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84 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Philosophy and Faith

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  Peace be unto you. On reaching Jerusalem, the two disciples enter at the
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  Eastern Gate, which is open at night on festal occasions. The houses are
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  dark and silent, but the travelers make their way through the narrow streets by
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  the light of the rising moon. They go to the upper Chamber, where
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  Jesus spent the hours of the last evening before his death. Here they know
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  that their brethren are to be found. Late as it is, they know
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  that the disciples will not sleep till they learn for a certainty what has become
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  of the body of their Lord. They find the door of the chamber securely
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  barred. They knock for admission, but no answer comes. All is still.
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  Then they give their names, the doors carefully unbarred, They enter,
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  and another unseen enters with them. Then the door is again fastened to keep
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  out spies. The travelers find all in surprised excitement. The voices of those
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  in the room break out into thanksgiving and pray, saying the Lord is risen
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  indeed, and hath appeared Simon. Then and the two travelers, panting with
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  the haste with which they have made their journey, tell the wondrous story of
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  how Jesus has appeared to them. They have just ended, and some are
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  saying that they cannot believe it, for it is too good to be true.
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  When behold another person stands before them, every eye is fastened upon the
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  stranger. No one is not for entrance. No footstep has been heard.
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  The disciples are startled and wonder what it means. Then they hear a voice
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  which is no other than the voice of their master, clear and distinct.
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  The words fall from his lips, Peace be unto you. But they were
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  terrified and affrighted, and suppose that they had seen a spirit. And he
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  said it to them, why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise
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  in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself.
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  Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as
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  ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them
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  his hands and feet. They beheld the hands and feet marred by the cruel
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  nails. They recognized his voice like no other they had ever heard. And
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  while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said, unto them,
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  have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a
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  broiled fish, and of an honeycomb, and he took it and did eat
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  before them. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Faith
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  and joy took the place of unbelief, and with feelings which no words could
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  express, they acknowledged their risen Savior. At the birth of Jesus, the
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  Angel announced peace on earth and good will to men. And now at his
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  first appearance to the disciples after his resurrection, the Savior addressed them with the
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  blessed words, peace be unto you. Jesus is ever ready to speak peace
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  to souls that are burdened with doubts and fears. He waits for us to
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  open the door of the heart to him and say, abide with us.
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  He says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any
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  man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him
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  and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation three twenty.
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  The resurrection of Jesus was a type but the final resurrection of all who sleep
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  in him. The countenance of the risen Savior, his manner, his speech
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  were all familiar to his disciples. As Jesus arose the dead, so those
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  who sleep in him are to rise again, we shall know our friends,
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  even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased,
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  or disfigured in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry.
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  Yet in the glorified body, their identity will be perfectly preserved. Then
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  shall we know, even as also we are known first Corinthian thirteen twelve.
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  In the face radiant, with the light shining from the face of Jesus,
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  we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love. When Jesus met with his
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  disciples, he reminded them of the words he had spoken to them before his
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  death, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law
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  of Moses and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning him. Then
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  opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them,
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  thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and derise
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  from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should
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  be preached in his name among all nations. Beginning at Jerusalem and year witnesses
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  of these things, the disciples began to realize the nature and extent of their
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  work. They were to proclaim to the world the wonderful truths which Christ had
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  entrusted to them, the events of his life, his death and resurrection,
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  the prophecies that pointed to these events, the sacredness of the Law of God,
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  the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus for the
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  remission of sins. To all these things they were witnesses, and they were
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  to make them known to the world. They were to proclaim the gospel of
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  peace and salvation through repentance, and the power the Savior. And when he
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  had said this, he breathed on them and seth unto them. Receive ye
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  the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins, ye remit, they are remitted unto them.
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  And whosoever sins, ye retain, they are retained. The Holy Spirit
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  was not yet fully manifested, for Christ had not yet been glorified. The
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  more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ's ascension.
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  Not until this was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the Gospel
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  to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose.
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  Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties. At connection with the Church,
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  Christ breathe his spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most sacred
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  trust, and he desired to impress them with the fact that without the Holy
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  Spirit this work could not be accomplished. The Holy Spirit is a breath of
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  spiritual life and the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of
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  the life of Christ. It abused the receiver with the attributes of Christ.
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  Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working
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  of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ's life is manifested, are
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  to stand as representative men to minister in behalf of the Church. Whosoever sins,
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  ye remit, said Christ, they are remitted, and whosoever sins ye
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  retain, they are retained. Christ here gives no liberty for any man to
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  pass judgment upon others. In the Sermon on the Mount, he forbade this.
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  It is the prerogative of God. But on the Church in its organized
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  capacity. He places a responsibility for the individual members towards those who fall into
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  sin. The church has a duty to warn, to instruct, and if
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  possible, to restore, reprove rebuke, exhort. The Lord says, with
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  all long suffering and doctrine. Second Timothy Forto, deal faithfully with wrong doing.
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  Warn every soul that is in danger, leave none to deceive themselves.
