"Rest is in Christ, and cannot be found as something He gives apart from Himself. The moment the yoke is adjusted to your neck, that moment it is found easy; and the heaviest labor in all spiritual lines can be performed, the heaviest burdens can be borne, because the Lord gives the strength and the power, and He gives gladness in doing the work."
It is not often that I find a diary so rich as the one that follows. Here are some of the key points:
"The reason why there are so many in perplexity is they take their case into their own finite hands and manufacture yokes that are not pleasant for them to wear."
"Come just as you are, weak, helpless, and ready to die."
"What is the “rest?” It is the consciousness that God is true, that He never disappoints a soul who comes unto Him. His pardon is full and free, and His acceptance of you means rest to your soul, rest in His love."
"God welcomes all who come to Him just as they are, not building themselves up in self-righteousness, not seeking to justify self, not claiming merit for that which they call a good action, not priding themselves on their knowledge of what constitutes righteousness. Put on the wedding garment, which Christ has prepared, and drop the old citizen’s dress; then you can sit down in heavenly places with Christ Jesus."
"Entire surrender of your ways which seem so very wise, and taking Christ’s ways, is the secret of perfect rest in His love."
"It is by learning the habits of Christ, His meekness, His lowliness, that self becomes transformed—by taking Christ’s yoke upon you and then submitting to learn."
"When they fall upon Christ, their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character are taken away as hindrances to their being partakers of the divine nature. When self dies, then Christ lives in the human agent. He abides in Christ, and Christ lives in him."
"He says, Yield yourselves to My training; submit your souls unto Me. I will not extinguish you, but will work out for you such a character that you shall be transformed from the lower school to the higher grade. Submit all things to Me. Let My life, My patience, My longsuffering, My forbearance, My meekness, My lowliness, be worked out in your character, as one that abides in Me and I in him."
"Abiding with Christ is choosing only the disposition of Christ, so that He identifies His interests with yours."
"Abide in Him, to be and do only what He wills. These are the conditions of discipleship."
"Rest is in Christ, and cannot be found as something He gives apart from Himself. The moment the yoke is adjusted to your neck, that moment it is found easy; and the heaviest labor in all spiritual lines can be performed, the heaviest burdens can be borne, because the Lord gives the strength and the power, and He gives gladness in doing the work."
This is a highly instructive and encoring reading and should be earnestly studied by everyone.—Dan
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
A deep impression was made as I spoke from (John 15), on the vine and the branches. I spoke of the wonderful contrast between the spurious branches and the true branches, those that have a vital connection with the parent stock. I read only a few verses, to imprint upon their minds the necessity of abiding in Christ. {Lt130-1898.5}
I presented the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:28-30.] Simple enough, is it not? Thus it appears. The promise is large and far-reaching. Rest for the soul is comprehensive. It implies much. It means deliverance from constant perplexing uncertainty. The word rest is repeated. “I will give you rest.” In wearing Christ’s yoke and learning of Him His meekness and lowliness, “ye shall find rest to your souls.” Here is a giving by Christ; and on our part, an acceptance of the promise, a conscious finding, a sense of relief from all perplexing doubt. {Lt130-1898.6}
The reason why there are so many in perplexity is they take their case into their own finite hands and manufacture yokes that are not pleasant for them to wear. They suppose they understand their own case, and will worry and plan and devise, when Christ stands inviting, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Verses 29, 30.] I said, If you have not found the rest that Christ has offered to give you upon condition that you learn of Him who is meek and lowly of heart, would you not better without delay yoke up with Christ, bear only His burdens, and not pile upon yourselves burdens that weigh you down to the earth? All your trouble is because you are so anxious to run things yourselves that you do not wear the yoke of Christ, which He declares is easy. The yokes of your own manufacturing gall the neck that wears them. Christ says, Try my yoke, it is easy; lift my burdens, for they are light. {Lt130-1898.7}
