Friday, October 15, 2021

General Conference 1891 Study of Romans SERIES: 14

 GENERAL CONFERENCE.

BATTLE CREEK, MICH.,  1891.

BIBLE STUDY.

LETTER TO THE ROMANS

BY ELDER E. J.  WAGGONER
 
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
" Rom. 8:28-30. You will notice that the verbs in these texts are all in the past tense. The blessings and promises contained here are true continually of those who are called of God, and of all who are called of God. 
 
Q: Who are called?
A: "For the promise is unto you, and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." He calls, "Whosoever will." "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
 
Satan is against us. 
Q: Who is he?
A:The prince of the power of the air." (Eph.2:2).  
He brings pestilence, he brings disease, he puts things in our way, and arrays them against us. But the very things which he arrays against us to work our ruin, God takes and makes them for us. 
 
 If we would only give more credence to God's truth
and less to Satan’s lies
it would be better for us.
 
We are like the people who are represented by the prophet Ezekiel: "Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against [about] thee
by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord
."
That is it,—they say, Come, let us go to meeting, and hear the sermon. "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not." Eze. 33:30-32.
 
 I say that a great many of these truths are just a song to many people. They hear them and are interested in them, and then pass on, but they do not believe or do them.