445. Easter Conference Testimonies 1931

Matt. 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world.” This means that the world looks at us to see if our works are good; their own conscience tells them how the children of God ought to live. We are called to be the light of the world. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. The requirement of the law was waiting to be fulfilled by human beings in the flesh, and Jesus Christ was the first one who fulfilled it. After Him, everyone who walks in the Spirit will fulfill this requirement. “Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” The law was weak because of the weakness of the flesh before Jesus came to the earth and before the Spirit was poured out. However, when God’s Spirit came in sinful flesh, it became possible for the requirement of the law to be fulfilled. God did this when He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin, and condemned sin in the flesh. Thereby He paved the new and living way through the veil, His flesh. This is the narrow way that few find, and it is this narrow, new, and living way that meets resistance everywhere. People say, “It is not possible to be so exact.” On the contrary, He has given His commandments that we should keep them exactly. [Psalm 119:4, Norw.] “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” The Pharisees taught according to the law and the prophets, so their doctrine was good enough; however, they did not do what they themselves taught others. Everything depends on works. The Inspector on Patmos says, “I know your works.” Rev. 2:2. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” That is our joy and the goal of our work; God will reward us for our toil. God has ordained it to be so, and we are well content with that. The reason so many confessing Christians are in such a poor state is quite simply that they have not kept His commandments. They do works that are outside the commandment or sometimes directly contrary to the commandment. Consequently, they cannot be blessed in what they do. Instead their works judge them. The requirement of the law is not fulfilled, and so they are unhappy.

Our goal is to make people God-fearing. We do not want to gather the multitudes. We just seek those few who want to be Jesus’ disciples; for we have learned by experience that one God-fearing soul is worth more than thousands of indifferent people. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your possessions. When we do that, God will lift us up above all difficulties, and we will always be happy and uplifted. And we will force evil under our feet.

Keep the commandments, and you will live. You can keep them if you want to, for the law of Sinai has now been included in the law of the Spirit.