Will these hearers before me hear to a purpose? A Paul may plant, an Apollos water, but God giveth the increase. Christ give rest to all who receive Him by faith. You are not to conjure up a variety of objects that you must enter into in order to find rest, assurance, confidence. Just leave that work, which none of the wisest of the human family can do, and put your trust in One who has promised rest to your souls. Do just what He has told you to do, and be assured that God will do all that He has engaged to do. The invitation is, Come unto me, and I will give you rest. Have you come to Him renouncing all your makeshifts, all your unbelief, all your self-righteousness? Come just as you are, weak, helpless, and ready to die. What is the “rest?” It is the consciousness that God is true, that He never disappoints a soul who comes unto Him. His pardon is full and free, and His acceptance of you means rest to your soul, rest in His love. {Lt130-1898.8}
But be sure that you act your part; co-operate with the One who has promised. By some the promise is grasped so eagerly that it becomes their own, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is their experience. Others suppose that they must wait to become worthy. Never, never will you become worthy, for if this were possible the Prince of heaven would never have come to our world. He in this action shows before all the universe of heaven that He has united humanity to Himself in order that humanity may stand on vantage ground through co-operating with Christ, that man may have his test, his trial. Through the merits of the Son of God he becomes a partaker of the divine nature. {Lt130-1898.9}
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” [Philippians 2:12.] How is this? Fear lest you shall weave into the fabric your own threads of selfishness. Fear lest you shall err in choosing the timber for your character building. God alone can supply the solid timber. Well may mortal man be afraid of weaving into his character the miserable threads of his own inherited and cultivated tendencies. Well may he tremble lest he shall not submit all things to Him who is working in his behalf, that God’s will shall be done in him. God welcomes all who come to Him just as they are, not building themselves up in self-righteousness, not seeking to justify self, not claiming merit for that which they call a good action, not priding themselves on their knowledge of what constitutes righteousness. Put on the wedding garment, which Christ has prepared, and drop the old citizen’s dress; then you can sit down in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. {Lt130-1898.10}
"When they fall upon Christ, their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character are taken away as hindrances to their being partakers of the divine nature. When self dies, then Christ lives in the human agent."
While you have been walking in meekness and lowliness of heart, a work has been going on for you, a work which only God could do, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. And that good pleasure is to have you abide in Christ, rest in His love. You must not let anything rob your soul of peace, of restfulness, of the assurance that you are accepted just now. Appropriate every promise; all are yours on condition of your complying with the Lord’s prescribed terms. Entire surrender of your ways which seem so very wise, and taking Christ’s ways, is the secret of perfect rest in His love. Giving up one’s life to Him means much more than we suppose. {Lt130-1898.11}
We must learn His meekness and lowliness before we realize the fulfillment of the promise, “Ye shall find rest unto your souls.” [Matthew 11:29.] It is by learning the habits of Christ, His meekness, His lowliness, that self becomes transformed—by taking Christ’s yoke upon you and then submitting to learn. There is no one who has not much to learn. All must come under training by Jesus Christ. When they fall upon Christ, their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character are taken away as hindrances to their being partakers of the divine nature. When self dies, then Christ lives in the human agent. He abides in Christ, and Christ lives in him. {Lt130-1898.12}
Christ desires all to become His students. He says, Yield yourselves to My training; submit your souls unto Me. I will not extinguish you, but will work out for you such a character that you shall be transformed from the lower school to the higher grade. Submit all things to Me. Let My life, My patience, My longsuffering, My forbearance, My meekness, My lowliness, be worked out in your character, as one that abides in Me and I in him. Then you have the power. Not only, “I will give,” but, “You shall find rest to your souls.” [Verses 28, 29.] {Lt130-1898.13}
God calls for an entire surrender. You cannot receive the Holy Spirit until you break every yoke of bondage, everything that binds you to your old, objectionable traits of character. These are the great hindrances to your wearing Christ’s yoke and learning of Him. The abiding rest—who has it? That rest is found when all justification of self, all reasoning from a selfish standpoint, is put away. Acquaintance with Christ makes you want to abide in Him and to have Him abide in you. Entire surrender of self is required. {Lt130-1898.14}
