11, 12. “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3. But it is evident that many who bear the name of Adventist study more to decorate their bodies and to appear well in the eyes of the world than they do to learn from the Word of God how they may be approved of Him.
What if the lovely Jesus, our pattern, should make His appearance among them and the professors of religion generally, as at His first advent? He was born in a manger. Follow Him through His life and ministry. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. These professed Christians would be ashamed of the meek and lowly Saviour who wore a plain, seamless coat, and had not where to lay His head. His spotless, self-denying life would condemn them; His holy solemnity would be a painful restraint upon their lightness and vain laughter; His guileless conversation would be a check to their worldly and covetous conversation; His declaring the unvarnished, cutting truth would manifest their real character, and they would wish to get the meek pattern, the lovely Jesus, out of the way as soon as possible. They would be among the first to try to catch Him in His words, and raise the cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
Let us follow Jesus as He so meekly rode into Jerusalem, when “the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, . . . saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy disciples. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” A large portion of those who profess to be looking for Christ would be as forward as the Pharisees were to have the disciples silenced, and they would doubtless raise the cry, “Fanaticism! Mesmerism! Mesmerism!” And the disciples, spreading their garments and branches of palm trees in the way, would be thought extravagant and wild. But God will have a people on the earth who will not be so cold and dead but that they can praise and glorify Him. He will receive glory from some people, and if those of His choice, those who keep His commandments, should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out.’ Early Writings, pages 107-109.
Compiler’s note: In this series of lessons, we will try to answer Peter’s question: ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?’ Our inspiration for this study came from studying the characteristics of those who were prominent in the early Second Advent Movement. Among the qualities noted were: zeal and commitment, earnestness, enthusiasm for God’s cause, a willingness to sacrifice, a love for souls, a willingness to deal with fanaticism, patience in waiting for God’s guidance, a desire to move forward in unity, a group study approach to Bible study, an awareness of the system of truth, placing new light within the system, a realisation that God is desiring to separate His people from worldly influences, the need for a revival of true godliness, the importance of a reform in health and lifestyle, that the Bible, and the Bible only, is the foundation of all truth and doctrine, and the need for God’s people to be organised in the Lord’s work.
While these were fallible men and women, we may gain inspiration from those qualities and practices that enabled God to use them to arouse the world to the almost forgotten news that Jesus is coming again. Those who live on the very brink of that momentous event should not come behind them ‘in all holy conversation and godliness.’ It is the compiler’s hope and prayer that God will raise up again ‘a peculiar [special] people, zealous of good works’ whom He might redeem from all iniquity and purify unto Himself. [Titus 2:14.]