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  Calls sin by a trite name. Declare what God has said in regard to
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  lying, sabbath breaking, stealing, idolatry, and every other evil. They
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  which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Galatians five twenty one.
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  If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God's word
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  is pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin, they disown Christ.
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  The Church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she
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  herself dishonors her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it.
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  She must deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified
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  in heaven. He who despises the authority of the Church despises the authority of
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  Christ himself. But there is a brighter side to the picture. Whosoever sins,
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  ye remit they are remitted. Let this thought be kept uppermost in labor
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  for the erring. Let every eye be directed to Christ. Let the shepherds
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  have a tender care for the flock of the Lord's pasture. Let them speak
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  to the erring of the forgiving mercy of the Savior. Let them encourage the
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  say or to repent and believe in him who can pardon. Let them declare
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  on the authority of God's word. If we confess our sins, he is
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  faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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  First John one point nine. All who repent have the assurance he will
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  have compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities, and thou will cast
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  all their sins into the depths of the sea Micas seven nineteen. Let the
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  repentance of the sinner be accepted by the Church with grateful hearts. Let the
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  repenting one be led out from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith
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  and righteousness. Let his trembling hand be placed in the loving hand of Jesus.
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  Such a remission is ratified in heaven only in this sense, as a
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  church power to absolve the sinner. Remission of sins can be obtained only through
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  the merits of Christ. To no man, to no body of men,
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  is given power to free the soul from guilt. Christ charged his disciples to
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  preach the remission of sins his name among all nations, but they themselves were
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  not empowered to remove one stain of sin. The name of Jesus is the
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  only name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts
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  four twelve. When Jesus first met the disciples in the Upper Chamber, Thomas
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  was not with them. He heard the reports of the others and received abundant
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  proof that Jesus had risen, But gloom and unbelief filled his heart. As
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  he heard the disciples tell of the wonderful manifestations of the risen Savior. It
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  only plunged him in deeper despair. If Jesus had really risen from the dead,
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  there could be no further hope of a literal, earthly kingdom, and
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  it wounded his vanity to think that his Master should reveal himself to all the
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  disciples except him. He was determined not to believe, and for a whole
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  week he brooded over his wretchedness, which seemed all the darker in contrast with
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  the hope and faith of his brethren. During this time, he repeatedly declared
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  except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put
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  my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his
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  side. I will not believe he would not see through the eyes of his
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  brethren, or exercise faith which was dependent upon their testimony. He ardently loved
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  his Lord, but he had allowed jealousy and unbelief to take possession of his
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  mind and heart. A number of the disciples now made the familiar upper Chamber
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  their temporary home, and at evening all except Thomas gathered here. One evening,
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  Thomas determined to meet with the others. Notwithstanding his unbelief, he had
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  a faint hope that the good news was true. While the disciples were taking
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  their evening meal, they talked of the evidences which Christ had given them in
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  the prophecies. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in
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  the midst and said, peace be unto you. Turning to Thomas, he
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  said, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands. And reach hither thy
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  hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless. But believing
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  these words, showed that he was acquainted with the thoughts and words of Thomas.
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  The doubting disciple knew that none of his companions had seen Jesus for a
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  week. They could not have told the Master of his unbelief. He recognized
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  the one before him as his lord. He had no desire for further proof.
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  His heart leaped for joy, and he cast himself at the feet of
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  Jesus, crying, my Lord and my God. Jesus accepted his acknowledgment,
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  but gently reproved his unbelief Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
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  believed Thused are they that have not seen and yet have believed. The faith
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  of Thomas would have been more pleasing to Christ if he had been willing to
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  believe upon the testimony of his brethren. Should the world now follow the example
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  of Thomas, no one would believe unto salvation, for all who received Christ
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  must do so through the testimony of others. Many who were given to doubt
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  excused themselves by saying that if they had the evidence which Thomas had from his
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  companions, they would believe. They do not realize that they have not only
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  that evidence, but much more. Many who like Thomas, wait for all
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  cause of doubt to be removed, will never realize their desire, they gradually
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  become confirmed and unbelief. Those who educate themselves to look on the dark side
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  and murmur and complain know not what they do. They are sowing the seeds
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  of doubt, and they will have a harvest of doubt to reap at a
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  time when faith and confidence are most essential. Many will thus find themselves powerless
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  to hope and believe. In his treatment of Thomas, Jesus gave a lesson
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  for his followers. His example shows how we should treat those whose faith is
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  weak and who make their doubts prominent. Jesus did not overwhelm Thomas with reproach,
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  nor did he enter into controversy with him. He revealed himself to the
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  doubting one. Thomas had been most unreasonable in dictating the conditions of his faith,
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  but Jesus, by his generous love and consideration, broke down all.
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  The unbelief is seldom overcome by controversy. It is rather put upon self defense
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  and finds new support and excuse. But let Jesus, in his love and
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  mercy, be revealed as a crucified savior, and from many once unwilling lips
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  will be heard. The acknowledgment of Thomas, my Lord and my God.
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  End of Chapter eighty four,