In my dream last Friday night a sentinel stood at the door of an important building, and said to every one who came for entrance, “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” [See Acts 19:2.] A measuring line was in his hand, and but very, very few were admitted into the building. Your size as a human being is nothing. Your size as the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus according to the knowledge you have had will give you an appointment to sit with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb, and you will never know the extent of the great advantage given you in the banquet prepared for you. {Lt130-1898.15}
You may be tall and well proportioned in self, but no such ones can enter here. None can be admitted who are grown-up children, with all the habits and customs, the disposition, the characteristics, which pertain to children. You have nurtured your suspicions, your criticisms, your bad temper, your self-dignity, and you cannot be permitted to spoil the feast, for all who go in through this door have on the wedding garment, woven in the loom of heaven. {Lt130-1898.16}
Your leaven of distrust, your want of confidence, your power of accusing, closes against you the door of admittance. Within this door nothing can enter that can possibly mar the happiness of the dwellers here by marring their perfect trust in one another. Those who have educated themselves to pick flaws in the character of others have thus revealed a deformity of character which made families unhappy, which has turned souls from the truth to choose fables. You cannot join the happy family in the heavenly courts, for [He will wipe] all tears from their faces. You can never see the King in His beauty if you are not yourself a representative of the loveliness of Christ’s character. {Lt130-1898.17}
"The moment the yoke is adjusted to your neck, that moment it is found easy; and the heaviest labor in all spiritual lines can be performed, the heaviest burdens can be borne, because the Lord gives the strength and the power, and He gives gladness in doing the work."
Abiding with Christ is choosing only the disposition of Christ, so that He identifies His interests with yours. When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ as He has invited you, then you shall find entrance to the kingdom of God. Entire, unreserved surrender He requires. Give up your life for Him to order, mold, and fashion; take upon your neck His yoke; submit to be led and taught as well as to lead and teach. Learn that unless you become as a little child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Abide in Him, to be and do only what He wills. These are the conditions of discipleship. {Lt130-1898.18}
Unless these conditions are complied with, you cannot have rest. Rest is in Christ, and cannot be found as something He gives apart from Himself. The moment the yoke is adjusted to your neck, that moment it is found easy; and the heaviest labor in all spiritual lines can be performed, the heaviest burdens can be borne, because the Lord gives the strength and the power, and He gives gladness in doing the work. Mark the points: “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” [Matthew 11:29.] Who is it that speaks thus? The Majesty of heaven, the King of glory. He desires that your conceptions of spiritual things shall be purified from the fog of selfishness, the defilement of a crooked, coarse, unsympathetic nature. There must be the inward, higher experience. You must obtain a growth in grace by abiding in Christ. “And when thou art converted, thou wilt not be a hindrance, but thou wilt strengthen thy brethren.” [See Luke 22:32.] {Lt130-1898.19}
As these things were spoken, I saw that some turned sadly away, and mingled with the scoffers. Others with tears, all broken in heart, were making confessions to those whom they had bruised and wounded. They did not think of maintaining their own dignity, but asked at every step, What must I do to be saved? The answer was, “Repent, and be converted, that your sins may go beforehand to judgment, and be blotted out.” [See Acts 3:19; 1 Timothy 5:24.] Words were spoken to greatly rebuke all spiritual pride, for this God will not tolerate. It is inconsistent with His Word and with our profession of faith. “Seek ye the Lord,” all ye who are ministers of His. Seek Him “while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God; for He will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55:6, 7.] {Lt130-1898.20}
There was much presented to me. As I presented the principles before the people, all seemed to feel that the Lord had spoken through the feeble instrument. {Lt130-1898.21}
After those who came forward had borne their testimony, the rain poured down in torrents; it seemed that the windows of heaven were opened. I made this a symbol of what the Lord would do for His people in letting the latter rain of His rich blessing in truth and righteousness fall upon us. {Lt130-1898.22}
Written Resources On Christ's Yoke
Scriptures And Quotations On Christian Meekness
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