BE FREE by Mrs. A. P. Lawton

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · June 3, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 23

BE FREE.

By Mrs. A. P. Lawton

BY MRS. A. P. LAWTON.

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Of course it is not to be expected that we shall be continually upon our knees; but it is the will of God that we should be fully consecrated to him, that our confidence in his word should be implicit, and our hearts should ever be filled with the Spirit. We may then “ride upon the high places of the earth,” and by faith feed upon the heritage of Jacob our father; “for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” The people of God have become so afraid of the spirit of fanaticism, and the Holy Spirit has so long been grieved, that but little joy and sweet hope is left. A sense of a free pardon of all our sins brings with it a spirit of praise and thanksgiving which is pleasing to God. He says this is his will; without this we have the shadow without the substance.

I would not be an accuser of the brethren, but I am anxious to see God’s people forgetting their feebleness, clothed with the whole armor, speaking forth the word of God with power, living epistles, known and read of all men. God is waiting for us to come up to this standard. We ask, and then go our way, not expecting to receive an answer to our requests. As a matter of course we receive nothing; we should be disappointed if our prayers were answered. This is why so many are weak and sickly among us. God is the same as formerly. It is our sins that separate us from him; our unbelief hinders. “But,” says my brother, “we must serve God from principle, whether we have feeling or not.” This is true; but God seeks such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth, and this we cannot do without feeling. If we thus serve him, our peace will be like a river, and God will be first and last in everything.