Rev. 3:8 — I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
“No one should claim that he has all the light there is for God’s people. The Lord will not tolerate this. He has said, ‘I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’ Even if all our leading men should refuse light and truth, that door will still remain open. The Lord will raise up men who will give the people the message for this time.”
“Suppose a brother held a view that differed from yours, and he should come to you, proposing that you sit down with him and make an investigation of that point in the Scriptures; should you rise up, filled with prejudice, and condemn his ideas, while refusing to give him a candid hearing?
“The only right way would be to sit down as Christians, and investigate the position presented, in the light of God’s word, which will reveal truth and unmask error. To ridicule his ideas would not weaken his position in the least if it were false, or strengthen your position if it were true.
“If the pillars of our faith will not stand the test of investigation, it is time that we knew it. There must be no spirit of Pharisaism cherished among us.” — Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 106, 107.
But, you may ask, isn’t there somewhere in her writings where Sister White has said: “We have all the light which we need till Jesus comes”?
We know of no such statement. Furthermore, any like declaration would be wholly contrary to everything Sister White has written on the subject, as is quickly seen from only two of her many testimonies on this point:
“The question has been asked me, ‘Do you think that the Lord has any more light for us as a people?’ I answer that He has light that is new to us, and yet it is precious old light that is to shine forth from the Word of truth. We have only the glimmerings of the rays of the light that is yet to come to us. We are not making the most of the light which the Lord has already given us, and thus we fail to receive the increased light; we do not walk in light already shed upon us.” — Review and Herald, June 3, 1890.
“We should all know what is being taught among us; for if it is truth, we need it… No matter by whom light is sent, we should open our hearts to receive it with the meekness of Christ… O, may we act as men who want light!”
“The Lord sends light to us to prove what manner of spirit we are of. We are not to deceive ourselves.”
“We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more truth, to be given us.” — Gospel Workers, pp. 301, 302, 310.
Obviously, therefore, there cannot be even so much as a suggestion in Sister White’s writings that we already have all the Truth and need nothing more.
But there are in the Bible at least two previews of a people who will mistakenly think they have need of nothing more:
- The five foolish virgins, who think the oil in their lamps is enough to give them light clear to the Kingdom, but who being mistaken, fail to reach their goal. (See Matthew 25:1–13).
- The Laodiceans, who think they have need of nothing, although the Lord says they have need of everything, and who thus doom themselves to being spued out of His mouth. (See Revelation 3:14–18).
Apparently the one who thinks Sister White is guilty of saying, “We have all the light which we need till Jesus comes,” is either one of the five foolish virgins or one of the Laodiceans.
The Need of Personal Investigation
“Precious light is to shine forth from the Word of God, and let no one presume to dictate what shall or what shall not be brought before the people in the messages of enlightenment that He shall send, and so quench the Spirit of God. Whatever may be his position of authority, no one has a right to shut away the light from the people.”
“When a message comes in the name of the Lord to His people, no one may excuse himself from an investigation of its claims. No one can afford to stand back in an attitude of indifference and self-confidence, and say: ‘I know what is truth. I am satisfied with my position. I have set my stakes, and I will not be moved away from my position, whatever may come. I will not listen to the message of this messenger; for I know that it can not be truth.’ It was from pursuing this very course that the popular churches were left in partial darkness, and that is why the messages of heaven have not reached them.”
“We are on dangerous ground when we cannot meet together like Christians, and courteously examine controverted points. I feel like fleeing from the place lest I receive the mold of those who cannot candidly investigate the doctrines of the Bible. Those who cannot impartially examine the evidences of a position that differs from theirs, are not fit to teach in any department of God’s work.” — R. & H., Vol. 67, No. 7, February 18, 1890.
“God has precious light to come to His people… When new light is presented to the church, it is perilous to shut yourself away from it… To condemn that which you have not heard and do not understand will not exalt your wisdom in the eyes of those who are candid in their investigations of truth. And to speak with contempt of those whom God has sent with a message of truth is folly and madness…
“… for God will glorify His Word, that it may appear in a light in which we have never before beheld it… Light will come to every earnest seeker for truth, as it came to Nathanael… There should be liberty given for a frank investigation of truth, that each may know for himself what is the truth.
“… if a message comes that you do not understand, take pains that you may hear the reasons the messenger may give… for your position will not be shaken by coming in contact with error… No one of those who imagine that they know it all is too old or too intelligent to learn from the humblest of the messengers of the living God.” — Testimonies On Sabbath School Work, pp. 60–66.
“God means what He says.” — Testimonies Vol. 5, p. 365.
“We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and Heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p. 30.
