Thank you for your letter and postcard, and for the publications you sent. As you can see, I am including a letter from Father here. The paper is crumpled because it was used as packing paper for a few books he sent. Yesterday we had a blessed meeting. Br. Berg and the others are wholeheartedly along in the “sanctification movement.” I am calling it that because I believe it is going to spread, bringing great blessings wherever it comes. Father seems to have had different thoughts, and not a moment too soon. By this time, he should have been a teacher in Christ, but he still only understands the elementary principles. How tragic that a person in foolishness and cowardly fear of the sufferings of Christ should squander precious days and years so that even in his old age he can’t grasp the simplest truths.

Father once said to Mrs. Rasmussen that he couldn’t deny that we spoke the truth, but she did not agree with that. Imagine that, he understood what the truth is, and yet in order to be on good terms with Th. R. and his wife, he rejected it in order to keep a carnal peace. You can’t exactly call that “love for the truth.” This is precisely what has kept him in bondage for so long. Love of the truth casts out all fear, and we gladly give up friendships, family ties, and everything else for the sake of it. Our heart and mind must bear all things for the sake of our love for the truth; otherwise, we are not fit for the kingdom of heaven.

When it comes right down to it, love for the truth is what gives us the ability and the motivation to overcome every obstacle. It makes us as hard as steel; we become unshakable. It makes us loving toward all who are of the truth, even if they are on the edge of an abyss, provided they acknowledge and reconcile themselves to the truth of their own utter depravity.

How pathetic and cowardly it is to deny the truth because of the fear of man. Is it any wonder that people like this are left behind? What is human friendship anyway? What is a man, that we on their account should reject Christ? I have not written home for a long time now. To send a bundle of good feelings is abhorrent to me. I don’t know what more to say, for I believe I’ve said enough. My conscience is free from their blood, which they have told me again and again that I am to be free from. God shows no respect of persons. His soul has no pleasure in the one who draws back, no matter who he is!

As time goes on, I see more and more clearly that we must not force the truth on people; God’s Spirit does not do that. This, in turn, makes me content within that small circle of people who really love the truth. If you can win one person who really wants something, that is better than winning a hundred who do not know what they want. One Paul has done more than all the enemies of the cross of Christ combined.

As you can see, Father is writing something now about taking up his cross; but we must be careful about praising him for it, since praise of this kind would only push him back up to the surface again, where he is used to being. No, something more is called for than an afternoon’s passing regret about something or other that didn’t go according to plan. We can’t call that the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. We could rather call it a plucking up by the roots of those plants which our heavenly Father has not planted. Perhaps not even that. It may be that this is nothing more than sorrow over the fact that an evil tree can’t bear good fruit.

On that note, warm greetings in Christ Jesus.

Your brother,