〉 Chapter 11—The Holy Spirit in our Schools
Chapter 11—The Holy Spirit in our Schools
Cooranbong, N. S. W.,
May 10, 1896
(8T 61)
I ask you who are living at the very heart of the work to review the experience of years and see if the well “done” can be truthfully spoken of you. I ask the teachers in our schools to consider carefully, prayerfully: Have I individually watched for my own soul as one who is co-operating with God for its purification from all sin and its entire sanctification? Can you by precept and example teach the youth sanctification, through the truth, unto holiness? (8T 61.1)
Have you not been afraid of the Holy Spirit? At times this Spirit has come with all-pervading influence into the school at Battle Creek and into the schools at other places. Did you recognize His presence? Did you accord Him the honor due to a heavenly messenger? When the Spirit seemed to be striving with the youth, did you say: “Let us put aside all study, for it is evident that we have among us a heavenly guest? Let us give praise and honor to God.” Did you, with contrite hearts, bow in prayer with your students, pleading that you might receive the blessing that the Lord was presenting to you? (8T 61.2)
The Great Teacher Himself was among you. Did you honor Him? Was He a stranger to some of the educators? Was there need to send for someone of supposed authority to welcome or repel this Messenger from heaven? Though unseen, His presence was among you. But was not the thought expressed that in school the time ought to be given to study, and that there was a time for everything, as if the hours devoted to common study were too precious to be given up for the working of the heavenly messenger? (8T 61.3)
If you have in any way restricted or repulsed the Holy Spirit, I entreat you to repent as quickly as possible. If any of our teachers have not opened the door of the heart to the Spirit of God, but have closed and padlocked it, I urge them to unlock the door and pray with earnestness: “Abide with me.” When the Holy Spirit reveals His presence in your school room, say to your students: “The Lord signifies that He has for us today a lesson of heavenly import, of more value than our lessons in ordinary lines. Let us listen; let us bow before God and seek Him with the whole heart.” (8T 62.1)
Let me tell you what I know of this heavenly Guest. The Holy Spirit was brooding over the youth during the school hours; but some hearts were so cold and dark that they had no desire for the Spirit’s presence, and the light of God was withdrawn. That heavenly Visitant would have opened all understanding, would have given wisdom and knowledge in all lines of study that could be employed to the glory of God. The Lord’s messenger came to convince of sin and to soften hearts hardened by long estrangement from God. He came to reveal the great love wherewith God has loved those youth. They are God’s heritage, and educators need the “higher education” before they are qualified to be teachers and guides of youth. (8T 62.2)
The teacher may understand many things in regard to the physical universe; he may know all about the structure of living things, the inventions of mechanical art, the discoveries of natural science; but he cannot be called educated unless he has a knowledge of the only true God and of Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. A principle of divine origin must pervade our conduct and bind us to God. This will not be in any way a hindrance to the study of true science. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the man who consents to be molded and fashioned after the divine similitude is the noblest specimen of the work of God. All who live in communion with our Creator will have an understanding of His design in their creation, and they will realize that God holds them accountable to employ their faculties to the very best purpose. They will seek neither to glorify nor to depreciate themselves. (8T 62.3)
The Will of God Concerning Us
The knowledge of God is obtained from His word. The experimental knowledge of true godliness, found in daily consecration and service, ensures the highest culture of body, mind, and soul. This consecration of all our powers to God prevents self-exaltation. The impartation of divine power honors our sincere striving after wisdom that will enable us to use our highest faculties in a way that will honor God and bless our fellow men. As these faculties are derived from God, and not self-created, they should be appreciated as talents from God to be employed in His service. (8T 63.1)
The heaven-entrusted faculties of the mind are to be treated as the higher powers, to rule the kingdom of the body. The natural appetites and passions are to be brought under the control of the conscience and the spiritual powers. (8T 63.2)
The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver; it never makes him coarse or rough, discourteous or self-important, passionate or hardhearted. On the contrary, it refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and purifies and ennobles the thoughts, bringing them into captivity to Christ. God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. He has given in His holy law a transcript of His character. (8T 63.3)
Christ is the greatest Teacher that the world has ever known. And what is the standard that He holds before all who believe in Him? “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. As God is perfect in His sphere, so man may be perfect in his sphere. (8T 64.1)
The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. There is opened before us a path of constant advancement. We have an object to gain, a standard to reach, that includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated. There should be continual striving and constant progress onward and upward toward perfection of character. (8T 64.2)
Paul says: “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13, 14. (8T 64.3)
This is the will of God concerning human beings, even their sanctification. In urging our way upward, heavenward, every faculty must be kept in the most healthy condition, prepared to do faithful service. The powers with which God has endowed man are to be put to the stretch. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” Luke 10:27. Man cannot possibly do this of himself; he must have divine aid. What part is the human agent to act? “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13. (8T 64.4)
Without the divine working, man could do no good thing. God calls every man to repentance, yet man cannot even repent unless the Holy Spirit works upon his heart. But the Lord wants no man to wait until he thinks that he has repented before he takes steps toward Jesus. The Saviour is continually drawing men to repentance; they need only to submit to be drawn, and their hearts will be melted in penitence. (8T 64.5)
Man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life; he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality; yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence. The Lord bids us: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”(Luke 13:24) “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14. (8T 65.1)
Working Against the Holy Spirit
I entreat the students in our schools to be sober-minded. The frivolity of the young is not pleasing to God. Their sports and games open the door to a flood of temptation. In your intellectual faculties you are in possession of God’s heavenly endowment, and you should not allow your thoughts to be cheap and low. A character formed in accordance with the precepts of God’s word will reveal steadfast principles, pure, noble aspirations. When the Holy Spirit co-operates with the powers of the human mind, high, holy impulses are the sure result.... (8T 65.2)
God sees that which the blind eyes of educators cannot discern, that immorality of every kind and degree is striving for the mastery, working against the manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit. The commonest of conversation, and cheap, perverted ideas, are woven into the texture of the character. (8T 65.3)
Parties for frivolous, worldly pleasure, gatherings for eating, drinking, and singing, are inspired by a spirit that is from beneath. They are an oblation to Satan. The exhibitions in the bicycle craze are an offense to God. His wrath is kindled against those who do such things. In these gratifications the mind becomes besotted, even as in liquor drinking. The door is opened to vulgar associations. The thoughts, allowed to run in a low channel, soon pervert all the powers of the being. Like Israel of old, the pleasure lovers eat and drink, and rise up to play. There is mirth and carousing, hilarity and glee. In all this the youth follow the example of the authors of the books placed in their hands for study. The greatest evil of it all is the permanent effect that these things have upon the character. (8T 66.1)
Those who take the lead in these things bring upon the cause a stain not easily effaced. They wound their own souls, and through their lifetime will carry the scars. The evildoer may see his sins and repent; God may pardon the transgressor; but the powers of discernment, which ought ever to be kept keen and sensitive to distinguish between the sacred and the common, are in a great measure destroyed. Too often human devices and imaginations are accepted as divine. Some souls will act in blindness and insensibility, ready to grasp cheap, common, and even infidel sentiments, while they turn against the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. (8T 66.2)